Key Bindings for Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code lets you perform most tasks directly from the keyboard. This page lists out the default bindings and describes how you can update them.

Note: If you visit this page on a Mac, you will see the key bindings for the Mac. If you visit using Windows or Linux, you will see the keys for that OS. If you need the key binding for another OS, hover your mouse over the key you are interested in.

Note: The following keys are rendered assuming a standard US keyboard layout. If you use a different keyboard layout, please read below.

Basic Editing

Key	Command	Command id
⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+X)	Cut line (empty selection)	editor.action.clipboardCutAction
⌘C (Windows, Linux Ctrl+C)	Copy line (empty selection)	editor.action.clipboardCopyAction
⇧⌘K (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+K)	Delete Line	editor.action.deleteLines
⌘Enter (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Enter)	Insert Line Below	editor.action.insertLineAfter
⇧⌘Enter (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Enter)	Insert Line Above	editor.action.insertLineBefore
⌥↓ (Windows, Linux Alt+Down)	Move Line Down	editor.action.moveLinesDownAction
⌥↑ (Windows, Linux Alt+Up)	Move Line Up	editor.action.moveLinesUpAction
⇧⌥↓ (Windows Shift+Alt+Down, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Down)	Copy Line Down	editor.action.copyLinesDownAction
⇧⌥↑ (Windows Shift+Alt+Up, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Up)	Copy Line Up	editor.action.copyLinesUpAction
⌘D (Windows, Linux Ctrl+D)	Add Selection To Next Find Match	editor.action.addSelectionToNextFindMatch
⌘K ⌘D (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+D)	Move Last Selection To Next Find Match	editor.action.moveSelectionToNextFindMatch
⌘U (Windows, Linux Ctrl+U)	Undo last cursor operation	cursorUndo
⇧⌥I (Windows, Linux Shift+Alt+I)	Insert cursor at end of each line selected	editor.action.insertCursorAtEndOfEachLineSelected
⇧⌘L (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+L)	Select all occurrences of current selection	editor.action.selectHighlights
⌘F2 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+F2)	Select all occurrences of current word	editor.action.changeAll
⌘I (Windows, Linux Ctrl+I)	Select current line	expandLineSelection
⌥⌘↓ (Windows Ctrl+Alt+Down, Linux Shift+Alt+Down)	Insert Cursor Below	editor.action.insertCursorBelow
⌥⌘↑ (Windows Ctrl+Alt+Up, Linux Shift+Alt+Up)	Insert Cursor Above	editor.action.insertCursorAbove
⇧⌘\ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+\)	Jump to matching bracket	editor.action.jumpToBracket
⌘] (Windows, Linux Ctrl+])	Indent Line	editor.action.indentLines
⌘[ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+[)	Outdent Line	editor.action.outdentLines
Home	Go to Beginning of Line	cursorHome
End	Go to End of Line	cursorEnd
⌘↓ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+End)	Go to End of File	cursorBottom
⌘↑ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Home)	Go to Beginning of File	cursorTop
⌃PageDown (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Down)	Scroll Line Down	scrollLineDown
⌃PageUp (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Up)	Scroll Line Up	scrollLineUp
⌘PageDown (Windows, Linux Alt+PageDown)	Scroll Page Down	scrollPageDown
⌘PageUp (Windows, Linux Alt+PageUp)	Scroll Page Up	scrollPageUp
⇧⌘[ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+[)	Fold (collapse) region	editor.fold
⇧⌘] (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+])	Unfold (uncollapse) region	editor.unfold
⌘K ⌘[ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+[)	Fold (collapse) all subregions	editor.foldRecursively
⌘K ⌘] (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+])	Unfold (uncollapse) all subregions	editor.unfoldRecursively
⌘K ⌘0 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+0)	Fold (collapse) all regions	editor.foldAll
⌘K ⌘J (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+J)	Unfold (uncollapse) all regions	editor.unfoldAll
⌘K ⌘C (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+C)	Add Line Comment	editor.action.addCommentLine
⌘K ⌘U (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+U)	Remove Line Comment	editor.action.removeCommentLine
⌘/ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+/)	Toggle Line Comment	editor.action.commentLine
⇧⌥A (Windows Shift+Alt+A, Linux Ctrl+Shift+A)	Toggle Block Comment	editor.action.blockComment
⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+F)	Find	actions.find
⌥⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+H)	Replace	editor.action.startFindReplaceAction
⌘G (Windows, Linux F3)	Find Next	editor.action.nextMatchFindAction
⇧⌘G (Windows, Linux Shift+F3)	Find Previous	editor.action.previousMatchFindAction
⌥Enter (Windows, Linux Alt+Enter)	Select All Occurences of Find Match	editor.action.selectAllMatches
⌥⌘C (Windows, Linux Alt+C)	Toggle Find Case Sensitive	toggleFindCaseSensitive
⌥⌘R (Windows, Linux Alt+R)	Toggle Find Regex	toggleFindRegex
⌥⌘W (Windows, Linux Alt+W)	Toggle Find Whole Word	toggleFindWholeWord
⌃⇧M (Windows, Linux Ctrl+M)	Toggle Use of Tab Key for Setting Focus	editor.action.toggleTabFocusMode
	Toggle Render Whitespace	toggleRenderWhitespace

