Getting Started

Get up and running with Calliope IDE in minutes.

Launching the IDE

1. Go to the Hub at calliope.ai
2. Click IDE from the dashboard
3. Your workspace opens with AI ready to help

Interface Overview

The IDE is built on VS Code with added AI panels:

• Left: File explorer, search, source control
• Center: Code editor with syntax highlighting
• Right: AI Chat panel (Calliope AI Agent)
• Bottom: Terminal, problems, output

First Steps

1. Open a File

Use the file explorer or press Cmd/Ctrl + P to quick-open any file.

2. Open AI Chat

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + A or click the chat icon in the right panel.

3. Ask a Question

Try these starter prompts:

• “Explain this codebase”
• “What does this file do?”
• “Help me understand the project structure”

4. Get Code Help

Select code and press Cmd/Ctrl + I for inline AI assistance, or right-click for AI actions:

• Explain with Calliope
• Fix with Calliope
• Generate Documentation
• Generate Tests

Chat vs Agent Mode

Chat Mode - Conversational help

• Ask questions
• Get explanations
• Discuss approaches

Agent Mode - Autonomous execution

• Edit files
• Run commands
• Build features

Switch modes using the dropdown in the AI panel.

Choosing a Model

Click the model selector to choose:

• Claude Sonnet 4.5 - Best balance of speed and quality
• Claude Haiku 4.5 - Fastest responses
• Codestral/Devstral - Optimized for code
• GPT-4o - OpenAI’s flagship

Your First AI Task

1. Open any code file
2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + A
3. Type: “Add error handling to this function”
4. Review the suggestion
5. Click to apply or modify

Essential Shortcuts

Next Steps

• AI Features - Deep dive into AI capabilities
• Autonomous Agents - Let AI build features for you
• Amplifier - Access 30+ specialized agents
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete reference