StemCode for VS Code
StemCode for VS Code brings StemCode chat, code review, planning, and editor context into Visual Studio Code.
The extension does not bundle the StemCode engine. It starts the local terminal command stemcode --acp, so the StemCode CLI must be installed and configured before the VS Code extension can work.
Requirements
- Visual Studio Code 1.80.0 or newer.
- StemCode CLI installed and available as
stemcode in your terminal.
- A completed first run of
stemcode so provider credentials, model selection, and onboarding are ready.
Install StemCode CLI First
macOS / Linux:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rizwan3d/StemCode/master/scripts/install.sh | bash
Windows PowerShell:
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rizwan3d/StemCode/master/scripts/install.ps1 | iex
After installation, restart your terminal if stemcode is not found, then run:
stemcode
Finish provider setup in the terminal before using the VS Code extension.
Install The Extension
Install from the Visual Studio Marketplace:
ext install growbitlab.stemcode
Then open the StemCode view in VS Code or run StemCode: Open Chat from the Command Palette.
Features
- Open StemCode chat inside the VS Code auxiliary bar.
- Send the current selection or full file as context.
- Ask StemCode to explain selected code.
- Review the current file or current Git diff.
- Prefill planning prompts for code changes.
- Apply suggested changes from a previous StemCode response.
- Browse, install, and remove data-only skills from a marketplace panel.
- Start, stop, and restart the local
stemcode --acp process.
- Open extension logs and settings from VS Code commands.
Skills
Open Settings (gear) → Workspace → Skills in the StemCode chat view to manage data-only skills without leaving VS Code:
- Browse a marketplace to list the skills it offers (read from the repo's
stemcode-marketplace.json index; output shows in chat).
- Install a skill by id from a configured marketplace, optionally overwriting existing files.
- Uninstall an installed skill, removing only its tracked files.
- Add a marketplace by
owner/repo, or Remove a configured one.
The panel reads state from .stemcode/skills/marketplaces.json and .stemcode/skills/installed.json, and runs the same /skill commands available in the CLI.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
stemcode.command |
stemcode |
Command used to start StemCode. |
stemcode.args |
["--acp"] |
Arguments passed to the StemCode CLI. |
stemcode.workingDirectory |
workspace root |
Working directory for the StemCode process. |
stemcode.acpAuthenticationToken |
empty |
Optional ACP auth token. Used only when the server advertises authMethods: ["token"]. |
stemcode.autoStart |
false |
Start StemCode automatically when VS Code starts. |
stemcode.logLevel |
info |
Extension log level. |
When ACP authentication is enabled, the extension resolves the token in this order:
- VS Code
SecretStorage key stemcode.acpAuthToken
stemcode.acpAuthenticationToken settingSTEMCODE_ACP_AUTH_TOKEN environment variable
Troubleshooting
stemcode is not found
Install the StemCode CLI, restart your terminal, and make sure stemcode is available on PATH.
The extension starts but cannot connect
Run stemcode once in a terminal and finish provider onboarding. The extension starts StemCode in ACP mode and expects local configuration to already exist.
License
Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE.txt.