Rich Languages Editing

Key	Command	Command id
⌃Space (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Space)	Trigger Suggest	editor.action.triggerSuggest
⇧⌘Space (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Space)	Trigger Parameter Hints	editor.action.triggerParameterHints
⇧⌥F (Windows Shift+Alt+F, Linux Ctrl+Shift+I)	Format Code	editor.action.format
F12	Go to Definition	editor.action.goToDeclaration
⌥F12 (Windows Alt+F12, Linux Ctrl+Shift+F10)	Peek Definition	editor.action.previewDeclaration
⌘K F12 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K F12)	Open Definition to the Side	editor.action.openDeclarationToTheSide
⌘. (Windows, Linux Ctrl+.)	Quick Fix	editor.action.quickFix
⇧F12 (Windows, Linux Shift+F12)	Show References	editor.action.referenceSearch.trigger
F2	Rename Symbol	editor.action.rename
⇧⌘. (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+.)	Replace with Next Value	editor.action.inPlaceReplace.down
⇧⌘, (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+,)	Replace with Previous Value	editor.action.inPlaceReplace.up
⌃⇧⌘→ (Windows, Linux Shift+Alt+Right)	Expand AST Select	editor.action.smartSelect.grow
⌃⇧⌘← (Windows, Linux Shift+Alt+Left)	Shrink AST Select	editor.action.smartSelect.shrink
⌘K ⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+X)	Trim Trailing Whitespace	editor.action.trimTrailingWhitespace
⌘K M (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K M)	Change Language Mode	workbench.action.editor.changeLanguageMode

Navigation

Key	Command	Command id
⌘T (Windows, Linux Ctrl+T)	Show All Symbols	workbench.action.showAllSymbols
⌃G (Windows, Linux Ctrl+G)	Go to Line...	workbench.action.gotoLine
⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+P)	Go to File..., Quick Open	workbench.action.quickOpen
⇧⌘O (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+O)	Go to Symbol...	workbench.action.gotoSymbol
⇧⌘M (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+M)	Show Problems	workbench.actions.view.problems
F8	Go to Next Error or Warning	editor.action.marker.next
⇧F8 (Windows, Linux Shift+F8)	Go to Previous Error or Warning	editor.action.marker.prev
⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P)	Show All Commands	workbench.action.showCommands
⌃⇧Tab (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Tab)	Navigate Editor Group History	workbench.action.openPreviousRecentlyUsedEditorInGroup
⌃- (Windows Alt+Left, Linux Ctrl+Alt+-)	Go Back	workbench.action.navigateBack
⌃⇧- (Windows Alt+Right, Linux Ctrl+Shift+-)	Go Forward	workbench.action.navigateForward

