VS Code

The AlbertCode extension brings the same agent into VS Code: a chat panel in the activity bar, plans and diffs in the editor, and every setting in the command palette. It uses the AlbertCode installed on your computer, so install AlbertCode first.

Install the extension

1. Install AlbertCode (Installation) and run albertcode once in a terminal, so its service is running.
2. Download albertcode-<version>.vsix from the latest release.
3. In VS Code, open Extensions, then ⋯ → Install from VSIX…, and choose the file.
4. The AlbertCode icon appears in the activity bar. Click it to open the panel.

Update the extension the same way when you update AlbertCode: the two are released together.

The panel

┌ ● Ready · notes                         ☰ Chats  + New chat ┐
│                                                           │
│   the conversation: questions, answers, plans, steps,     │
│   results and approvals                                   │
│                                                           │
│ ┌ Governed │ Direct │ Ask only ┐  (Ask each write │ Auto-approve) │
│ │ Ask, or describe a change…                     ⏎      │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

• The status line says whether the service is reachable and which folder Albert works in.
• Chats lists your conversations; New chat starts one. A run keeps going when you start a new chat: its row in Chats shows when it is done or waiting for you.
• Governed, Direct and Ask only choose the mode. In Direct, Ask each write or Auto-approve says how writes are approved.
• The message box: Enter sends. Paste or drop files and screenshots to attach them.

Plans and results open in the editor, where you can read them in full, and the decision waits in the panel beside them:

See Chatting with Albert for what each one does.

Choosing the folder

Albert works in the folder open in VS Code: with several open, the one holding the file you are editing, else the first. To work in another folder or a subfolder, right-click it in the Explorer and choose AlbertCode SWE Agent: Open Here.

Slash commands in the panel

Commands

Open the command palette (Ctrl/⌘ Shift P) and type AlbertCode. The panel's title bar has the most used ones in its ⋯ menu.

Settings

When it can't reach AlbertCode

The status line says Service unreachable: run albertcode once in a terminal to start the service, then run Developer: Reload Window. After updating AlbertCode, reload the window too. See Troubleshooting.