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From the VS Code terminal

How to move from VS Code's terminal to Mel, or use Mel's agent inside VS Code.

How do I move from the VS Code terminal to Mel? You have two good options, and they work together. Use Mel as your terminal for running commands and long agent tasks, and add the Mel extension for VS Code to talk to the same agent beside your editor. Mel doesn't read VS Code's settings, so set the few things below by hand.

Option 1: use Mel next to VS Code

  1. Install Mel from the download page. See Installation.
  2. Open your project. In a Mel pane, cd into the folder you have open in VS Code. Mel runs your own shell with your startup files, so the same tools and PATH work.
  3. Keep the layout you're used to. Split the window (Ctrl+Shift+D right, Ctrl+Shift+E down; ⌘D and ⌘⇧D on a Mac) for a server in one pane and commands in another, and save it as a tab config so it opens the same way every time.
  4. Run your tasks. Commands you ran from VS Code's terminal run the same way in Mel.
  5. Hand work to the agent. Press Ctrl+Enter (⌘Enter on a Mac) and describe the task. Mel's agent reads your code, edits files and runs commands in that folder, and asks before every change.
  6. Review changes. Mel's code review panel (Ctrl+Shift+=, ⌘⇧= on a Mac) shows every change against git. Or look at the same changes in VS Code's own source control view: they're ordinary files on disk.

Option 2: Mel's agent inside VS Code

  1. Install Mel for VS Code (mel.openmel) from the VS Code Marketplace or Open VSX.
  2. Open the Mel app once and sign in. The extension uses that session.
  3. Open the Mel view in the activity bar and start a conversation, or press Ctrl+Alt+M (⌘⌥M on a Mac).

Diffs open in VS Code's diff editor, and a conversation you start in VS Code is in the Mel app too. See VS Code extension.

Set by hand

In VS CodeIn Mel
Terminal font sizeSettings ▸ Appearance ▸ Font size
Colour themeSettings ▸ Appearance ▸ Theme (eight themes, dark and light)
Terminal cursor styleSettings ▸ Appearance ▸ Text cursor
KeybindingsSettings ▸ Keyboard shortcuts
Default shell profileMel uses your login shell ($SHELL); on Windows, Command Prompt
Workspace tasks.jsonA tab config or a workflow for commands you run often

What's different

  • Blocks: each command and its output is one unit you can select, copy, filter and attach to an agent message.
  • Clickable paths: Ctrl+Click (⌘-click) a path in the output to open it. See Files & links.
  • A built-in editor for quick fixes without switching windows: /open-file opens any project file. See Built-in editor.
  • Many agents at once: each tab can hold its own agent, and the Runs screen (Ctrl+Shift+M, ⌃⇧M on a Mac) lists them all.

FAQ

Do I have to stop using VS Code? No. Mel works next to it, and the extension brings Mel's agent into it.

Does the VS Code extension cost extra? No. It runs on your Mel plan, through the Mel app on your computer.

Will the agent and I edit the same files? Yes, the agent edits the real files in your folder, so VS Code shows its changes as they land. Mel asks before every edit and shows the diff first.