Claude Code Extension for Visual Studio
A Visual Studio extension that provides seamless integration with Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor Agent, Qwen Code or Open Code directly within the Visual Studio IDE.
Features
🎯 Integrated Terminal
- Embedded terminal within Visual Studio supporting multiple AI providers
- Automatic workspace directory detection when loading solutions
- Seamless command execution without leaving the IDE
🤖 Multiple AI Provider Support
- Claude Code: Full support for Claude Code CLI integration (Windows native)
- Claude Code (WSL): Support for Claude Code running inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
- OpenAI Codex: Support for Codex AI assistant running inside WSL
- Cursor Agent: Support for Cursor Agent running inside WSL
- Qwen Code: Support for Qwen Code AI assistant (requires Node.js 20+)
- Open Code: Support for Open Code AI assistant (requires Node.js 14+)
- Provider Switching: Easy dropdown menu to switch between providers
- Smart Detection: Automatic detection and installation instructions for each AI tool
- Claude Model Selection: Quick model switching for Claude Code (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku) with dropdown menu
⌨️ Smart Send Controls
- Send with Enter: Toggle between Enter-to-send and manual send modes
- Shift+Enter or Ctrl+Enter: Create new lines when Send with Enter is enabled
- Manual Send Button: Appears when Send with Enter is disabled
🖼️ File Attachment Support
- Clipboard Paste: Use Ctrl+V to paste images from clipboard in the prompt area (text content like Excel cells will paste as text)
- File Browser: Click "Add File" to select up to 5 files from file system
- Supported File Types: Images, PDFs, documents (Word, text), spreadsheets (Excel, CSV), data files (JSON, XML, YAML), code files, and more
- File Chips: Visual representation of attached files with remove functionality
- Clickable Chips: Click on file chips to open and view files
- Smart Paste: Excel cells and other text content paste as text, not images
📝 Prompt History
- Smart History: Automatically saves up to 50 most recent prompts
- Quick Navigation: Use Ctrl+Up/Ctrl+Down to browse through previous prompts
- Clear Option: Right-click in prompt area to clear history
- Persistent Storage: History saved between Visual Studio sessions
🔧 Workspace Intelligence
- Solution Detection: Automatically detects and switches to solution directory
- Dynamic Updates: Terminal restarts when switching between solutions
- Fallback Handling: Smart directory resolution when no solution is open
💾 Persistent Settings
- JSON Configuration: Settings stored in
%LocalAppData%\..\Local\ClaudeCodeExtension\claudecode-settings.json
- Send with Enter State: Remembers your preferred input mode
- Splitter Position: Maintains your preferred layout between sessions
- AI Provider Selection: Remembers your preferred AI assistant
- Claude Model Selection: Remembers your last selected Claude model (Opus, Sonnet, or Haiku)
🎨 Visual Studio Integration
- Dark/Light Theme: Consistent with Visual Studio's dark/light theme
- Resizable Layout: Adjustable splitter between prompt and terminal areas
- Native Controls: Follows Visual Studio UI conventions
- Dynamic Titles: Window title changes based on selected AI provider
System Requirements
- Visual Studio 2022 or 2026 (x64 and ARM64 supported)
- Windows operating system
- For Claude Code (Windows): Claude Pro or better paid subscription + Claude Code CLI installed and accessible via
claude in path.
Refer to https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/setup for Claude Code installation
- For Claude Code (WSL): Claude Pro or better paid subscription + Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) + Claude Code CLI installed inside WSL
Installation instructions are provided automatically if not installed
- For OpenAI Codex: Chat GPT Plus or better paid subscription + Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) + Codex AI assistant installed inside WSL
Installation instructions are provided automatically if not installed
- For Cursor Agent: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) + Cursor Agent installed inside WSL
Installation instructions are provided automatically if not installed
- For Qwen Code: Node.js version 20 or higher + Qwen Code CLI installed and accessible via
qwen in path.
Installation instructions are provided automatically if not installed
- For Open Code: Node.js version 14 or higher + Open Code CLI installed and accessible via
opencode in path.
