On Windows, VS Code “code” shell command is enabled by default when installing VS Code:

winget install -e --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

The installer program adds to “Path” environment variable like:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin

That directory contains “code.cmd” that invokes “Code.exe” in the directory above. This technique avoids DLL Hell due to to the .dll files in the path above interfering with other programs if that folder was on Path.

For macOS, install VS Code shell command by pressing Shift ⌘ P . For Linux the keys are Shift Ctrl P . Start typing “shell command”. Select “Shell Command: Install ‘code’ command in PATH”. This allows starting VS Code from Terminal by typing code.