Claude Code in VS Code - Installation & Usage Guide

Set up Claude Code in VS Code. This AI coding assistant understands your codebase, writes code, debugs issues, and integrates with your development workflow. Prompts used in this tutorial: https://gist.github.com/NDCSwift/8a25375dc856b67af0775db8141e5665 In this tutorial: - Install Claude Code extension for VS Code - Create Claude.md for codebase understanding - Generate code with AI assistance - Debug features with Claude - Terminal workflow for advanced users - MCP server setup (optional power user feature) ⚠️ Requirements: - Claude Pro subscription ($20/month for API access) - VS Code installed - Mac or Windows (instructions for both) ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:16 - Claude Pricing & Requirments 00:35 - Installing extension 01:10 - Accessing Claude & Login 01:45 - Create Claude.md (Codebase Context) 04:00 - Demo: Debug a Feature 05:44 - Demo: Generate Code 07:50 - Usage 08:20 - Terminal Workflow (Advanced) 09:27 - MCP Servers (Power Users) 11:02 - Wrap-up 🛠️ Installation Commands: Mac/Linux: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash Mac (Homebrew alternative): brew install --cask claude-code Windows (PowerShell): irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex 🔗 Resources: - Claude Pro: https://claude.com/pricing - Claude Code Extension: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=anthropic.claude-code - Visual Studio Code: https://code.visualstudio.com - MCP Server Docs: https://modelcontextprotocol.io - Claude Terminal Install: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup#native-install-recommended - Claude Usage: https://claude.ai/settings/usage 💡 Common Use Cases: - Understanding unfamiliar codebases - Generating boilerplate code - Debugging cryptic errors - Refactoring legacy code - Writing unit tests - Documentation generation 🎯 Why Claude Code Over Other AI Assistants: - Deep codebase understanding via Claude.md - Context-aware suggestions (not just autocomplete) - Works with any language (Swift, Python, JavaScript, etc.) - MCP servers for tool integration - No lock-in (uses standard VS Code) ⚡ Pro Tips: - Keep Claude.md updated as your project evolves - Use specific prompts ("Add error handling to this function") - Review AI-generated code before committing - MCP servers unlock file system, Git, and custom tools