Install VS Code and Open the Course Folder
Use the official download, follow the setup for your computer, and open the extracted course folder through a menu.
Look around. Try a small click.
This lesson works as a written guide with interactive examples. You can explore here before opening VS Code. A recorded video has not been added yet.
What will make more sense
- Find the official VS Code download and the setup guide for your computer.
- Understand that the application and your course files stay separate.
- Recognize File, Open Folder as the way into the prepared workspace.
One idea to keep
Open the prepared folder deliberately. You can learn the layout before configuring any AI tools.
The short lesson
Read the explanation at your pace
VS Code is the application that brings your files and AI conversation into one place. It is free to use as an editor. An optional AI service can have separate sign-in requirements or charges, which we will discuss when we reach the chat panel. Today we are only getting the application open. You do not need to choose a programming language, set up a server, or understand the code in the prepared learning page.
Use the official download link on this lesson. Check that the site is code.visualstudio.com. It offers a download for Windows, macOS, or Linux and links to the current requirements. Choose the version for your computer. If you already have VS Code installed and it opens normally, you can skip installation and follow the folder-opening example. On a managed work computer, use your organization's approved installation method or ask the person who manages it.
On Windows, the User setup is the usual choice for installing VS Code for your own account. Open the downloaded installer and follow its screens, then launch Visual Studio Code from the Start menu. On a Mac, open the downloaded disk image, drag Visual Studio Code into Applications, and open it there. The illustrated installation cards include the official instructions if a screen looks different from the example.
Linux has several distributions, so the download page offers different package types. On Debian or Ubuntu, the official guide supports opening the downloaded .deb package in a graphical software center. Other distributions may use a different package or graphical installer. Use the guide matching your system, or ask for setup help if there is no suitable graphical route. You can keep following this course in the browser without completing installation today.
When VS Code opens, its Welcome screen may offer several things to try. You can leave those choices for later. Use the File menu and choose Open Folder. Select the extracted proscris-academy-starter folder, then confirm the selection. Choose the folder itself rather than the original ZIP. The prepared course folders should appear in the file list. This is the first connection between the application and your own learning material.
You may see a trust message when opening a folder. It concerns features that can run project tools. Review the source of the folder before trusting it. If you are unsure, keep it restricted and continue reading. Simply opening VS Code does not give an assistant unlimited access to your computer. We will use a small, non-sensitive practice folder and introduce the assistant separately.
In the browser example, select the menu action that opens a folder. That is the whole idea for this lesson: install the app from its publisher, then deliberately open the prepared material. If you try it on your computer, stop when you can see the folder list. Nothing else needs to be configured before the next lesson shows you where to look.
Try it here
Open the prepared folder
Use this menu example to recognize the action. No application is installed or launched by this activity.
This is a local learning example with prepared responses. It does not run VS Code or contact an AI service.
Welcome to my page
A friendly introduction goes here.
You can read the actual words before keeping a change.
Help me shorten this welcome message.
Here is a shorter version. Review the file before keeping it.
Which menu action opens the prepared course folder?
A tiny next step, if you want one
Optional: try 2 small actions in VS Code
You can finish this lesson by exploring the example above. These real-app actions are optional, and there is nothing to submit.
- Optional: install or open VS Code using the matching official guide.
- Optional: choose File, Open Folder and select proscris-academy-starter.
A quick confidence check
These checkmarks are a personal reminder. Choose what feels familiar, and come back whenever you want.
Your place is saved in this browser when storage is available. There is no grading or account sync.
Try a short question
Choose an answer to see why it fits. You can try again or explore every explanation.
Which item should you open as the workspace?
Where should you download VS Code?
If something looks different
I see a setup screen different from the illustration.
Use the official guide for your operating system. Versions and installation screens can change.
My computer will not let me install software.
Use the browser examples and ask your device administrator about the approved setup. You do not need to bypass its settings.
Useful official help
These links open the product’s own guidance. You can keep them for later; you do not need to read every reference now.