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How to Install and Use Cascadia Code in Visual Studio Code



Introduction




Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular code editor that supports a wide range of programming languages, extensions, and features. One of the ways to customize your coding environment in VS Code is to change the font that you use for editing and displaying code. There are many fonts available for developers, but one of the newest and most exciting ones is Cascadia Code.




cascadia code vscode download



Cascadia Code is a fun, new monospaced font that includes programming ligatures and is designed to enhance the modern look and feel of the Windows Terminal and VS Code. It was developed by Microsoft and released in 2019 as an open source project on GitHub. Cascadia Code has a clean and elegant design that makes code more readable and enjoyable. It also supports various font features and variants that allow you to customize it according to your preferences and needs.


In this article, I will show you how to install Cascadia Code font, how to customize it with different features and variants, and how to use some VS Code extensions and tips to improve your coding experience with this font. Let's get started!


How to install Cascadia Code font




The easiest way to install Cascadia Code font is to download it from the GitHub releases page. There you can find the latest version of the font in various formats such as TTF, OTF, WOFF2, etc. You can choose the format that suits your operating system and browser best. For example, if you are using Windows or Linux, you might want to download the TTF variable format that offers the greatest diversity of weight options (anything from 200-700). If you are using macOS or prefer OTF format fonts, you can download the OTF static format that provides fixed instances of different weights.


Once you have downloaded the zip file containing the font files, you need to unzip it and open the font file that you want to install. This will open a new window displaying the characters included in the font along with the font displayed at different sizes. This window should have an "Install" button that will install the font on your machine when clicked. Note: If you have previously installed a version of Cascadia Code, please uninstall it before installing a new version.


After installing the font on your machine, you need to configure VS Code to use it as your default editor font. To do this, you need to open the Settings editor by using the following VS Code menu command: On Windows/Linux - File > Preferences > Settings. On macOS - Code > Preferences > Settings. You can also open the Settings editor from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) with Preferences: Open Settings or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+,). In the Settings editor, search for "Font Family" and enter "Cascadia Code" before any other fonts in the list. For example, your font family setting should look something like this: "Cascadia Code, Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace". This will make VS Code use Cascadia Code as the first choice of font, and fall back to other fonts if Cascadia Code is not available. You can also adjust the font size and zoom level in the Settings editor to suit your preferences.


How to customize Cascadia Code font




One of the great things about Cascadia Code is that it offers a lot of customization options that let you tweak the appearance and functionality of the font. In this section, I will show you how to use some of these options to make Cascadia Code fit your coding style and needs.


Font variants




Cascadia Code comes with several variants that provide different features and styles for the font. The main variants are:


  • Cascadia Code: This is the base version of the font that includes programming ligatures and Powerline symbols. Programming ligatures are special characters that combine two or more symbols into one, such as =>, !=, or ==>. Powerline symbols are icons that can be used to create custom status bars and prompts in terminal applications.



  • Cascadia Mono: This is a version of the font that does not include programming ligatures or Powerline symbols. This is useful for users who prefer a more traditional monospaced font or who have issues with rendering ligatures or symbols in some applications.



  • Cascadia Code PL: This is a version of the font that includes programming ligatures and Powerline symbols, but does not include any other OpenType features. This is useful for users who want to use ligatures and symbols, but do not want to enable any other font features that might affect the appearance or behavior of the font.



  • Cascadia Mono PL: This is a version of the font that includes Powerline symbols, but does not include programming ligatures or any other OpenType features. This is useful for users who want to use symbols, but do not want to use ligatures or any other font features.



  • Cascadia Code Italic: This is a version of the font that includes an italic style for the font. This is useful for users who want to use italic text for comments, keywords, or other purposes in their code.



To use any of these variants, you need to download them from the GitHub releases page and install them on your machine as described in the previous section. Then, you need to change the font family setting in VS Code to use the variant name instead of "Cascadia Code". For example, if you want to use Cascadia Mono PL, your font family setting should look something like this: "Cascadia Mono PL, Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace".


Font features




Cascadia Code also supports various OpenType features that allow you to enable or disable certain aspects of the font such as stylistic sets, ligatures, fractions, etc. OpenType features are controlled by tags that can be appended to the font name in VS Code settings. For example, if you want to enable stylistic set 1 (ss01) and disable ligatures (liga), you can use the following syntax: "Cascadia Code:ss01;+liga". The plus sign (+) means enable and the minus sign (-) means disable. You can find a list of all supported OpenType features and their tags on the GitHub repository. Here are some examples of how you can use OpenType features with Cascadia Code:


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  • If you want to use a slashed zero instead of a dotted zero, you can enable stylistic set 2 (ss02) with "Cascadia Code:ss02".



