SourceCraft Code Assistant chat interface in Visual Studio Code
Warning
This page describes the chat features in Visual Studio Code. To learn about the chat features in the JetBrains IDE, see this page.
Code Assistant chat interface is your primary way of interacting with it. It is located in the Code Assistant panel, which you can open by clicking the Code Assistant icon in the VS Code activity bar.
Chat interface components
The chat interface consists of the following main elements:
- Chat history: This area displays the history of communication between you and Code Assistant. Here you can see your requests, Code Assistant responses, and any actions you have taken, such as editing files or running commands.
- Input field: Here you enter your tasks and questions for Code Assistant. You can use any language to communicate.
- Action buttons: These buttons appear above the input field and allow you to approve or reject suggested Code Assistant actions. Available buttons vary depending on the context.
- The button below the input field sends messages to Code Assistant after you have entered them.
- The New Task button in the chat's top panel opens a new chat tab, e.g., to reset a session, start a new task, or clear the current one.
- The Settings button the chat's top panel is used to open the Code Assistant settings.
- The mode selection button at the bottom of the input field is a drop-down list for selecting the mode Code Assistant should use to perform your tasks.
Tip
To streamline your workflow, you can drag Code Assistant to VS Code's additional sidebar. This will allow you to keep Code Assistant visible while maintaining access to Explorer, Search, Source code management, and other panels in the main sidebar. To do this, click and drag the Code Assistant icon from the activity bar to the right side of the editor.
Interacting with messages
- Clickable links: File paths, URLs, and other mentions in the chat history are clickable. Clicking a file path will open the file in the editor. Clicking a URL will open it in your browser.
- Copying text: You can copy text from your chat history by selecting it and using the standard copy command (Ctrl/Cmd + C). Some elements, such as code blocks, have a special button .
- Expanding and collapsing: Click a message to expand or collapse it.
Status indicators
- Loading indicator: When Code Assistant is processing your request, you will see a loading indicator.
- Error messages: If an error occurs, a red error message will be displayed.
- Success messages: Green messages indicate successful completion of actions.