VSCode MD Preview| 7 Powerful Tips You Shouldn't Miss!

VSCode MD Preview| 7 Powerful Tips You Shouldn't Miss!

VSCode MD Preview| VSCode, or Visual Studio Code, is one of the most popular code editors of the moment. It is highly customizable, user-friendly, and packed with a wide range of features to support a variety of programming languages ​​and tools. One of the most useful features for developers and writers is the Markdown preview functionality.

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that allows you to format text in a plain text format that can be converted to HTML, and VSCode offers a powerful way to seamlessly preview and edit Markdown documents.

In this article, we will dive into the specifics of using the Markdown preview feature in VSCode. From setting it up to mastering its use, this guide will help you get the most out of it.

What is Markdown?

Before we get into the details of Markdown Preview in VSCode, let’s quickly discuss what Markdown is.

Markdown is a plain text formatting syntax that is designed to be simple and easy to read and write. It allows you to apply formatting such as headings, bold text, links, images, and lists to text files without using complex syntax. Markdown files usually have the .md file extension.

Markdown is commonly used for:

• Documentation (such as README files)



• Writing blog posts or articles



• Formatting notes



• Creating technical documentation

Markdown files can easily be converted to HTML, making them a popular choice for writing on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and various content management systems (CMSs).

What is VSCode Markdown Preview?

VSCode Markdown Preview is a feature of Visual Studio Code that allows users to preview Markdown files without having to switch to an external browser or app. The Markdown Preview feature renders a plain-text Markdown file into a formatted version that shows you how it will look when converted to HTML.

With this tool, you can easily see how your Markdown content will appear on web pages or in other applications, which saves time and prevents you from having to do multiple rounds of conversion.

VSCode provides two types of previews:

1. Side-by-side Preview – You can view your Markdown code on one side of the editor, and the preview of the rendered file on the other side.



2. Full-Window Preview – You can toggle a full-window preview of the Markdown file in the editor itself.

Setting Up Markdown Preview in VSCode

VSCode comes with built-in support for Markdown, so no additional installation is required. However, you can change some settings to optimize your Markdown editing and previewing experience.

Step 1: Install VSCode

If you don't have Visual Studio Code installed yet, you can download it from the official website here. VSCode is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Step 2: Open a Markdown file

Once VSCode is installed, open your Markdown file by dragging and dropping it into VSCode or by using the File -> Open File option.

Step 3: Enable Markdown Preview

To view the Markdown file preview, simply:

1. Open the file in the editor.



2. Press Ctrl + Shift + V (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + V (macOS) to open the Markdown preview.



3. Alternatively, click the Open Preview to the Side icon at the top-right corner of the editor window. This will open the rendered preview on the side of the editor.

Step 4: Toggling Between Preview and Editor

You can easily toggle between the Markdown editor and the preview by:

• Clicking the Markdown Preview button that appears at the top-right of the editor.



• Using the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + V for the preview and Ctrl + 1 for the editor.

Step 5: Adjusting the Preview

The default settings will work fine for most Markdown files, but there are several ways to customize your preview experience.

1. Themes: VSCode allows you to change the theme for the editor and the preview window independently. Go to File -> Preferences -> Color Theme to change the editor theme. For the preview, you can adjust the theme by searching for Markdown Preview in the settings and selecting a desired theme.



2. Syncing Preview and Code: You can synchronize your preview with the editor, so that any changes you make to the code are immediately reflected in the preview. This can be done by checking the “Auto Save” option or manually saving the file as you edit.



3. Fonts and Style: Customize the font family, size, and style in the editor and preview windows via the settings panel. This can be especially useful if you want the preview to look like the final webpage where the Markdown content will be displayed.

How to Use VSCode Markdown Preview Efficiently

1. Viewing Images in Markdown Preview

Markdown files support embedding images, and VSCode will automatically render them in the preview. For example:

![Image description](image_url.jpg)

If the image is stored locally, you can reference the path relative to the Markdown file. The preview will display the image as it would appear on a web page.

2. Working with Links and Anchors

Links are also easily supported in Markdown:

[Click here to visit OpenAI](https://www.openai.com)

In VSCode’s Markdown Preview, links are clickable, and you can navigate to external pages directly from the preview window.

3. Using Tables in Markdown

Tables are another useful feature in Markdown:

| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Data 1   | Data 2   | Data 3   |
| Data 4   | Data 5   | Data 6   |

VSCode will render the table properly in the preview, making it easy to visualize structured data.

4. Customizing the Markdown Preview Appearance

In addition to the theme, you can customize the preview’s appearance by adding custom CSS. You can modify the settings.json file to link to a custom CSS file, which will be applied to the preview.

For instance:

"markdown.styles": [
    "file:///path/to/your/styles.css"
]

Markdown Extensions to Enhance Your Experience

VSCode supports a range of extensions that can further improve your Markdown editing and previewing experience. Here are a few notable ones:

1. Markdown All in One: This extension adds many features for working with Markdown, including shortcuts, table of contents generation, and enhanced previewing options.



2. Markdown Preview Enhanced: This extension offers an even more powerful Markdown preview with support for rendering LaTeX, flowcharts, and more.



3. Markdownlint: A linting extension that helps ensure your Markdown syntax is clean, consistent, and free of errors.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Despite its powerful features, you may occasionally encounter issues while using VSCode Markdown Preview. Below are some common issues and their solutions.

1. Markdown Preview Not Showing

If the preview is not rendering properly, try these solutions:

• Ensure that your file has the .md extension.



• Check for syntax errors in your Markdown file, which may prevent the preview from rendering correctly.



• Restart VSCode or try opening the file in a new workspace.

2. Images Not Displaying in Preview

If images are not showing in the preview, ensure that:

• The image URL is correct and accessible.



• If using a local path, ensure the file path is relative to the Markdown file.



• The image file is not corrupted or too large to render.

Conclusion

VSCode's Markdown Preview is a powerful and flexible tool for anyone working with Markdown files. Whether you're writing documentation, blog posts, or technical guides, it helps streamline the writing and formatting process. With a few tweaks and the right extensions, you can create a highly efficient environment for editing and previewing Markdown in VSCode.