Installation instructions are provided automatically if not installed
Installation
- Download the latest VSIX package
- Double-click the VSIX file to install
- Restart Visual Studio
- Open the extension via View → Other Windows → Claude Code Extension
If the terminal opens in a separate window instead of inside the extension:
Open Windows Settings, search for "Terminal settings", and set the Terminal option to "Windows Console Host".
Quick Start
- First-Time Setup: Verify that your preferred AI provider (Claude Code, Claude Code WSL, OpenAI Codex, Cursor Agent, or Qwen Code) is installed and accessible
- Open the Tool Window: View → Other Windows → Claude Code Extension
- Select an AI Provider: Click the ⚙ (gear) button and choose among Claude Code, Claude Code (WSL), Codex, Cursor Agent, Qwen Code, or Open Code
- Connect to Provider: If you use Open Code, press Ctrl+P, search for "connect providers", and complete the authentication flow
- Select a Claude Model: Click the 🤖 (robot) button to choose Opus, Sonnet, or Haiku (available only when Claude Code is selected)
- Start a Session: Enter your prompt and press Enter
- Attach Files: Use Ctrl+V to paste or click the "Add File" button
- Customize: Toggle "Send with Enter" and adjust the layout as needed
Usage
- Open the Tool Window: Navigate to View → Other Windows → Claude Code Extension
- Select an AI Provider: Click the ⚙ (gear) button and choose your preferred assistant
- Enter Prompts: Type your questions or requests in the prompt area
- Attach Files: Paste images/text with Ctrl+V or use the "Add File" button to attach up to five files
- Send Messages: Press Enter (if enabled) or click the Send button
- Review Responses: Read responses in the embedded terminal and interact with it directly as needed
- Review Code Changes: (Only projects in Git) Use the integrated diff tool to compare code changes in a new tab while the AI is working
Working with Prompt History
- Browse Previous Prompts: Press Ctrl+Up to navigate to older prompts in your history
- Browse Forward: Press Ctrl+Down to move to newer prompts or return to current text
- View Attached Files: Click on any file chip to open and view the file
- Clear History: Right-click in the prompt area and select "Clear Prompt History"
- Automatic Saving: Your last 50 prompts are automatically saved between sessions
- Settings Menu: Click the ⚙ (gear) button in the top-right corner to access provider settings
- Claude Code: Switch to Claude Code CLI integration (Windows native)
- Claude Code (WSL): Switch to Claude Code running inside WSL
- Codex: Switch to Codex AI assistant (runs inside WSL)
- Cursor Agent: Switch to Cursor Agent (runs inside WSL)
- Open Code: Switch to Open Code AI assistant (Windows)
- Qwen Code: Switch to Qwen Code AI assistant (requires Node.js 20+)
- Auto-open Changes on Send: (Git projects only) Automatically opens the Changes view, expands all files, and enables auto-scroll when you send a prompt - perfect for watching the AI work in real-time
- About: View extension version and information
- Model Menu: Click the 🤖 (robot) button to access Claude model selection (only visible when Claude Code or Claude Code WSL is selected)
- Opus - Complex tasks: Switch to Claude Opus for complex, multi-step tasks requiring deep reasoning
- Sonnet - Everyday tasks: Switch to Claude Sonnet for balanced performance on everyday coding tasks (default)
- Haiku - Easy tasks: Switch to Claude Haiku for quick, straightforward tasks with faster responses
- Instant Switching: Model changes are applied immediately by sending the
/model command to the running terminal
- Persistent Selection: Your model choice is saved and restored between Visual Studio sessions
Customization
- Send with Enter: Check/uncheck the checkbox to toggle sending behavior
- Layout: Drag the splitter to adjust the prompt/terminal ratio
- AI Provider: Use the context menu to switch between available providers
- Settings Persist Automatically: Preferences are saved between Visual Studio sessions
Updating Your AI Agent
The extension includes an Update Agent button (🔄️) that updates your selected AI provider:
- Claude Code (Windows): Exits the agent and runs
claude update
- Claude Code (WSL): Exits the agent and runs
claude update inside WSL
- Codex: Exits the agent and runs
npm install -g @openai/codex@latest inside WSL
- Cursor Agent: Exits the agent and runs
cursor-agent update inside WSL
- Open Code: Exits the agent and runs
npm i -g opencode-ai
- Qwen Code: Exits the agent (using /quit command) and runs
npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest to update
Click the update button and the extension will handle the update process. Agents use the appropriate exit methods before updating (exit command for most, double CTRL+C for Codex, /quit command for Qwen Code).
