Getting Started

Cline automates coding tasks in VS Code with Plan and Act modes. The tool connects to OpenAI-compatible APIs including AskCodi to handle complex, multi-step development tasks with minimal human oversight.

How Cline works

Plan Mode creates detailed implementation plans before execution. Cline analyzes your codebase and presents exact file changes. Review plans before any code modifications.

Act Mode executes planned changes across your codebase. It modifies multiple files, creates components, and updates dependencies in one go.

Install Cline

1. Open VS Code marketplace
2. Search for saoudrizwan.claude-dev
3. Install and reload VS Code
4. Find Cline in sidebar with Plan/Act modes

Give Cline read/write permissions to your codebase for full analysis.

Plan Mode for complex tasks

Use Plan Mode first for these tasks:

• Feature implementation across multiple files
• Code refactoring strategies
• Architecture changes
• Dependency updates

Plan Mode shows exactly which files will change and how. Approve the plan before implementation begins.

Act Mode for direct changes

Act Mode handles tasks directly:

• Simple code generation
• Bug fixes
• Code improvements
• Direct implementation when confident

The mode keeps context of your cursor position and selected code.

Plan Mode best practices

Be specific. State requirements clearly with outcomes and constraints.

Review plans. Check that plans address requirements and won't break other parts of your codebase.

Iterate quickly. Generate new plans if the first one doesn't match expectations. Planning costs less than implementation.

Map dependencies. Show how changes might affect other application parts in the plan.

Act Mode best practices

Start small. Use simple tasks first to understand how Cline interprets requests.

Use Git. Version control lets you revert changes if needed.

Test implementations. Check that Act Mode changes function as expected.

Monitor quality. Review code for security vulnerabilities and performance issues.

Why Cline beats regular AI tools

Cline plans and executes multi-step changes independently. It saves development time while maintaining code quality through:

• Plan Mode transparency over AI changes
• Full codebase context awareness
• Coordinated changes across files

Regular AI tools only handle isolated code sections.

Common use cases

• Features: Plan and implement across multiple files with consistent patterns
• Refactoring: Plan comprehensive changes and execute consistently
• Bugs: Fix issues that span multiple files with coordinated changes
• Modernization: Update codebases systematically to new patterns
• Integrations: Connect application parts or external services

Version control setup

Cline works with Git to understand commit history and file changes.

Review Act Mode diffs before committing. Use feature branches for testing changes before merging to main.

Key takeaways

• Plan Mode for planning, Act Mode for execution
• Extension ID: saoudrizwan.claude-dev
• Works with OpenAI-compatible APIs
• Requires VS Code with read/write permissions
• Best for multi-step automation tasks

Next steps

Install Cline and run Plan Mode with a complex task from your current project. Review the plan before letting Act Mode implement changes.

What's the first complex task you'd automate with Plan and Act modes?