How to find an App's location (Microsoft Visual Studio Code)

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Level 2

153 points

How to find an App's location (Microsoft Visual Studio Code)

I have installed Visual Studio Code from Microsoft in order to edit xml (.xml) and Javascript files (.js) which it seems to do very well. I would like to set it as the default for opening these types of files, but when I try and set it as the default, I only get the option to choose an app from the Applications folder, and Code isn't listed.

When I run Visual Studio Code, the app name at the top of the screen is Code, and its About box calls it Visual Studio Code. It does not appear in Applications or Utilities. I can find it by typing Code into the Cmd-Space search box, or by finding it in Recent Apps. In Activity Monitor its listed as Code.

If I do a Finder search for Code I get over 7000 results, and I can't spot it by sorting alphabetically, by date, or by Kind.

Any suggestions on how to find where its located in the directory hierarchy?

macOS Sierra (10.12.4), SSD

Posted on Apr 16, 2017 3:13 PM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,248 points

Apr 17, 2017 2:46 AM in response to AndrewCSP

When you download, and unzip Visual Studio Code, it remains in the Downloads folder, and is not automatically installed in your /Applications folder. It is up to you to drag/drop the application into your /Applications folder.

One can set Visual Studio Code as the default open application, even if it resides in Downloads, because it will still appear on the Get Info : Open With menu as shown below. You select Visual Studio Code for each extension that you want it to open by default, and then select the continue button. Notice that the application name in the following menu has its version info shown, but in the Finder the true application name is Visual Studio Code.app with the extension hidden.

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Answer 2

AndrewCSP Author

Level 2

153 points

Apr 16, 2017 3:39 PM in response to Rudegar

Thanks, but its not listed in Applications as Visual Studio Code.app. My alphabetic listing goes:

Utilities

VideoGIF

VLC

Wireshark

I have looked all over for 'Code', 'Visual Studio Code', 'Microsoft Visual Studio Code' and can't find any of them.

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Answer 3

AndrewCSP Author

Level 2

153 points

Apr 17, 2017 2:53 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks VikingOSX.

I had already looked in Downloads and it is not there, but your Reply prompted me to look in the Trash, and that's where I found it - l had trashed it from Downloads presuming that it had installed, but luckily had not emptied the Trash.

Thank goodness this Community usually seems to have someone who has resolved a similar issue and can provide the help sought.

Andrew

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