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.

In case you enjoy this work and want to support it, you can buy me a coffee here: https://buymeacoffee.com/dliedke - every cup helps fuel development and keep the extension free for everyone!

Any feedback, suggestions, or contributions are also very welcome - feel free to post review here, open issues or submit pull requests in the GitHub repository.

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 YES

🤖 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 CLI integration (Windows native)
• Cursor Agent (WSL): 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. For Opus also possible to select low, medium, high thinking modes

⌨️ 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)
• Claude Skip Permissions State: Remembers whether Claude Code starts with --dangerously-skip-permissions

🎨 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): Cursor Agent CLI installed and accessible via agent in path. Installation instructions are provided automatically if not installed
• For Cursor Agent (WSL): 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

1. Download the latest VSIX package
2. Double-click the VSIX file to install
3. Restart Visual Studio
4. 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, Cursor Agent WSL, 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, Cursor Agent (WSL), 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

1. Open the Tool Window: Navigate to View → Other Windows → Claude Code Extension
2. Select an AI Provider: Click the ⚙ (gear) button and choose your preferred assistant
3. Enter Prompts: Type your questions or requests in the prompt area
4. Attach Files: Paste images/text with Ctrl+V or use the "Add File" button to attach up to five files
5. Send Messages: Press Enter (if enabled) or click the Send button
6. Review Responses: Read responses in the embedded terminal and interact with it directly as needed
7. 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.Option to search, auto-scroll, double click in filename to open, double click in code line to navigate to file

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

AI Provider Menu

• 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 CLI integration (Windows native)
• Cursor Agent (WSL): 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
• Claude Code: Skip Permissions: (Claude providers only) Starts Claude Code with --dangerously-skip-permissions, saves the preference, and reloads Claude Code immediately when changed
• About: View extension version and information

Claude Model Selection Menu

• 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 (Windows): Exits the agent and runs agent update
• Cursor Agent (WSL): 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 6.8

• Fixed 'too many arguments' error when workspace path contains spaces (Issue #11): WSL-based providers (Codex, Claude Code WSL, Cursor Agent WSL) now properly quote the workspace path in cd commands, preventing bash errors when the solution directory contains spaces

Version 6.7 - updated documentation

Version 6.6 - by fooberichu150 contribution

• Fixed Terminal Embedding Without Requiring Windows Console Host: The extension now launches conhost.exe explicitly (with -- cmd.exe ...), bypassing the Windows Terminal delegation mechanism
• Users no longer need to set "Windows Console Host" as their default terminal — Windows Terminal remains the default for all other applications including debug sessions
• Added FindMainWindowHandleByConhostAsync which searches both the conhost PID and its cmd.exe child PID via WMI to reliably find the embedded window handle regardless of Windows backward-compatibility behavior
• Fixed Terminal Embedding on Fresh VS Launch / Solution Change: Replaced WMI-based child process lookup with ToolHelp32 kernel snapshot API (CreateToolhelp32Snapshot) for finding the cmd.exe child PID under conhost.exe
• The WMI one-shot query at T+200ms was too early on busy systems, causing FindMainWindowHandleByConhostAsync to return IntPtr.Zero and the terminal to open as a floating external window instead of being embedded
• ToolHelp32 is sub-millisecond and retried on every poll iteration, reliably finding the child PID regardless of system load
• Fixed Workspace Change for All Providers: OnWorkspaceDirectoryChangedAsync now correctly handles CursorAgentNative, QwenCode, and OpenCode provider availability checks and install instructions on solution open/change

Version 6.5

• Claude Permissions Toggle Added: Added Claude Code: Skip Permissions option to the Code Agent Selection menu (⚙)
  • Starts Claude Code (Windows and WSL) with --dangerously-skip-permissions when enabled
  • Setting is persisted in local JSON settings and restored in the next session
  • Changing this option now reloads Claude Code automatically so the new startup flag applies immediately

Version 6.4

• Double-Click Diff Line to Navigate: Double-clicking a diff code line in the Changes view now opens the file in the Visual Studio editor and navigates to that specific line number

Version 6.3

• Improved Opus Model Selection: Selecting Opus now automatically opens the thinking mode selector
  • Sends /model opus followed by /model to present low, medium, and high thinking effort options

Version 6.2

• Fixed File Attachment for Any File Type: Resolved issue where non-standard file types (e.g., .FIT, .gpx, and other binary/custom formats) were not being included in the AI prompt when attached via "Add File"

Version 6.1

• Major Diff View Performance Fix: Resolved severe Visual Studio slowdowns when the diff view is open with many code changes
  • Moved diff computation to a background thread, eliminating UI freezes during diff processing
  • Made the git status poll timer non-blocking so the UI thread stays responsive during polling cycles
  • Fixed broken change detection that was causing unnecessary full UI rebuilds every 3 seconds
  • Search navigation (Next/Previous match) now updates only the affected lines instead of rebuilding the entire UI
  • Diff panels for collapsed files are now lazily populated, reducing initial render time and memory usage

Version 6.0

• Cursor Agent Native Windows Support: Added native Windows support for Cursor Agent CLI
  • New "Cursor Agent" option in the provider menu for native Windows installation
  • Existing WSL-based Cursor Agent renamed to "Cursor Agent (WSL)" for clarity
  • Automatic detection of agent.exe at %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin\agent.exe or agent.cmd in PATH
  • Installation instructions provided via PowerShell: irm 'https://cursor.com/install?win32=true' | iex
  • Update support via agent update command

Version 5.9

• Improved WSL Path Conversion Logic: Enhanced handling of WSL UNC paths for Claude Code (WSL) and other WSL-based AI providers

Version 5.8

• Fixed WSL Path Conversion Bug: Corrected handling of WSL UNC paths when running Claude Code (WSL) or other WSL-based AI providers
  • Now properly converts \\wsl.localhost\<distro>\path to /path instead of incorrectly converting to /mnt/wsl.localhost/...
  • Also supports legacy \\wsl$\<distro>\path format
  • Maintains correct behavior for Windows drive paths (e.g., C:\ still converts to /mnt/c/)
  • Fixes issue where solutions opened from WSL paths would fail with "No such file or directory" errors

Version 5.7

• Fix encoding issues with diff view: Ensured proper handling of different file encodings to prevent garbled text in diffs
  • Now correctly displays UTF-8, UTF-16, and other common encodings
  • Added fallback logic for unsupported encodings
• Fixed Diff View Auto-Scroll Bug: Resolved issue where auto-scroll could get stuck enabled after rapid file changes
  • Improved state management to ensure auto-scroll toggles correctly
  • Added additional logging for troubleshooting
• Auto stop Auto-Scroll on Manual Scroll: Auto-scroll now immediately disables when the user manually scrolls the diff view
  • Prevents conflicts between automatic and manual scrolling
  • Enhances user control over the diff view experience

Version 5.6

• Improved Diff View Performance: Enhanced performance for large repositories with many changed files
  • Reduced CPU and memory usage during git polling
  • Optimized diff rendering for faster updates
• Search Functionality in Diff View: Added search box to find specific changes quickly
  • Type keywords to quickly locate specific code in the diff list
  • Supports partial matches and case-insensitive search
  • Enter to search and Shift+Enter for last search

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:
  • Anthropic/Claude Code
  • OpenAI/Codex
  • Cursor
  • Qwen Code
  • Open Code
• No Third-Party Access: Data is only accessible to the configured model provider

Contact

For licensing inquiries or permission requests, please contact the author at dliedke@gmail.com.

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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