Visual Studio Code - Ctrl+Backspace not working in Integrated Terminal

Question

In the terminal (PowerShell) in Visual Studio Code, I'm trying to hit Ctrl+Backspace to delete last word, but it just adds ^W to end of the line, any ideas how to fix this? It works fine outside Visual Studio Code in PowerShell.

Answer 1

ctrl+backspace is somehow mapped to ctrl+w in vscode integrated terminal (possibly a bug) and now we need to set ctrl+w binding to delete the word explicitly. weird right?

Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Chord 'Ctrl+w' -Function BackwardKillWord

Note that this'll work for the current terminal session only.

---

To make this behaviour persistent, you can set it in profile Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 file. Create the file if it doesn't exist in your powershell version folder.

C:\Program Files\PowerShell\6\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1

write at the top

if ($env:TERM_PROGRAM -eq "vscode") {
  Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Chord 'Ctrl+w' -Function BackwardKillWord
}

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See more: Power up your PowerShell

Keybinding references:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/previous-versions/powershell/module/psreadline/Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler?view=powershell-5.0

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/previous-versions/powershell/module/psreadline/set-psreadlinekeyhandler?view=powershell-5.0

Answer 2

Based on the latest comment https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/68167 I have modified JerryGoyal's answer so we don't have to modify bindings:

Put the following at the top of your Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 config file (type $profile in the terminal to find it, you might have to create one if it doesn't exist already)

if ($env:TERM_PROGRAM -eq "vscode") {
  Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Emacs
}

This works for me (vscode 1.43)

Answer 3

It was showing ^W when I pressed Ctrl+Backspace.

Just run this command in the vscode console

Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Emacs

NOW IT WORKS!

Answer 4

Looks like an issue that is being tracked: see workbench.action.terminal.deleteWordLeft Doesn't Work, Outputs ^W.

Works fine for me in git bash terminal but not powershell as of vscode 1.36.

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vscode v1.45 made some changes to these terminal commands, like deleteWordLeft. Does Ctrl+Backspace work better for you now?

See https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-docs/blob/vnext/release-notes/v1_45.md#removal-of-several-prompt-related-commands

Answer 5

VSCode 1.48 (July2020) might help.
Issue 98404 does allow ctrl+backspace to delete entire word in cmd.exe, which could work for a powershell session too.

See PR 98494:

Before (when it was not working):

After (working):

Answer 6

Check you keybindings in your settings to be sure it is still set.

I have had some oddities with keybindings getting removed / changed when adding a new extension or an update. You may just need to add it back.

Key Bindings for Visual Studio Code

Of course VSCode and PowerShell are two different environments. If you split your terminal window (I do this all the time for my own work use case), you will end up with the VSChost and the standard consolehost and you'll see that though you are in VSCode, they behave differently.

If you have not done so, you may want to customize you VSCode profile which is what the integrated console will read, where as the consolehost will read your PowerShell console profile not you ISE profile.

Answer 7

To add to JerryGoyal answer:

If you have difficulties finding profile folder and/or making it works. Here's what helped me.

1. I created folder c:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME\Documents\WindowsPowerShell\
2. Put Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 there
3. Powershell than tells you about security problems. You have to allow this by running powershell as admin.
4. Than type Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned.
5. Answer Y(yes). This is obviously at your own risk!