# How to input latex characters into vscode?
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861
**Category:** General Usage
**Created:** [May 22, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861 "2017-05-22T19:17:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@e3c6](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/e3c6)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/1 "2017-05-22T19:17:54Z")
I am using the Julia extension for VScode:
> **[Julia - Visual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=julialang.language-julia)**
>
> Extension for Visual Studio Code - Julia Language Support
The autocompletion is very decent. But I dont know how to input latex characters? For example, I tried `\alpha + TAB` but it does not work.
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### Author:  [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/2 "2017-05-23T01:13:30Z")
You could copy-and-paste from the REPL. Or you could use Microsoft’s fabulous keyboard shortcuts, e.g. α is ALT+945, I think. Or someone could write a VS extension implementing LaTeX tab completion. (These are technically Unicode characters, not “LaTeX characters.”)
Of course, you also have to get Visual Studio to [save files in the UTF-8 encoding of Unicode](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/279673/save-all-files-in-visual-studio-project-as-utf-8); I’m not sure whether the Julia extension does this for you?
But you’ll probably have a much easier time if you just use some other editor, e.g. Atom.
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### Author:  [@e3c6](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/e3c6)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 12:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/3 "2017-05-23T12:16:21Z")
@stevengj Atom is great. But right now the autocomplete of vscode in julia is better (IMHO).
Right now I am using both.
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### Author:  [@joa-quim](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/joa-quim)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/4 "2017-05-23T13:34:16Z")
And it would be nice that in future just the IDE’s editor would not weight over \> 700 Mb (Atom)
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### Author:  [@barche](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/barche)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/5 "2017-05-23T13:42:59Z")
A quick google turned up this, I didn’t test it:
> **[Unicode Latex - Visual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=oijaz.unicode-latex)**
>
> Extension for Visual Studio Code - Insert unicode symbols for latex names
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### Author:  [@e3c6](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/e3c6)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/6 "2017-05-23T13:54:59Z")
@barche Thanks. But I have to say that the analogous atom extension is much easier to use:
[https://github.com/JunoLab/atom-latex-completions](https://github.com/JunoLab/atom-latex-completions)
Just type `\alpha` + TAB. Whereas in vscode you have to go to the command palette, find the “Insert Unicode …” command, and finally type `\alpha`.
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### Author:  [@pfitzseb](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/pfitzseb)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/7 "2017-05-23T13:59:48Z")
To be fair, that _should_ be working in VS Code too. If no one in the vscode gitter can help you, you might need to wait for the next release or something.
Btw, I’d really be interested to know why you find the VSCode autocompletion better than Juno’s – would you mind elaborating on that?
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### Author:  [@kristoffer.carlsson](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/kristoffer.carlsson)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/8 "2017-05-23T14:47:35Z")
For me, just using the standard julia vscode package: [Julia - Visual Studio Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=julialang.language-julia) makes unicode completions work perfectly.
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### Author:  [@e3c6](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/e3c6)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/9 "2017-05-23T15:02:58Z")
@kristoffer.carlsson What is your operating system? I am on Linux Mint 18
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### Author:  [@e3c6](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/e3c6)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-input-latex-characters-into-vscode/3861/10 "2017-05-23T18:02:41Z")
[https://github.com/JuliaEditorSupport/julia-vscode/issues/150](https://github.com/JuliaEditorSupport/julia-vscode/issues/150)