To refactor code in Visual Studio Code, place the cursor on the code or select it, open Refactor with Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+R on macOS, then choose an action offered by the active language service. Use F2 to rename a symbol, and use Refactor Preview for changes you want to inspect before applying.
What refactoring means in VS Code
Refactoring restructures source code to improve its quality or maintainability while preserving its runtime behavior. In VS Code, the available actions come from language services: JavaScript and TypeScript support is built in, while other languages generally rely on an installed language extension. The same editor commands can open the actions menu, but the options depend on the language and its provider. See the VS Code refactoring guide.
How to apply a refactoring
- Open the source file and place the cursor on a symbol or expression, or select the block of code you want to change.
- Open Refactor with Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+R on macOS. You can also open the Code Actions menu using the light-bulb indicator. When quick fixes and refactorings are shown together, Ctrl+. on Windows/Linux or Cmd+. on macOS opens that menu.
- Choose one of the actions offered for the current selection and language.
- For a broad or risky edit, press Ctrl+Enter on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Enter on macOS to open Refactor Preview. Review the proposed diff, then accept, discard, or apply only selected changes.
- Run the project’s usual tests, type checks, or build after applying the edit. An editor refactoring does not establish that the changed project still passes its checks.
Common refactorings and when to use them
| Action | How it works | Scope and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Extract Method or Function | Select statements or an expression and choose the extraction action; give the new method or function a meaningful name. | Moves selected logic into a new callable unit. Availability depends on the language service. |
| Extract Variable or Constant | Select an expression and extract it to a local constant; in class contexts, a property extraction may also be offered. | Useful for naming a value or reducing a complex expression. Exact options vary by context. |
| Rename Symbol | Put the cursor on a symbol, press F2, enter the new name, and confirm. | Supported language services can update references across files. TypeScript documents project-wide rename. |
| Move to New File | Choose the action on a top-level symbol; VS Code infers a filename from the selected symbol. | Documented for TypeScript classes, functions, constants, and interfaces. |
| Organize Imports | Run the TypeScript source action to sort imports and remove unused ones. | Can be invoked through Source Action or with Shift+Alt+O on Windows/Linux. |
TypeScript also offers transformations such as extracting a type to an interface or alias, converting named and namespace imports, converting default and named exports, destructuring parameters, generating accessors, inferring return types, and adding or removing arrow-function braces. These are provider-specific actions, not a universal list for every VS Code language. Details are in Microsoft’s TypeScript refactoring documentation.
Run import actions when saving
To run Organize Imports on save, configure editor.codeActionsOnSave. The setting supports explicit for explicit saves, always to include auto-save events, and never to disable the action. For example, add this to your settings JSON:
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{
"editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
"source.organizeImports": "explicit"
}
}Use "always" instead of "explicit" if the action should also run on auto-save. TypeScript documentation also covers save actions such as source.fixAll and source.addMissingImports. Save actions are supplied by language services, so the setting alone does not add support to an unsupported language. See the Code Actions on Save guidance.
Update imports after moving or renaming TypeScript files
For TypeScript files, js/ts.updateImportsOnFileMove.enabled controls whether VS Code updates import paths when a file is moved or renamed. Its default is prompt; set it to always for automatic updates or never to disable them. This setting concerns file moves and renames, rather than the separate symbol rename command. See the TypeScript refactoring documentation.
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Why no refactoring option appears
An empty or limited menu usually means the active language service does not offer an action for the current file, cursor position, or selection. Check these items:
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- Confirm the language mode. Make sure VS Code recognizes the file as the language you intend to edit.
- Check language support. IntelliSense is built in for JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, HTML, CSS, SCSS, and Less. Other languages can provide richer language intelligence through extensions. See Microsoft’s IntelliSense documentation.
- Install or enable the relevant extension. If the language depends on an extension, confirm it is installed and enabled; the extension’s language service supplies the actions.
- Check the target and selection. An action may require the cursor to be on a symbol or a valid expression, or require a block to be selected.
- Restart VS Code if support still appears stuck. Microsoft’s IntelliSense troubleshooting guidance recommends restarting the editor and consulting the extension documentation when language features remain unavailable.
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