Version History
Version 5.5
- Auto-open Changes on Send: New option in the Code Agent Selection menu (⚙) to automatically open the Changes view when you send a prompt
- Automatically opens the Changes tab, expands all files, and enables auto-scroll
- Perfect for watching the AI work on your code in real-time
- Only appears when working with Git repositories
- Setting is saved and persists between Visual Studio sessions
- Disabled by default - enable it in the ⚙ menu
- Improved File Change Detection: Fixed issue where newly created/modified files weren't appearing in the Changes view until the window was reopened
- Git baseline now refreshes on each poll cycle to detect new files immediately
- Files that couldn't be read from git HEAD are now still tracked (shown with all lines as additions)
- Increased git command timeout for better reliability
- Files Sorted by Modification Time: Changed files in the diff view are now sorted by last modified time
- Most recently updated files appear at the bottom of the list
- Makes it easier to see which files the AI is currently working on
- Improved Auto-Scroll Toggle Button Visibility: The auto-scroll button now displays with a distinct blue background and white text when enabled, making it much clearer when auto-scroll is active
- Auto-Scroll User Preference Tracking: Auto-scroll now respects user preference
- When you manually disable auto-scroll, it stays disabled and won't automatically re-enable
- When you manually enable auto-scroll, automatic re-enabling is allowed again
- User preference resets after baseline reset (when starting fresh with new changes)
- Fixed Auto-Scroll Button State Sync: Resolved issue where button events could fire unexpectedly during programmatic state updates
Version 5.4
- Diff View only for projects in Git: Due to impossible complexities for filewatcher implementation, projects not
in Git repositories will no longer show change button the diff tab. Not the most advanced coding AI or even I could fix the issues.
Version 5.3
- Repository-Wide Diff Tracking: Fixed diff tool to detect all changed files across the entire git repository, not just files within the opened solution directory
- Files in other projects/directories within the same git repository are now properly detected
- Modified files outside the solution directory now correctly show as "Modified" instead of "Created"
- Uses git baseline (
git show HEAD:path) to get original file content for accurate diff comparison
- Auto-Scroll for Diff View: New auto-scroll feature that follows changes as the AI agent codes
- Automatically enables when new changes are detected
- Scrolls to show the latest modified files
- Automatically disables after 3 seconds of inactivity
- Toggle button (↓↓) to manually enable/disable auto-scroll
- Improved performance for large repositories using git (tested with .net runtime repo with 57k+ files)
Version 5.2
- Fix extension description
Version 5.1
- Performance Optimizations for Diff Tool: Improved performance for large projects
- Static window title ("Code Changes") instead of dynamic updates with line counts
- Git status polling now only runs when the diff tab is active
- File watcher pauses when diff tab is hidden, resumes with forced refresh when activated
- Reduces CPU and I/O overhead when working with large repositories
- Zoom Support: Use Ctrl+Scroll to zoom in/out on the diff view (50% to 300%)
- Additional Tracked File Types: Added support for
.vsixmanifest, .csproj, .vbproj, .fsproj, .sln, .props, .targets, .resx, and .settings files
Version 5.0
- Integrated Diff Tool: Major release adding a built-in diff tool for comparing code changes in a new tab.
- This is a large new feature and will be stabilized in future releases. If you find issues, please open an issue in the Git repository.
- Supports both Git projects and standalone projects.
