snippets in VSCode

What are snippets in VS Code?

Snippets are reusable text templates triggered by a short keyword (prefix). They:

• expand into predefined text

• support variables (like dates)

• allow placeholders and cursor jumps

You define them in a JSON file (I like to use a separate .vscode/workspace-name-code.snippets), usually scoped to a language like Markdown or AsciiDoc.

Sample snippets

tdy → insert today’s date

Purpose: Quickly insert the current date in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD), useful for logs, notes, changelogs.

How it works: Uses built-in VS Code variables for year, month, and day.

Click to see code...

.vscode/workspace-name-code.snippets

{
"today" : {
  "scope": "markdown",
  "prefix": "tdy",
  "body": "${CURRENT_YEAR}-${CURRENT_MONTH}-${CURRENT_DATE}"
  }
}

week → weekly notes template

Purpose: Generate a structured weekly note with placeholders and repeated sections.

Click to see code...

.vscode/workspace-name-code.snippets

"week template" :{
  "scope": "markdown",
  "prefix": "week",
  "body": [
    "### WEEK $1",
    "",
    "#### Monday tdy",
    "",
    "> [daily]",
    "",
    "Scrum meetings and ceremonies",
    "",
    "",
    "#### Tuesday tdy",
    "",
    "> [daily]",
    "",
    "Scrum meetings and ceremonies",
    "",
    "",
    "#### Wednesday tdy",
    "",
    "> [daily]",
    "",
    "Scrum meetings and ceremonies",
    "",
    "",
    "#### Thursday tdy",
    "",
    "> [daily]",
    "",
    "",
    "Scrum meetings and ceremonies",
    "",
    "#### Friday tdy",
    "",
    "",
    "> [daily]",
    "",
    "Scrum meetings and ceremonies",
    "",
    "",
  ]
}

Key features:

• $1 → first cursor position (e.g. week number)

• tdy inside template → can be expanded further after insertion

• consistent daily structure

• integrates with linking (e.g. [daily])

Usage flow:

1. Type week → expand snippet

2. Fill in week number

3. Expand tdy per day if needed

• Extensions: Markdown All in One, Markdown Preview Enhanced

Notes

• Snippets compound well (e.g. week + tdy)

• Keep prefixes short but unambiguous

• Use placeholders ($1, $2) for structured input

• Treat snippets as part of your writing "toolbelt", not just automation

See also

• VS Code → User Snippets (Ctrl + Shift + P → “Configure User Snippets”)

• Markdown preview (Ctrl + Shift + V)