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Get VS Code (+ agent mode)

Visual Studio Code is the editor most of these projects assume. Its built-in Copilot Chat agent mode can plan multi-step changes, edit files, and run terminal commands directly in the editor. Or drive the same project with the Claude Code / Codex extensions instead.

Install

Download the macOS build (Intel/Apple silicon/Universal .dmg) from code.visualstudio.com/download, or:

brew install --cask visual-studio-code

Using its agent

1. Open your project folder in VS Code.
2. Open the Chat view (⌘⇧I on macOS) and switch the mode dropdown to Agent.
3. Describe the task. For these projects, paste the brief from Foundations, Clinical Application, or Basic Science. Agent mode will propose file edits and terminal commands; review each before applying.
4. Prefer a different agent? Install the Claude Code or Codex extension from the Marketplace and it runs inside the same editor.

Copilot Chat features worth knowing

• Inline chat (Ctrl+I) edits code right where your cursor is, without leaving the file: faster than the sidebar for a one-line fix.
• #-mentions pull specific files, folders, or symbols into context; #codebase searches the whole project instead of just what's open.
• ! in chat runs a terminal command directly from the conversation.
• Diff checkpoints: every agent edit is reviewable and revertible, so you can roll back a step without losing the rest of the session.
• Multiple parallel sessions keep separate conversation histories if you're working more than one task at once.

Full docs: code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat.

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