How to change website background color in Visual Studio code?

Visual Studio Code's background color refers to the appearance of the editor itself, not the background of a live website you are developing. Changing the editor's background color involves selecting a different Color Theme within Visual Studio Code. This enhances your coding environment and readability, which is especially beneficial when working on web projects.

How to Customize Visual Studio Code's Editor Background Color

Customizing your Visual Studio Code (VS Code) editor's background color primarily involves changing its Color Theme. A color theme modifies the entire UI of VS Code, including the background, syntax highlighting, and various UI elements, providing a personalized coding experience.

1. Changing Your Editor's Color Theme

The quickest way to change the background color of your VS Code editor is by selecting a built-in or installed Color Theme.

Method 1: Via the Menu

1. Navigate to File (or Code on macOS).
2. Select Preferences.
3. Choose Theme.
4. Click on Color Theme.

Method 2: Using the Command Palette

1. Open the Command Palette by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).
2. Type "Preferences: Color Theme" and select the Preferences: Color Theme command.
3. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K Ctrl+T directly.

Both methods will display a Color Theme picker. As you navigate through the list using the Up and Down arrow keys, you can instantly preview how each theme changes the colors of your editor, including the background. Once you find a theme you like, press Enter to apply it.

2. Installing New Color Themes

VS Code offers a vast marketplace of extensions, including numerous Color Themes developed by the community.

• Open the Extensions View: Click on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of VS Code (or press Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X).
• Search for Themes: In the search bar, type "theme" or "color theme".
• Install: Browse the results and click the "Install" button next to any theme you wish to try.
• Apply: After installation, VS Code will usually prompt you to apply the new theme. If not, follow the steps in "Method 1" or "Method 2" above to select your newly installed theme.

Popular Color Themes:
Many developers enjoy themes like:

• One Dark Pro: A popular, sleek dark theme.
• Material Theme: Offers several vibrant and clean variations.
• Dracula Official: A dark theme focused on purple hues.
• Nord: A clean and elegant arctic-inspired theme.

3. Advanced Customization with settings.json

For more granular control over specific colors, you can directly edit your user settings in settings.json. This allows you to fine-tune colors beyond what a theme offers, including the editor's background.

1. Open your settings.json file:
   • Go to File > Preferences > Settings (or Code > Preferences > Settings on macOS).
   • Click the { } icon in the top right corner to open settings.json.
2. Add or modify the workbench.colorCustomizations property.

Example settings.json for Custom Background Color:

{
    "workbench.colorTheme": "Default Dark+", // Your chosen base theme
    "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
        "editor.background": "#1A202C", // Custom dark background
        "sideBar.background": "#2D3748",  // Custom sidebar background
        "statusBar.background": "#2D3748",// Custom status bar background
        "activityBar.background": "#2D3748"// Custom activity bar background
    }
}

• "editor.background": Sets the main coding area's background color.
• "sideBar.background": Controls the background of the file explorer and other sidebar panels.
• "statusBar.background": Changes the background of the bottom status bar.
• "activityBar.background": Sets the background of the left-hand icon bar.

You can use HTML color codes or CSS color names for these values.

Changing a Website's Actual Background Color

It's crucial to understand that the above steps only change the background of your Visual Studio Code editor. To change the background color of a website itself, you need to modify its CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). This is typically done within the website's stylesheet or directly in the HTML.

Example: Changing a Website's Background Color with CSS

/* In your style.css file or within a <style> tag in HTML */
body {
    background-color: #f0f0f0; /* Light gray background for the entire page */
    color: #333; /* Dark text for contrast */
}

.hero-section {
    background-color: #6a1b9a; /* A specific section with a purple background */
    color: #ffffff;
    padding: 20px;
}

By applying CSS rules to elements like body or specific div containers, you control the actual background appearance of your website when viewed in a web browser.