Version 4.2
- Updated License & Usage Section: Clarified that the extension is free for all users including commercial/internal use
- Data Privacy Documentation: Added links to data retention policies for all supported AI providers (Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Qwen Code, Open Code)
- Contact Information: Added author contact email for licensing inquiries
Version 4.1
- Enhanced File Support: "Add Image" button renamed to "Add File" with support for multiple file types
- Increased File Limit: Now supports up to 5 file attachments (previously 3 images)
- Common File Formats: Added support for documents (PDF, Word, text), spreadsheets (Excel, CSV), data files (JSON, XML, YAML), code files, and more
- Flexible File Selection: File browser now accepts all file types (.) plus convenient filters for common formats
Version 4.0
- Fixed Excel cell paste issue - Excel data now pastes as text instead of as an image
- Clipboard text content is now prioritized over image formats to ensure proper paste behavior
Version 3.8
- Fixed UI lag when typing in prompt textbox by replacing polling-based theme detection with event-driven approach
Version 3.7
- Performance improvements
- Fix issues setting Sonnet model in some scenarios
Version 3.6
New Features:
- Open Code Support: Added support for open code integration
Version 3.5
- Fixes for products supported
Version 3.4
New Features:
- ARM64 Support: Added support for ARM64 architecture, enabling the extension to run on Visual Studio 2022/2026 ARM64 versions (e.g., Surface Pro X, Windows Dev Kit 2023, and other ARM-based Windows devices)
Version 3.3
Improvements:
- Clipboard Preservation: The extension now preserves and restores your original clipboard content when sending commands to the AI agent
- Supports all clipboard content types including Office data (Excel cells, Word content), images, files, HTML, and RTF
- Excel cells are restored properly so you can paste them back as cells (not as images)
- Your clipboard contents are automatically saved before sending a command and restored afterward
- No more losing copied content when interacting with the AI terminal
Version 3.2
New Features:
- Claude Model Selection Dropdown: Added a new 🤖 (robot) button next to the provider settings that allows quick switching between Claude models
- Opus: For complex, multi-step tasks requiring deep reasoning
- Sonnet: For everyday coding tasks with balanced performance (default)
- Haiku: For quick, straightforward tasks with faster responses
Version 3.1
- Fixed instructions and about screens
Version 3.0
- Qwen Code support. And yes, it was developed with Qwen Code itself for testing purposes. Images not supported.
Version 2.8
- Fix issues hiding terminal in tab switching
Version 2.7
- Native Claude Code support for Windows
Version 2.6
New Features:
- Clickable Image Chips: Click on attached image chips to open and view the images
- VS 2026 Support: Extended compatibility to support Visual Studio 2026
Improvements:
- Prompt History: Added prompt history feature to prevent lost prompts (navigate with Ctrl+Up/Ctrl+Down, clear with context menu)
Version 2.5
Updated Install Instructions:
- Added troubleshooting tips for installation issues
Version 2.4
Simplified Window Titles:
- Window title now shows "Claude Code" for all Claude Code variants (native Windows and WSL)
- Removed "(WSL)" suffix from window titles for cleaner UI experience
- All Claude Code installations now share the same display name in the tool window
Version 2.3
WSL Initialization Fix:
- Fixed WSL-based agents (Claude Code WSL, Codex, Cursor Agent) not being detected right after system boot
- Added intelligent retry logic with progressive timeouts (5s, 8s, 12s) for WSL agent detection
- Implements up to 3 detection attempts with 2-second delays between retries to handle WSL initialization delays
- Improved reliability when opening Visual Studio immediately after boot
- Enhanced debug logging for better troubleshooting of WSL-related issues
Version 2.2
Claude Code WSL Support & Simplified Exit Logic:
- Added new Claude Code (WSL) option for running Claude Code inside WSL
- Follows the same WSL integration pattern as Codex and Cursor Agent
- Simplified update agent logic: all agents now use
exit<enter> command consistently
- Improved terminal restart logic with unified exit handling for all providers
- Enhanced enter key handling for WSL-based providers (Claude Code WSL, Codex, Cursor Agent)
- Automatic detection and installation instructions for Claude Code in WSL environments
Version 2.1
Codex WSL Integration & Exit Improvements:
- Codex now runs inside WSL for better compatibility and performance
- Improved Codex exit handling: right-click terminal center before sending Ctrl+C
- Fixed AI provider switching to correctly exit the current provider (not the new one being selected)
- Smart provider tracking ensures proper exit commands for each AI assistant
- Consistent WSL-based architecture for both Codex and Cursor Agent
Version 2.0
Agent Update Button:
- Added Update Agent button with refresh icon for easy agent updates
- Smart update command execution based on selected provider:
- Claude Code: Runs
claude update command
- Codex: Runs
npm install -g @openai/codex@latest inside WSL
- Cursor Agent: Runs
cursor-agent update inside WSL
- Convenient one-click updates without manually typing commands
Version 1.8
VS Restart Fix:
- Fixed terminal not opening when Visual Studio restarts with a solution already loaded
- Extension now detects when a solution is already open on startup and initializes terminal immediately
- Improves reliability when working with solutions across VS sessions
Version 1.7
What's New:
- Clean Single-Border Design: Redesigned the UI with elegant single borders around prompt and terminal areas - no more double borders!
