cline

Getting Started with Cline: A Beginner’s Guide

Edgar Hotmann

— 2 min read
Getting Started with Cline: A Beginner’s Guide

🔖 Prerequisites

  1. Visual Studio Code installed (version ≥1.70)
  2. (Optional) An account at cline.ai or openrouter.ai
  3. Basic familiarity with the VS Code interface (panels, command palette)

1. Install the Cline VS Code Extension

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Click the Extensions icon (or press Ctrl+Shift+X).
  3. Search for “Cline” and look for the official extension by Cline AI.
  4. Click Install, then Reload when prompted.
🚀 Tip: Once installed, you’ll see a Cline icon in your Activity Bar (left sidebar).

2. Authenticate Your Cline Account (Optional)

  1. In VS Code, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or ⇧⌘P on Mac).
  2. Type and select “Cline: Sign In”.
  3. A browser window will open—log in with your credentials (Cline AI or OpenRouter).
  4. After successful authentication, return to VS Code.

Note: Depending on the provider, some functionality may work without authentication, but having an account unlocks full capabilities.

3. Run Your First Cline Prompt from the Activity Bar

  1. In VS Code, locate the Cline icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar) and click it.
  2. You’ll see a simple prompt input field at the top.
  3. Press Enter or click the Run button next to the input field.
  4. Cline will display the generated response right within the Cline panel.

Enter your prompt—for example:

Generate a simple PowerShell script to list all files in a directory
✏️ Noob note: This method lets you quickly test prompts without needing a dedicated .cline file.

4. Insert AI-Generated Snippets into Your Project

Once you have your snippet:

  1. Copy the generated code.
  2. Create a new script file (e.g., list-files.ps1).
  3. Paste the snippet and save.
  4. Run your script using the appropriate tool (e.g., PowerShell on Windows).

5. Customize Your Cline Settings

To fine-tune your experience:

  1. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,).
  2. Search for “Cline”.
  3. Adjust settings like:
    • Model (choose between different AI models)
    • Temperature (controls creativity)
    • Max Tokens (controls response length)

These let you control how precise or creative the output is.

🎉 Great job! You’re now set up to use Cline in Visual Studio Code. Start experimenting with different prompts and languages, and stay tuned for more in-depth guides!

6. What’s Next

In upcoming tutorials, we’ll cover:

  • Using Git in VS Code
  • Scripting with different languages (PowerShell, Python, Node.js, etc.)
  • Advanced prompt engineering with Cline

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