Vertical Tabs

Hi team,

I’d like to request native support for vertical tabs in Visual Studio Code, similar to the implementation in Visual Studio.

When working with many open files and views, the horizontal tab layout becomes difficult to navigate. A vertical list provides far better visibility and makes switching between files much more efficient. One aspect I particularly appreciate in Visual Studio is that panels such as Output, Debug, and others also appear in the vertical tab column under clear headings. This saves screen space and makes it very easy to move between different views.

I’m currently using a workaround to approximate this behaviour, but it would be extremely valuable to have a fully supported, first‑class implementation. It feels like a small feature, but it has a significant impact on workflow and usability when working with large or complex projects.

Thank you for considering this enhancement.

The issue does not name files, tests, or entry points. Start by reviewing the existing tab and view layout in VS Code and the described workaround, then determine how vertical tabs should include Output, Debug, and other panels under headings. Done means a supported vertical tab column provides clear navigation for files and those views.