VSCode: Open file from file explorer with Enter key on Mac OSX

Solution 1:

If anyone else comes across this problem, the keyboard shortcut to open a file from the file explorer in VSCode on a Mac is:

CMD+Down

This also works in Finder.

Solution 2:

I ended up compiling a few solutions here together to get the following keybinding.json editions (Open via Code > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts > keybindings.json):

  {
    "key": "cmd+enter",
    "command": "renameFile",
    "when": "explorerViewletVisible && filesExplorerFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "enter",
    "command": "-renameFile",
    "when": "explorerViewletVisible && filesExplorerFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "enter",
    "command": "list.select",
    "when": "listFocus && !inputFocus"
  }

Solution 3:

In version 1.19.2, on the mac I was able to go to keyboard shortcuts (menu bar > code > preferences > keyboard shortcuts), search for "rename," and edit "renameFile" ("When" value is "explorerViewletVisible && filesExplorerFocus && !inputFocus") changing the shortcut to "cmd+enter."

You can also past the following in your keybindings.json (there's a link to it on the keyboard shortcuts page):

{
  "key": "cmd+enter",
  "command": "renameFile",
  "when": "explorerViewletVisible && filesExplorerFocus && !inputFocus"
}

Enter now opens the highlighted file in the explorer and ctrl+enter puts it in rename/edit mode.

–Edit–

After I upgraded to 1.21.0 the enter key started functioning as renameFile again. cmd+enter still functioned as renameFile as well. To fix this either go to menu bar > code > preferences > keyboard shortcuts and right-click the offending entry and remove it or add a hyphen/minus sign to the beginning of the command in keybindings.json:

{
  "key": "enter",
  "command": "-renameFile",
  "when": "explorerViewletVisible && filesExplorerFocus && !explorerResourceIsRoot && !inputFocus"
}

Solution 4:

On my Mac, simply hitting the Spacebar opens the file for me.