- Better Contrast: Borders now use high-contrast colors (white in dark mode, black in light mode) for improved visibility
- Smarter Startup: Terminal now initializes only when you open a solution, not when the extension loads - faster and more efficient!
- Improved Solution Switching: When switching between solutions, the AI assistant properly reloads with the new workspace context
- Bug Fixes: Fixed various initialization and workspace detection issues for a smoother experience
Version 1.6
Cursor Agent Support:
- Added full support for Cursor Agent running inside Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
- Automatic WSL detection and path conversion for seamless integration
- Comprehensive installation guide displayed when WSL or Cursor Agent is not detected
Improvements:
- Better AI provider persistence across solution changes
- Enhanced provider detection and switching logic
Version 1.5
Behind the Scenes:
- Major code reorganization for better maintainability (split into 13 specialized files)
- Added comprehensive documentation throughout the codebase
- No changes to functionality - everything works exactly the same!
Version 1.4
Stability Improvements:
- Fixed extension re-initialization issue when switching between windows
- Prevents multiple terminal instances from being created
- More reliable overall behavior
Version 1.3
File Management & UI:
- Automatic cleanup of temporary image directories on startup
- Simpler image naming:
image_1.png, image_2.png instead of long timestamps
- Each prompt with images gets its own unique folder to prevent conflicts
- Fixed gear icon (⚙) display in settings button
Version 1.2
Multi-Provider Support:
- Added OpenAI Codex as a second AI assistant option
- Easy switching between Claude Code and Codex via settings menu
- Window title shows which AI provider you're currently using
- Your provider choice is saved between sessions
Version 1.1
Visual & Usability:
- Theme support: Extension now follows Visual Studio's light/dark theme
- Better icon display in the View menu
- Helpful installation instructions if Claude Code is not found
- Fixed image pasting issues
Version 1.0
Initial Release:
Embedded AI assistant terminal right in Visual Studio
Send prompts with Enter (or use Shift+Enter for new lines)
Full image support: paste, drag & drop, or browse for files
Automatic workspace detection when opening solutions
All your preferences saved automatically
Kwown Issues
In rare cases for some machines terminal might lauch outside the extension and
fatal error "Stop code: KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE (0x139)" can happen.
Workaround right now is to run VS.NET as Administrator.
License & Usage
This extension is provided free of charge under the MIT License.
Usage Rights
- Free for All: The extension is free to use for personal, educational, and commercial purposes
- Output Ownership: All prompts, source code, and generated outputs belong to the user
- Internal Use: Commercial organizations may use this extension internally without restriction
Restrictions
- No Reselling: The extension itself may not be sold commercially
- No Unauthorized Clones: Creating derivative extensions requires author permission
Data Handling & Privacy
- Local Storage: Up to 50 prompts are cached locally at
%LocalAppData%\ClaudeCodeExtension\claudecode-settings.json
- Cloud Processing: All prompts are sent to the configured AI provider
- Data Retention: Follows each provider's data usage policy:
- No Third-Party Access: Data is only accessible to the configured model provider
For licensing inquiries or permission requests, please contact the author at dliedke@gmail.com.
Claude Code Extension for Visual Studio - Enhancing your AI-assisted development workflow
Build with the help of Claude Opus 4.5, Claude Code, GPT-5 and Qwen Code
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