Editor/Window Management

Key	Command	Command id
⇧⌘N (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+N)	New Window	workbench.action.newWindow
⌘W (Windows Ctrl+Shift+W, Linux Ctrl+W)	Close Window	workbench.action.closeWindow
⌘W (Windows Ctrl+F4, Linux Ctrl+W)	Close Editor	workbench.action.closeActiveEditor
⌘K F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K F)	Close Folder	workbench.action.closeFolder
	Cycle Between Editor Groups	workbench.action.navigateEditorGroups
⌘\ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+\)	Split Editor	workbench.action.splitEditor
⌘1 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+1)	Focus into Left Editor Group	workbench.action.focusFirstEditorGroup
⌘2 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+2)	Focus into Side Editor Group	workbench.action.focusSecondEditorGroup
⌘3 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+3)	Focus into Right Editor Group	workbench.action.focusThirdEditorGroup
⌘K ⌘← (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+Left)	Focus into Editor Group on the Left	workbench.action.focusPreviousGroup
⌘K ⌘→ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+Right)	Focus into Editor Group on the Right	workbench.action.focusNextGroup
⌘K ⇧⌘← (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+PageUp)	Move Editor Left	workbench.action.moveEditorLeftInGroup
⌘K ⇧⌘→ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+PageDown)	Move Editor Right	workbench.action.moveEditorRightInGroup
⌘K ← (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Left)	Move Active Editor Group Left	workbench.action.moveActiveEditorGroupLeft
⌘K → (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Right)	Move Active Editor Group Right	workbench.action.moveActiveEditorGroupRight

File Management

Key	Command	Command id
⌘N (Windows, Linux Ctrl+N)	New File	workbench.action.files.newUntitledFile
Ctrl+O	Open File...	workbench.action.files.openFile
⌘S (Windows, Linux Ctrl+S)	Save	workbench.action.files.save
	Save All	workbench.action.files.saveAll
⇧⌘S (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+S)	Save As...	workbench.action.files.saveAs
⌘W (Windows Ctrl+F4, Linux Ctrl+W)	Close	workbench.action.closeActiveEditor
⌥⌘T (Windows, Linux )	Close Others	workbench.action.closeOtherEditors
⌘K W (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K W)	Close Group	workbench.action.closeEditorsInGroup
	Close Other Groups	workbench.action.closeEditorsInOtherGroups
	Close Group to Left	workbench.action.closeEditorsToTheLeft
	Close Group to Right	workbench.action.closeEditorsToTheRight
⌘K ⌘W (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+W)	Close All	workbench.action.closeAllEditors
⇧⌘T (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+T)	Reopen Closed Editor	workbench.action.reopenClosedEditor
⌘K Enter (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Enter)	Keep Open	workbench.action.keepEditor
⌃Tab (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Tab)	Open Next	workbench.action.openNextRecentlyUsedEditorInGroup
⌃⇧Tab (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Tab)	Open Previous	workbench.action.openPreviousRecentlyUsedEditorInGroup
⌘K P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K P)	Copy Path of Active File	workbench.action.files.copyPathOfActiveFile
⌘K R (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K R)	Reveal Active File in Windows	workbench.action.files.revealActiveFileInWindows
⌘K O (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K O)	Show Opened File in New Window	workbench.action.files.showOpenedFileInNewWindow
	Compare Opened File With	workbench.files.action.compareFileWith

