Adds VSCode migration page by samclark2015 · Pull Request #93 · posit-dev/positron-website

samclark2015 · 2025-06-18T19:29:06Z

This PR adds a page guiding users on how to migrate from VS Code to Positron.

Addresses #7565

netlify · 2025-06-18T19:29:10Z

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Pull Request Overview

Adds a new guide for users migrating from VS Code to Positron and updates the site navigation.

Introduces a migrate-vscode.qmd page outlining key differences and migration steps.
Inserts the new page into _quarto.yml to include it in the website.
Leaves placeholder TODOs for missing documentation links.

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

File	Description
migrate-vscode.qmd	New migration guide from VS Code to Positron
_quarto.yml	Registers the new page in the site nav

Comments suppressed due to low confidence (4)

migrate-vscode.qmd:49

Replace this TODO with the actual URL to the Python documentation, or remove the placeholder once the correct link is known.

<!-- TODO: Add link above -->

migrate-vscode.qmd:68

Replace this TODO with the actual URL to the R documentation, or remove the placeholder once the correct link is known.

<!-- TODO: Add link above -->

migrate-vscode.qmd:13

Link paths in other docs are relative (e.g., connections-pane.qmd), so consider removing the leading slash to match style and avoid broken links.

- the [Connections pane](/connections-pane.qmd) for managing database connections and exploring data

_quarto.yml:75

[nitpick] Consider grouping migrate-vscode.qmd under its own "Migrating from VS Code" section in the navigation for clarity, rather than listing it at the top level.

        - migrate-vscode.qmd

juliasilge

Thank you so much for working on this! 🙌

migrate-vscode.qmd

juliasilge

This is looking excellent! Here are the last comments from me.

I hope that @jeroenjanssens can also take a look, in case there are any further suggestions.

migrate-vscode.qmd

Co-authored-by: Julia Silge <julia.silge@gmail.com>

migrate-vscode.qmd

jeroenjanssens · 2025-06-24T13:27:09Z

migrate-vscode.qmd

+---
+
+## Overview
+Positron will feel natural to you if you use VS Code. At its core, Positron is built on [Code OSS](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode), with a focus on data science and native support for Python and R. You will find many familiar features like the text editor interface, terminal, extensions, and more.  


Positron will feel natural to you if you use VS Code.

Perhaps not immediately, but certainly after this smooth migration.

migrate-vscode.qmd

jeroenjanssens · 2025-06-24T13:38:40Z

migrate-vscode.qmd

+This blend of familiarity and data science focus will supercharge your work with a low barrier to transition.
+
+## First steps
+


"When you launch Positron for the first time, you likely want to import your existing VS Code settings and install the extensions you are used to."

We don't have a way to import extensions currently (pretty difficult, given extensions coming from the MS marketplace vs. OpenVSX) so I would recommend that we only mention settings here, not extensions.

I think "importing settings" and "installing extensions" communicates the difference; no?

migrate-vscode.qmd

jeroenjanssens · 2025-06-24T13:47:09Z

migrate-vscode.qmd

+::: callout-note
+If you have been accustomed to using the `vscode-r` extension in VS Code, be aware that [this extension is not compatible with Positron](extensions.qmd#non-compatible-extensions). Positron's native integration means you do not need the `vscode-r` extension; instead, Positron's built-in features allow you to work with your R code and data.
+:::
+:::


I would add a closing paragraph. Where can people go if they have trouble migrating?

Maybe include or repeat a few links to resources that the user may want to read next, such as Managing Interpreters, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Data Explorer, to make their migration even smoother.

jeroenjanssens · 2025-06-24T13:52:55Z

This page looks great. It's nicely structured and uses clear language. I've added a few suggestions. I hope that they're helpful.

migrate-vscode.qmd

jennybc · 2025-06-24T22:57:10Z

migrate-vscode.qmd

+- Jupyter notebook support
+
+### Python in the Console
+Positron's Console pane provides an interactive IPython session. You can run type Python code directly into the Console or run files open in the editor. While you can launch IPython from the Terminal as you would in VS Code, the Console provides code completion, syntax highlighting, and integration with the Variables and Plots panes -- among other features that enhance the interactive experience.


Suggested change

Positron's Console pane provides an interactive IPython session. You can run type Python code directly into the Console or run files open in the editor. While you can launch IPython from the Terminal as you would in VS Code, the Console provides code completion, syntax highlighting, and integration with the Variables and Plots panes -- among other features that enhance the interactive experience.

Positron's Console pane provides an interactive IPython session. You can type Python code directly into the Console or run files open in the editor. While you can launch IPython from the Terminal as you would in VS Code, the Console provides code completion, syntax highlighting, and integration with the Variables and Plots panes -- among other features that enhance the interactive experience.

Not sure if another re-wording is preferred, but something is needed.

I also feel like the ability to send bits of code from a file to the Console is super useful, i.e. that you don't have to run the whole file. I'm not a real Python user, though, so I could be off-base. But I've always sort of thought that the popularity of notebooks might be because this feature wasn't as readily available in Python vs. R (?).

