Claude Code Extension for Visual Studio

A Visual Studio extension that provides seamless integration with Claude Code, OpenAI Codex or Cursor Agent 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
Provider Switching: Easy dropdown menu to switch between providers
Smart Detection: Automatic detection and installation instructions for each AI tool

⌨️ 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

🖼️ Image Support

Clipboard Paste: Use Ctrl+V to paste images from clipboard in the prompt area
File Browser: Click "Add Image" to select images from file system
Image Chips: Visual representation of attached images with remove functionality

🔧 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

🎨 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 17.14 or later
Windows operating system
For Claude Code (Windows): Claude Pro or better paid subscription + Claude Code CLI installed and accessible via claude.cmd 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

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

In case terminal is opening in a new window and not inside the extension: Open windows settings, search for "Terminal settings", change Terminal option to "Windows Console Host".

Quick Start

First Time Setup: Ensure your preferred AI provider (Claude Code, Claude Code WSL, OpenAI Codex, or Cursor Agent) is installed and accessible
Open Tool Window: View → Other Windows → Claude Code Extension
Choose AI Provider: Click the ⚙ (gear) button to select between Claude Code, Claude Code (WSL), Codex, and Cursor Agent
Start Chatting: Type your prompt and press Enter
Add Images: Use Ctrl+V to paste or click "Add Image" button
Customize: Toggle "Send with Enter" and adjust layout as needed

Usage

Open the Tool Window: Navigate to View → Other Windows → Claude Code Extension
Select AI Provider: Click the ⚙ (gear) button and choose your preferred AI assistant
Enter Prompts: Type your questions or requests in the prompt area
Add Images: Drag & drop, paste, or use the "Add Image" button
Send Messages: Press Enter (if enabled) or click the Send button
View Responses: See AI responses in the embedded terminal below and also interact with it directly

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 (runs inside WSL)
About: View extension version and information

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 between Visual Studio sessions

Updating Your AI Agent

The extension includes a convenient Update Agent button (🔄️) that automatically 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

Simply click the update button and the extension will handle the entire update process for you. All agents now use a consistent exit command before updating.

Version History

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 2022 as Administrator.

License & Usage

** IMPORTANT NOTICE**

This extension is proprietary software. Unauthorized cloning, copying, modification, or distribution is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from the author.

Restrictions

No cloning or forking of source code
No modification or derivative works
No redistribution or commercial use
No reverse engineering

Permissions

For licensing inquiries or permission requests, please contact the author.

Claude Code Extension for Visual Studio - Enhancing your AI-assisted development workflow

Build with the help of Claude Opus 4.1, Claude Code and GPT-5

dliedke/ClaudeCodeExtension