Display

Key	Command	Command id
⌃⌘F (Windows, Linux F11)	Toggle Full Screen	workbench.action.toggleFullScreen
⌘= (Windows, Linux Ctrl+=)	Zoom in	workbench.action.zoomIn
⌘- (Windows, Linux Ctrl+-)	Zoom out	workbench.action.zoomOut
	Reset Zoom	workbench.action.zoomReset
⌘B (Windows, Linux Ctrl+B)	Toggle Sidebar Visibility	workbench.action.toggleSidebarVisibility
⇧⌘D (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+D)	Show Debug	workbench.view.debug
⇧⌘E (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+E)	Show Explorer / Toggle Focus	workbench.view.explorer
⌃⇧G (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+G)	Show Git	workbench.view.git
⇧⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+F)	Show Search	workbench.view.search
⇧⌘H (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+H)	Replace in Files	workbench.action.replaceInFiles
⇧⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+X)	Show Extensions	workbench.view.extensions
⇧⌘J (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+J)	Toggle Search Details	workbench.action.search.toggleQueryDetails
⇧⌘C (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+C)	Open New Command Prompt	workbench.action.terminal.openNativeConsole
⇧⌘U (Windows Ctrl+Shift+U, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+H)	Show Output	workbench.action.output.toggleOutput
⇧⌘V (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+V)	Toggle Markdown Preview	markdown.showPreview
⌘K V (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K V)	Open Preview to the Side	markdown.showPreviewToSide
⌃` (Windows, Linux Ctrl+`)	Toggle Integrated Terminal	workbench.action.terminal.toggleTerminal

Preferences

Key	Command	Command id
⌘, (Windows, Linux )	Open User Settings	workbench.action.openGlobalSettings
	Open Workspace Settings	workbench.action.openWorkspaceSettings
	Open Keyboard Shortcuts	workbench.action.openGlobalKeybindings
	Open User Snippets	workbench.action.openSnippets
	Select Color Theme	workbench.action.selectTheme
	Configure Display Language	workbench.action.configureLocale

Debug

Key	Command	Command id
F9	Toggle Breakpoint	editor.debug.action.toggleBreakpoint
F5	Continue	workbench.action.debug.continue
F5	Pause	workbench.action.debug.start
F11	Step Into	workbench.action.debug.stepInto
⇧F11 (Windows, Linux Shift+F11)	Step Out	workbench.action.debug.stepOut
F10	Step Over	workbench.action.debug.stepOver
⇧F5 (Windows, Linux Shift+F5)	Stop	workbench.action.debug.stop
⌘K ⌘I (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+I)	Show Hover	editor.action.showHover

Tasks

Key	Command	Command id
⇧⌘B (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+B)	Run Build Task	workbench.action.tasks.build
	Run Test Task	workbench.action.tasks.test

Extensions

Key	Command	Command id
	Install Extension	workbench.extensions.action.installExtension
	Show Installed Extensions	workbench.extensions.action.showInstalledExtensions
	Show Outdated Extensions	workbench.extensions.action.listOutdatedExtensions
	Show Recommended Extensions	workbench.extensions.action.showRecommendedExtensions
	Show Popular Extensions	workbench.extensions.action.showPopularExtensions
	Update All Extensions	workbench.extensions.action.updateAllExtensions

Customizing Shortcuts

All keyboard shortcuts in VS Code can be customized via the User/keybindings.json file.

• To configure keyboard shortcuts the way you want, go to the menu under File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. (Code > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac)
• This will open the Default Keyboard Shortcuts on the left and your User/keybindings.json file where you can overwrite the default bindings on the right.

Keyboard Rules

The keyboard shortcuts dispatching is done by analyzing a list of rules that are expressed in JSON. Here are some examples:

// Keybindings that are active when the focus is in the editor
{ "key": "home",            "command": "cursorHome",                  "when": "editorTextFocus" },
{ "key": "shift+home",      "command": "cursorHomeSelect",            "when": "editorTextFocus" },

// Keybindings that are complementary
{ "key": "f5",              "command": "workbench.action.debug.continue", "when": "inDebugMode" },
{ "key": "f5",              "command": "workbench.action.debug.start",    "when": "!inDebugMode" },

// Global keybindings
{ "key": "ctrl+f",          "command": "actions.find" },
{ "key": "alt+left",        "command": "workbench.action.navigateBack" },
{ "key": "alt+right",       "command": "workbench.action.navigateForward" },

// Global keybindings using chords (two separate keypress actions)
{ "key": "ctrl+k enter",    "command": "workbench.action.keepEditor" },
{ "key": "ctrl+k ctrl+w",   "command": "workbench.action.closeAllEditors" },

Each rule consists of:

• a key that describes the pressed keys.
• a command containing the identifier of the command to execute.
• an optional when clause containing a boolean expression that will be evaluated depending on the current context.

