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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/killlowkey/claude-code/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

The Claude Code VS Code extension connects your editor to Claude Code running in the terminal, enabling context-aware assistance based on your open files and selections.

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Installation

1

Install Claude Code

Make sure Claude Code CLI is installed and authenticated:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude /login
2

Install the VS Code extension

Search for “Claude Code” in the VS Code Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X) and install it.
3

Open a project

Open your project folder in VS Code. The extension connects automatically when you start Claude Code in that directory.
4

Start Claude Code

Open a terminal in VS Code (Ctrl+“) and run:
claude
The extension detects the running instance and establishes the bridge connection.

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Features

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Current file context

Claude automatically knows what file you have open: 
> Explain what this file does
> Add error handling to this module
> Write tests for the functions in this file

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Selection-based editing

Highlight code in VS Code, then ask Claude to work on it: 
> Refactor this selection to be more readable
> What does this selected code do?
> Convert this to TypeScript
Claude can open files and jump to specific lines in VS Code: 
> Show me where parseToken is defined
> Open the auth middleware

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Diff view

Proposed file changes appear as diffs in VS Code’s standard diff viewer, letting you review and accept/reject changes line by line.

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The /desktop command

The /desktop command hands off a terminal session to the Claude desktop app, which integrates with VS Code at a deeper level: 
> /desktop
Keep the Claude Code terminal visible alongside your editor. The split-view workflow — editor on left, Claude on right — is the most efficient setup.

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