You'll be running Claude Code inside VS Code. This explains every piece of jargon you'll meet — terminal, CLI, Node, npm, npx — in plain English, and shows exactly where each lives on the VS Code screen. Companion to the AI & Claude Glossary.
The Big Picture (read this once)
Think of it as a kitchen:
- VS Code = the kitchen. The app you open; everything happens inside it.
- The terminal = the prep counter where you type commands instead of clicking buttons.
- Node = the stove — the engine that runs the tools. Many tools (including Claude Code) need it installed once.
- npm / npx = the pantry & delivery — how you install and run those tools.
- Claude Code = the chef you invite to the counter by typing
claude.
You will not be "coding." You'll mostly type a few setup commands once, then talk to Claude in plain English in the terminal. The jargon below is just so nothing on screen is a mystery.
The Vocabulary
| VS Code (Visual Studio Code) | Microsoft's free code editor — the main window you work in. It holds your files, an editor, and a built-in terminal, all in one app. (Note: "Visual Studio Code" is different from the heavier "Visual Studio" — you want VS Code.) |
| Terminal (a.k.a. shell, console, command line) | A text box where you type commands instead of clicking. You type a line, press Enter, it runs. VS Code has one built in — you don't need a separate app. The blinking spot waiting for input is the prompt. |
| Command line / CLI (Command-Line Interface) | Any tool you operate by typing commands rather than clicking a graphical interface. Claude Code is a CLI — you run it by typing, in the terminal. (Opposite of a GUI, the click-and-button kind.) |
| Command | One typed instruction, e.g. claude or npm install. The first word is the tool; the rest are options. |
| Node.js (just "Node") | An engine that runs JavaScript-based tools on your computer. You install it once; lots of developer tools — Claude Code, the HubSpot CLI — need it present to run. Think "the stove the tools cook on." |
| npm (Node Package Manager) | Comes with Node. It installs tools (called "packages") and keeps them updated. npm install -g some-tool installs a tool so you can use it anywhere. The -g means "global" (available everywhere, not just one folder). |
| npx | A sibling of npm that runs a tool once without permanently installing it. Handy for "just try this." (Mnemonic: npm = install, npx = execute.) |
| Package | A pre-built tool you install with npm (e.g. Claude Code, the HubSpot CLI). Like an app from an app store, but for the terminal. |
| Extension | An add-on inside VS Code itself (installed from VS Code's Extensions panel, not the terminal). Claude Code also offers a VS Code extension that adds buttons/panels alongside the typed version. |
The relationship in one line: you install Node once → Node gives you npm → you use npm to install Claude Code → you run Claude Code by typing
claudein the terminal inside VS Code.
Where Everything Is in VS Code
The VS Code window has five regions. Here's the map and what each is for:
this is where file contents show
claude here| Region | Where | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Activity Bar | Far-left vertical strip of icons | Switches the sidebar's mode: Files, Search, Source Control (git), Extensions, etc. |
| Explorer / Sidebar | Left panel | The file tree — your folders and files. Click one to open it in the editor. |
| Editor | Big center area | Where file contents appear and get edited. Tabs across the top = open files. |
| Terminal | Bottom panel (you open it — see below) | Where you run Claude Code and any command. This is the one you'll live in. |
| Status Bar | Thin strip along the very bottom | Shows your git branch, errors/warnings count, and other live info. |
| Command Palette | Pops up center-top (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P) | Type-to-find any VS Code action — a searchable menu for everything. |
Opening the Terminal (the part you'll use most)
- Menu: top menu bar → Terminal → New Terminal
- Shortcut:
Ctrl + `(the backtick key, top-left of the keyboard, under Esc) — same on Mac and Windows
A panel opens at the bottom with a prompt waiting. It already starts inside your project folder, so Claude Code sees your files automatically. To check Node and npm are installed, type these and press Enter — each should print a version number:
node --version
npm --versionIf either says "command not found," Node isn't installed yet — that's the one-time setup step (download from
nodejs.org). Once both print a version, you're ready.
Where Claude Code Fits In
Claude Code is a CLI tool you run in that bottom terminal panel. The typical flow:
| 1. Install (once) | npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code — uses npm to put Claude Code on your machine, available everywhere (-g). |
| 2. Open your project | In VS Code: File → Open Folder, pick your project. The terminal will start there. |
| 3. Start Claude | In the terminal, type claude and press Enter. Now you just talk to it in plain English. |
| 4. (Optional) The extension | Install the Claude Code extension from VS Code's Extensions panel for a richer side-panel experience alongside the typed version. |
Two ways to use Claude Code, same tool: (1) typed in the terminal (
claude), or (2) the VS Code extension with buttons and a side panel. Start with whichever feels comfortable — most people end up using both.
Cheat Sheet
| You hear / see… | It means… |
|---|---|
node --version | "Is the engine installed?" → prints a number if yes |
npm install -g X | "Install tool X everywhere on my machine" |
npx X | "Run tool X once, without installing it permanently" |
claude | "Start Claude Code" (in the terminal) |
| "Open a terminal" | Bottom panel in VS Code — Ctrl + ` |
| "the CLI" | The typed, command-line way of using a tool (vs. clicking) |
| "the Explorer" | The file list on the left |
| "the Command Palette" | Search-any-action menu — Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P |
The one-paragraph version: VS Code is the app. Inside it, the terminal (bottom panel,
Ctrl + `) is where you type commands. Node is the engine that runs developer tools; it comes with npm (installs tools) and npx (runs them once). Claude Code is one of those tools — a CLI you install with npm and start by typingclaude. The file list is the Explorer on the left; your files open in the Editor in the middle. That's the whole map.