Let me know if the updated verbiage sounds good to you. I drew an analogy to Notebooks, but I worry this may give some users the wrong impression.

migrate-vscode.qmd

jennybc · 2025-06-26T20:36:01Z

We should talk about how we want to name these files. This PR is likely to land first, but I am working on the RStudio migration companion and in my branch (currently only local to me), here are the files:

- section: "Migrating from RStudio"
          contents:
          - rstudio-migration-overview.qmd
          - rstudio-keybindings.qmd
          - rstudio-migration-workspace.qmd
          - rstudio-rproj-file.qmd
          - rstudio-migration-code.qmd
          - r-snippets.qmd
          - rstudio-migration-navigation.qmd
          - rstudio-migration-settings-and-extensions.qmd

Bear in mind that that ☝️ is messier than the end result will be, because I'm still in the middle of absorbing pre-existing files, such as rstudio-keybindings.qmd and r-snippets.qmd.

Do we want to put migrate or migration first, then the other IDE (rstudio or vscode)?
Or the other way around? So far this PR is doing the former but my effort is doing the latter.

dhruvisompura · 2025-06-27T21:16:58Z

migrate-vscode.qmd

+:::
+Positron's features are explored further in other Guides within this section. If you encounter any issues during migration or while using Positron, check out our [troubleshooting guide](troubleshooting.qmd) for common solutions. We also maintain a comprehensive [FAQ](faqs.qmd) that addresses frequent questions from users transitioning from other editors.
+
+Your experience and feedback help us improve Positron. Share your thoughts, report bugs, or suggest features through our [feedback channels](feedback.qmd). We appreciate your input as we continue developing Positron to better serve the data science community.


I chatted with @juliasilge and we think that including tailored information about the command palette in these migration docs would be most useful.

How do we feel about adding a small section to the doc here that covers the command palette? It would be lightweight since VS Code users are already familiar with the palette.

Maybe something like this:

Suggested change

Your experience and feedback help us improve Positron. Share your thoughts, report bugs, or suggest features through our [feedback channels](feedback.qmd). We appreciate your input as we continue developing Positron to better serve the data science community.

Your experience and feedback help us improve Positron. Share your thoughts, report bugs, or suggest features through our [feedback channels](feedback.qmd). We appreciate your input as we continue developing Positron to better serve the data science community.

### Command Palette

If you are familiar with the Command Palette in Visual Studio Code, you will find the experience in Positron very similar. All Positron-specific commands are included, alongside the familiar VS Code commands.

For a detailed overview of the Command Palette, see the [Visual Studio Code Command Palette documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/userinterface#_command-palette). Most of the tips and workflows described there also apply to Positron.

samclark2015 · 2025-07-01T21:45:31Z

@jennybc re: naming convention, I'm partial to verb-noun - e.g., migrate-rstudio-overview.yml, etc.

dhruvisompura · 2025-07-01T21:56:43Z

migrate-vscode.qmd

+
+For a detailed overview of the Command Palette, see the [Visual Studio Code Command Palette documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/userinterface#_command-palette). Most of the tips and workflows described there also apply to Positron.  


Thanks for adding this! Once we get a section about the command palette in the user interface doc, I'll swap the VS Code link out for a link to the command palette section.

migrate-vscode.qmd

dhruvisompura

Caught a couple places we are using contractions which sound odd that we probably want to avoid.

migrate-vscode.qmd

juliasilge

Thank you so much! Feel free to merge after these two additional small changes. 🚀

migrate-vscode.qmd

Adds VSCode migration page

a89a9bb

Adds migration page to the sidebar

b8401de

samclark2015 requested a review from Copilot June 20, 2025 13:39

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samclark2015 requested review from jeroenjanssens and juliasilge June 20, 2025 13:42

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samclark2015 added 2 commits June 20, 2025 13:06

Updates to verbiage

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Adds section about bundled IPykernel.

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samclark2015 added 2 commits June 20, 2025 14:05

Adds capital-C Console to the accept list for Vale

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Fixes linting error in unrelated file

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Updates Python environment wording

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Co-authored-by: Julia Silge <julia.silge@gmail.com>

jeroenjanssens reviewed Jun 24, 2025

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Updated verbiage based on latest recommendations

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samclark2015 requested a review from jeroenjanssens June 24, 2025 21:20

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samclark2015 added 2 commits July 1, 2025 16:32

Updates page title

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Updates to change some verbiage; add Command Palette heading

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samclark2015 requested review from dhruvisompura and jennybc July 1, 2025 21:41

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Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into feature/vscode-migration

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samclark2015 and others added 2 commits July 2, 2025 17:51

Removes "Positron's" contractions/possessives

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samclark2015 added 2 commits July 4, 2025 08:51

Updates to Language docs

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Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into feature/vscode-migration

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samclark2015 merged commit 381a123 into main Jul 4, 2025
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samclark2015 deleted the feature/vscode-migration branch July 4, 2025 13:54

jennybc mentioned this pull request Jul 8, 2025

Add more docs around migration from RStudio #116

Merged

		This blend of familiarity and data science focus will supercharge your work with a low barrier to transition.

		## First steps

	Positron's Console pane provides an interactive IPython session. You can run type Python code directly into the Console or run files open in the editor. While you can launch IPython from the Terminal as you would in VS Code, the Console provides code completion, syntax highlighting, and integration with the Variables and Plots panes -- among other features that enhance the interactive experience.
	Positron's Console pane provides an interactive IPython session. You can type Python code directly into the Console or run files open in the editor. While you can launch IPython from the Terminal as you would in VS Code, the Console provides code completion, syntax highlighting, and integration with the Variables and Plots panes -- among other features that enhance the interactive experience.


		For a detailed overview of the Command Palette, see the [Visual Studio Code Command Palette documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/userinterface#_command-palette). Most of the tips and workflows described there also apply to Positron.

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