  • If you want to use an alternate lowercase g that is more rounded, you can enable stylistic set 5 (ss05) with "Cascadia Code:ss05".



  • If you want to use fractions such as 1/2 or 3/4 in your code, you can enable the fractions feature (frac) with "Cascadia Code:frac".



  • If you want to disable all ligatures in your code, you can disable the common ligatures feature (liga) with "Cascadia Code:-liga". Note: This will also disable Powerline symbols.



  • If you want to disable only certain ligatures in your code, such as != or ==>, you can disable them individually with their corresponding discretionary ligatures feature (dlig) tags. For example, if you want to disable != and ==>, you can use "Cascadia Code:-dlig_ neq" and "Cascadia Code:-dlig_eqgt". You can find a list of all discretionary ligatures and their tags on the GitHub repository.



Note: Some OpenType features may not work properly in some applications or browsers, depending on their support for OpenType features. You may need to experiment with different combinations of features and variants to find the best results for your coding environment.


Font settings




In addition to using OpenType features, you can also change some font settings in VS Code to customize the appearance and behavior of Cascadia Code. Some of the settings that you can modify are:


  • Font weight: You can change the font weight (or thickness) of Cascadia Code by using the "editor.fontWeight" setting in VS Code. You can use either a numeric value (such as 400 for normal or 700 for bold) or a keyword (such as "normal" or "bold"). For example, if you want to use a lighter weight of Cascadia Code, you can use "editor.fontWeight": "300". Note: If you are using the TTF variable format of Cascadia Code, you can use any value between 200 and 700. If you are using the OTF static format, you can only use the predefined values of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700.



  • Font style: You can change the font style (or slant) of Cascadia Code by using the "editor.fontStyle" setting in VS Code. You can use either "normal" or "italic" as the value. For example, if you want to use an italic style of Cascadia Code, you can use "editor.fontStyle": "italic". Note: You need to have Cascadia Code Italic installed on your machine to use this setting.



  • Letter spacing: You can change the letter spacing (or kerning) of Cascadia Code by using the "editor.letterSpacing" setting in VS Code. You can use a numeric value in pixels to specify the amount of space between each letter. For example, if you want to increase the letter spacing of Cascadia Code by 1 pixel, you can use "editor.letterSpacing": 1.



  • Line height: You can change the line height (or leading) of Cascadia Code by using the "editor.lineHeight" setting in VS Code. You can use either a numeric value in pixels or a multiplier of the font size to specify the height of each line. For example, if you want to set the line height of Cascadia Code to 1.5 times the font size, you can use "editor.lineHeight": 1.5.



You can find more font settings and options in the VS Code documentation. You can also preview how different font settings affect your code by using the Font Playground extension that lets you experiment with various font properties and features in VS Code.


How to use VS Code extensions and tips with Cascadia Code font




Another way to enhance your coding experience with Cascadia Code font is to use some VS Code extensions and tips that complement the font and make coding more fun and productive. In this section, I will share some of my favorite extensions and tips that I use with Cascadia Code font.


Extensions for coding




There are many extensions that can help you write better code with Cascadia Code font. Here are some of them:


  • Codetour: This extension lets you create and play interactive code walkthroughs that guide you through a codebase or a specific feature. You can use Codetour to learn from other developers' code, document your own code, or onboard new team members. Codetour works well with Cascadia Code font because it highlights the code snippets and annotations in a clear and elegant way.



  • Debug Visualizer: This extension lets you visualize data structures and algorithms while debugging your code. You can use Debug Visualizer to inspect arrays, lists, trees, graphs, matrices, and more in a graphical way. Debug Visualizer works well with Cascadia Code font because it uses ligatures and symbols to represent data elements and operations.



  • Tabout: This extension lets you jump out of brackets, quotes, and parentheses with a single keystroke. You can use Tabout to speed up your coding and avoid unnecessary cursor movements. Tabout works well with Cascadia Code font because it respects the ligatures and symbols that combine multiple characters into one.



