ShareTheCode

Share code between computers without leaving VS Code.

Right-click a source file, enter a shared path, and open that same path on another computer. ShareTheCode keeps your shared files together in a sidebar and opens them in the familiar VS Code editor.

One path. Your shared code.

For example, share main.py to my-project. On your other computer, open my-project in ShareTheCode and select main.py. You can read and edit the shared file using VS Code's normal editor tools.

A shared path is the name of your online sharing space. It is not a folder you need to create on your computer.

What you can do

• Share a file in a few clicks from Explorer, an editor, or an editor tab.
• Keep filenames and extensions, such as main.py, app.ts, and settings.json.
• Browse shared files from the ShareTheCode icon in the left Activity Bar or its right sidebar view.
• Edit in the native VS Code editor, with syntax highlighting, line numbers, search, undo, and regular editor tabs.
• See updates on another computer when you edit a shared file.
• Recover unsynced edits from local drafts if a connection fails.

Share your first file

1. Right-click a source file in VS Code.
2. Select ShareTheCode: Share This File.
3. Enter a shared path, for example my-project, and press Enter.

The file appears in the shared-file list and opens in a synced editor. Sharing a file with the same name and extension updates its matching shared file.

Open it on another computer

1. Install ShareTheCode in VS Code on the other computer.
2. Click the ShareTheCode icon in the left Activity Bar.
3. Enter the same shared path, such as my-project, and press Enter.
4. Click a filename to open it.

You can also right-click and choose ShareTheCode: Open Shared Files. Use the New File and Refresh icons in the shared-file list header when needed.

How editing works

Edits in a shared editor sync automatically after a short pause. You can also press Ctrl+S (macOS: Cmd+S) to save and sync.

Your original local file and the shared copy are separate. To publish later changes from the original file, right-click it and share it again. For ongoing shared editing, use the file opened from the ShareTheCode sidebar.

If another editor changes the same content while you have unsynced edits, ShareTheCode preserves your draft and offers Compare, Use Remote, or Publish Mine. Avoid editing the same file simultaneously: saves are not merged automatically.

Before you share

• An internet connection is required for the default hosted service. It is ready to use without running a local server.
• Anyone who knows an unlocked shared path can access its files. Use a unique path and keep passwords, API keys, and confidential code out of shared files.
• ShareTheCode supports source code and plain text. Binary files and PIN-protected paths are not supported.
• Files can be up to 512 KB in a top-level path, or approximately 94 KB in a nested path.
• Requires VS Code 1.106 or later.

Start with a file, choose a path, and pick up your code on another computer.