Chords (two separate keypress actions) are described by separating the two keypresses with a space. E.g.: ctrl+k ctrl+c.

When a key is pressed:

• the rules are evaluated from bottom to top.
• the first rule that matches, both the key and in terms of when, is accepted.
• no more rules are processed.
• if a rule is found and has a command set, the command is executed.

The additional User/keybindings.json rules are appended at runtime to the bottom of the default rules, thus allowing them to overwrite the default rules. The User/keybindings.json file is watched by VS Code so editing it while VS Code is running will update the rules at runtime.

Accepted keys

The key is made up of modifiers and the key itself.

The following modifiers are accepted:

Platform	Modifiers
Mac	ctrl+, shift+, alt+, cmd+
Windows	ctrl+, shift+, alt+, win+
Linux	ctrl+, shift+, alt+, meta+

The following keys are accepted:

• f1-f19, a-z, 0-9
• `, -, =, [, ], \, ;, ', ,, ., /
• left, up, right, down, pageup, pagedown, end, home
• tab, enter, escape, space, backspace, delete
• pausebreak, capslock, insert
• numpad0-numpad9, numpad_multiply, numpad_add, nupad_separator
• numpad_subtract, numpad_decimal, numpad_divide

when Clause Contexts

VS Code gives you fine control over when your key bindings are enabled through the optional when clause. If you key binding doesn't have a when clause, the key binding is globally available at all times.

Below are the some of the possible when clause contexts which evaluate to Boolean true/false:

Context name	True when
Editor contexts
editorFocus	An editor has focus, either the text or a widget.
editorTextFocus	The text in an editor has focus (cursor is blinking).
editorHasSelection	Text is selected in the editor.
editorHasMultipleSelections	Multiple regions of text are selected (multiple cursors).
editorReadOnly	The editor is read only.
editorLangId	True when the editor's associated language Id matches. Example: "editorLangId == typescript".
Mode contexts
inDebugMode	A debug session is running.
inSnippetMode	The editor is in snippet mode.
inQuickOpen	The Quick Open dropdown has focus.
Editor widget contexts
findWidgetVisible	Editor Find widget is visible.
suggestWidgetVisible	Suggestion widget (IntelliSense) is visible.
suggestWidgetMultipleSuggestions	Multiple suggestions are displayed.
renameInputVisible	Rename input text box is visible.
referenceSearchVisible	Find All References peek window is open.
inReferenceSearchEditor	The Find All References peek window editor has focus.
config.editor.stablePeek	Keep peek editors open (controlled by editor.stablePeek setting).
quickFixWidgetVisible	Quick Fix widget is visible.
parameterHintsVisible	Parameter hints are visible (controlled by editor.parameterHints setting).
parameterHintsMultipleSignatures	Multiple parameter hints are displayed.
Integrated terminal contexts
terminalFocus	An integrated terminal has focus.
Global UI contexts
resourceLangId	True when the Explorer or editor title language Id matches. Example: "resourceLangId == markdown"
globalMessageVisible	Message box is visible at the top of VS Code.
searchViewletVisible	Search view is open.
replaceActive	Search view Replace text box is open.

The list above isn't exhaustive and you may see some when contexts for specific VS Code UI in the Default Keyboard Shortcuts.

Removing a specific key binding rule

You can write a key binding rule that targets the removal of a specific default key binding. With the keybindings.json, it was always possible to redefine all the key bindings of VS Code, but it can be very difficult to make a small tweak, especially around overloaded keys, such as Tab or Escape. To remove a specific key binding, simply add a - to the command and the rule will be a removal rule.

