IDE & VS Code

Claude Code ships as both a terminal CLI and as IDE extensions for VS Code and JetBrains. The extensions are thin wrappers around the same underlying agent. They don't add new capabilities, but they embed the Claude Code panel directly in your editor so you don't context-switch to a separate terminal window. The terminal CLI remains the canonical, full-featured surface; the IDE extensions expose the most common flows.

The practical difference from the terminal: the extensions can pick up your active file and editor selection automatically, so you don't have to type @./src/foo.ts to give Claude context. It arrives pre-loaded. Beyond that, the agent works identically.

How you use it day-to-day

• Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace (search "Claude Code") or the JetBrains Marketplace, then authenticate the same way as the CLI. Your existing API key or Anthropic account works.
• Lean on selection context. Highlight a function or block, open the Claude panel, and ask your question. The selection is automatically attached. No @file reference needed.
• Opened-file context. The currently open file is available to Claude without manual reference. Useful for quick "explain this" or "add a test for this function" prompts.
• Fall back to the terminal for heavy lifting. Long agentic runs (multi-file refactors, subagent orchestration, complex permission prompts) are smoother in the terminal where you have full control over the session.

Gotchas

• The offline source doc is thin on IDE specifics. Only the extensions' existence and supported IDEs (VS Code, JetBrains) are confirmed. Feature details like diff views, inline suggestions, or sidebar controls are not described in the source and are omitted here.
• Same authentication, same billing. The extension uses the same API key and counts against the same usage limits as your terminal sessions.
• The terminal CLI is where new features land first. If something isn't working in the extension, try it in the terminal to rule out an extension-layer issue.

Terminal vs. IDE: use the IDE extension when you're already in the editor and want quick, selection-aware prompts. Use the terminal CLI when running long sessions, managing permissions, or working with subagents.