AI IDE
Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks

Get the most out of Calliope IDE with these productivity tips.

AI Tips

Be Specific in Prompts 

❌ "Fix this code"
✅ "Fix the null pointer exception in the handleSubmit function"
❌ "Add tests"
✅ "Add unit tests for the UserService class covering edge cases"

Use @mentions for Context

Reference files directly in chat:

@src/auth/login.ts Why is the token validation failing?

Let Agent Mode Do the Work

For multi-file changes, switch to Agent Mode:

  1. Click the mode dropdown
  2. Select “Agent”
  3. Describe the full task
  4. Let it edit files autonomously

Use One-Shot for New Features

Instead of chatting step-by-step:

  1. Open Agents → One-Shot
  2. Describe the complete feature
  3. Set completion criteria
  4. Click Start Agent

Editor Tips

Multi-Cursor Editing

Add cursors with Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down or Cmd/Ctrl + Click.

Edit multiple lines simultaneously:

# Select all occurrences: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L
user_name = "Alice"
user_email = "alice@example.com"
user_role = "admin"

Quick Navigation

  • Cmd/Ctrl + P → Type filename
  • Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + O → Jump to symbol
  • Cmd/Ctrl + G → Go to line number
  • F12 → Go to definition

Zen Mode

Enter distraction-free mode:

  • Cmd/Ctrl + K Z or Command Palette → “Toggle Zen Mode”
  • Press Escape Escape to exit

Split Editors

Work on multiple files side-by-side:

  • Cmd/Ctrl + \ → Split right
  • Drag tabs to arrange
  • Cmd/Ctrl + 1/2/3 → Focus editor group

Code Tips

Right-Click AI Actions

Select code, right-click, and choose:

  • Explain - Understand complex code
  • Fix - Auto-fix issues
  • Generate Tests - Create test cases
  • Refactor - Improve structure

Inline AI Edits

  1. Place cursor or select code
  2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + I
  3. Type instruction: “add error handling”
  4. Tab to accept, Escape to reject

Stream Edits

Watch AI edit in real-time:

  1. Right-click → “Stream Calliope Edit”
  2. See changes as they’re made
  3. Accept or reject when done

Terminal Tips

Multiple Terminals

  • Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ` → New terminal
  • Click the + icon for more
  • Name terminals for organization

Split Terminal

Cmd/Ctrl + \ in terminal to split horizontally.

Terminal Profiles

Set up different shells:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Search “terminal profiles”
  3. Add bash, zsh, PowerShell, etc.

Git Tips

Stage Specific Lines

  1. Open Source Control (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + G)
  2. Click a changed file
  3. Select lines in the diff
  4. Right-click → “Stage Selected Ranges”

Inline Blame

See who changed each line:

  • Command Palette → “Git: Toggle Inline Blame”

Quick Commit

  • Stage with Cmd/Ctrl + Enter
  • Commit with Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Enter

Workspace Tips

Workspace Trust

For new folders, click “Trust” to enable full functionality including AI features.

Sync Settings

Keep settings across devices:

  1. Sign in with your account
  2. Enable Settings Sync
  3. Choose what to sync

Custom Snippets

Create code snippets:

  1. Command Palette → “Configure User Snippets”
  2. Choose language
  3. Add your snippets

Example:

{
  "Console Log": {
    "prefix": "cl",
    "body": "console.log('$1', $2);",
    "description": "Console log with label"
  }
}

Performance Tips

Large Files

For big files, AI may be slow. Try:

  • Select specific sections
  • Ask about specific functions
  • Use the file’s table of contents

Many Open Tabs

Close unused tabs:

  • Cmd/Ctrl + K W → Close all tabs
  • Right-click tab → “Close Others”

Extension Management

Disable unused extensions:

  1. Open Extensions (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X)
  2. Click gear on unused extensions
  3. Select “Disable”

Hidden Features

Command Palette Search

Type > for commands, @ for symbols, # for global symbols, : for line numbers.

Breadcrumbs

Enable file path breadcrumbs:

  • View → Show Breadcrumbs
  • Click to navigate

Minimap

The code minimap on the right:

  • Click to jump
  • Drag to scroll
  • Hide in Settings if distracting

Sticky Scroll

Keep function/class headers visible:

  • Settings → “Editor: Sticky Scroll”
  • Enable for easier navigation

AI Councils Pro Tips

Get Multiple Opinions

Use councils for important decisions:

  • Architecture choices → Architecture Decision council
  • Security concerns → Add security-architect
  • Performance questions → Add performance-profiler

Custom Councils for Your Team

Create councils matching your workflow:

  • “PR Review” - Your standard reviewers
  • “Design Review” - Architecture + UX perspective
  • “Ship It” - Quick sanity check
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