Here is an example:

// In Default Keyboard Shortcuts
...
{ "key": "tab", "command": "tab", "when": ... },
{ "key": "tab", "command": "editor.emmet.action.expandAbbreviation", "when": ... },
{ "key": "tab", "command": "jumpToNextSnippetPlaceholder", "when": ... },
{ "key": "tab", "command": "acceptQuickFixSuggestion", "when": ... },
{ "key": "tab", "command": "acceptSelectedSuggestion", "when": ... },
...

// To remove the second rule, for example, add in keybindings.json:
{ "key": "tab", "command": "-editor.emmet.action.expandAbbreviation" }

Keyboard layouts

Note: This section relates only to key bindings, not to typing in the editor.

The keys above are string representations for virtual keys and do not necessarily relate to the produced character when they are pressed. More precisely:

• Reference: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd375731(v=vs.85)
• tab for VK_TAB (0x09)
• ; for VK_OEM_1 (0xBA)
• = for VK_OEM_PLUS (0xBB)
• , for VK_OEM_COMMA (0xBC)
• - for VK_OEM_MINUS (0xBD)
• . for VK_OEM_PERIOD (0xBE)
• / for VK_OEM_2 (0xBF)
• ` for VK_OEM_3 (0xC0)
• [ for VK_OEM_4 (0xDB)
• \ for VK_OEM_5 (0xDC)
• ] for VK_OEM_6 (0xDD)
• ' for VK_OEM_7 (0xDE)
• etc.

Different keyboard layouts usually reposition the above virtual keys or change the characters produced when they are pressed. When using a different keyboard layout than the standard US, Visual Studio Code does the following:

All the key bindings are rendered in the UI using the current system's keyboard layout. For example, Split Editor when using a French (France) keyboard layout is now rendered as Ctrl+*:

When editing keybindings.json, VS Code highlights misleading key bindings - those that are represented in the file with the character produced under the standard US keyboard layout, but which need pressing keys with different labels under the current system's keyboard layout. For example, here is how the Default keybindings rules look like when using a French (France) keyboard layout:

There is also a widget that helps input the key binding rule when editing keybindings.json. To launch the Define Keybinding widget, press ⌘K ⌘K (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+K). The widget listens for key presses and renders the serialized JSON representation in the text box and below it, the keys that VS Code has detected under your current keyboard layout. Once you've typed the key combination you want, you can press Enter and a rule snippet will be inserted.

Note: Visual Studio Code detects your current keyboard layout on start-up and then caches this information. For a good experience, we recommend restarting VS Code if you change your keyboard layout.

Next Steps

Now that you know about our Key binding support, what's next...

• Customization - Configure Code the way you want - Themes, Settings and more
• Language Support - Our Good, Better, Best language grid to see what you can expect
• Debugging - This is where VS Code really shines
• Node.js - End to end Node.js scenario with a sample app

Common Questions

Q: How to find out what command is bound to a specific key?

A: In the Default Keyboard Shortcuts, open Quick Outline by pressing ⇧⌘O (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+O)

Q: How to add a key binding to an action? E.g. Add Ctrl+D to Delete Lines

A: Find a rule that triggers the action in the Default Keyboard Shortcuts and write a modified version of it in your User/keybindings.json file:

// Original, in Default Keyboard Shortcuts
{ "key": "ctrl+shift+k",          "command": "editor.action.deleteLines",
                                     "when": "editorTextFocus" },
// Modified, in User/keybindings.json, Ctrl+D now will also trigger this action
{ "key": "ctrl+d",                "command": "editor.action.deleteLines",
                                     "when": "editorTextFocus" },

Q: How can I add a key binding for only certain file types?

A: Use the editorLangId context key in your when clause:

{ "key": "shift+alt+a",           "command": "editor.action.blockComment",
                                     "when": "editorTextFocus && editorLangId == csharp" },

Q: I have modified my key bindings in User/keybindings.json, why don't they work?

A: The most common problem is a syntax error in the file. Otherwise, try removing the when clause or picking a different key. Unfortunately, at this point, it is a trial and error process.