Extensions for fun


There are also some extensions that can add some fun and creativity to your coding with Cascadia Code font. Here are some of them:


  • Vibrancy: This extension lets you add some transparency and blur effects to your VS Code window. You can use Vibrancy to create a more immersive and aesthetic coding environment that matches your mood and theme. Vibrancy works well with Cascadia Code font because it makes the font stand out more against the background.



  • Footsteps: This extension lets you hear footsteps sounds as you type on your keyboard. You can use Footsteps to add some realism and humor to your coding sessions. Footsteps works well with Cascadia Code font because it supports different sounds for different characters, such as ligatures and symbols.



  • Bookmarks: This extension lets you mark lines and jump to them quickly. You can use Bookmarks to navigate your code more easily and efficiently. Bookmarks works well with Cascadia Code font because it uses Powerline symbols to indicate the bookmarked lines.



Tips and tricks




Finally, there are some tips and tricks that can help you use VS Code more productively with Cascadia Code font. Here are some of them:


  • Command Palette: You can access the Command Palette by using Ctrl+Shift+P or F1. The Command Palette is a powerful tool that lets you run any command or feature in VS Code, such as opening files, changing settings, installing extensions, etc. You can also use the Command Palette to search for any keyword or phrase in VS Code, such as "Cascadia" or "font". The Command Palette works well with Cascadia Code font because it displays the results in a clear and elegant way.



  • Quick Open: You can access the Quick Open by using Ctrl+P or Cmd+P. The Quick Open is a handy tool that lets you quickly open any file or folder in your workspace by typing its name or path. You can also use the Quick Open to go to a specific line or symbol in a file by using the colon (:) or at sign (@) respectively. The Quick Open works well with Cascadia Code font because it highlights the matching characters and symbols in a smart way.



  • CLI tool: You can access the CLI tool by using code . in your terminal. The CLI tool is a useful tool that lets you open VS Code from any directory or file in your terminal. You can also use the CLI tool to perform other tasks such as creating new files, diffing files, opening URLs, etc. The CLI tool works well with Cascadia Code font because it uses the same font as VS Code in your terminal.



  • .vscode folder: You can create a .vscode folder in your workspace root directory to store your VS Code settings and configurations for that specific project. This is helpful if you want to have different settings for different projects, such as different fonts, themes, extensions, etc. You can also use the .vscode folder to share your settings with other developers who work on the same project. The .vscode folder works well with Cascadia Code font because it allows you to customize the font for each project separately.



Conclusion




In this article, I have shown you how to download and use Cascadia Code font in VS Code. I have also shown you how to customize the font with different features and variants, and how to use some VS Code extensions and tips to enhance your coding experience with this font. I hope you have enjoyed this article and learned something new and useful.


If you want to learn more about Cascadia Code font, you can visit its GitHub repository where you can find more information, documentation, issues, and updates. You can also join the discussion on Twitter by following @CascadiaCode where you can share your feedback, suggestions, and questions. You can also check out some other resources that I have listed below:











FAQs




Here are some frequently asked questions about Cascadia Code font and VS Code:


  • Q: How do I update Cascadia Code font?



  • A: You can update Cascadia Code font by downloading the latest version of the font from the GitHub releases page and installing it on your machine as described in the previous section. You may need to restart VS Code or refresh your browser to see the changes.



  • Q: How do I uninstall Cascadia Code font?



  • A: You can uninstall Cascadia Code font by deleting the font files from your machine and removing the font name from your VS Code settings. You may need to restart VS Code or refresh your browser to see the changes.



  • Q: How do I contribute to Cascadia Code font?



  • A: You can contribute to Cascadia Code font by reporting issues, suggesting features, or submitting pull requests on the GitHub repository. You can also join the community on Twitter or Discord to share your ideas and feedback.



  • Q: How do I use Cascadia Code font with other code editors or applications?



  • A: You can use Cascadia Code font with any code editor or application that supports custom fonts and OpenType features. You may need to adjust some settings or options depending on the editor or application. You can find some examples of how to use Cascadia Code font with other editors or applications on the GitHub repository.



  • Q: How do I get more help or support for Cascadia Code font or VS Code?



  • A: You can get more help or support for Cascadia Code font by visiting the GitHub repository or contacting the developers on Twitter or Discord. You can get more help or support for VS Code by visiting the official website or documentation, or contacting the support team on Twitter or GitHub.



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