30 vscode integration

Module 30: VS Code Integration

Run your Java ACP agent in VS Code using the community vscode-acp extension.

What You’ll Learn

• Installing the vscode-acp extension
• Creating a PATH-discoverable wrapper script
• The differences between VS Code, Zed, and JetBrains ACP configuration

Prerequisites

• VS Code installed
• Java 17+

The Agent

Same code as Modules 28-29. No code changes needed for different editors.

Build and Configure

1. Install the vscode-acp extension

code --install-extension omercnet.vscode-acp

Or search “VSCode ACP” in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X).

2. Build the JAR

./mvnw package -pl module-30-vscode-integration -q

3. Create a wrapper script

The extension auto-detects agents from your PATH. Create a wrapper:

Linux/macOS:

cat > ~/.local/bin/java-tutorial-agent << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
exec java -jar /absolute/path/to/vscode-agent.jar "$@"
EOF

chmod +x ~/.local/bin/java-tutorial-agent

Replace /absolute/path/to/vscode-agent.jar with the output of:

realpath module-30-vscode-integration/target/vscode-agent.jar

Windows: Create %USERPROFILE%\bin\java-tutorial-agent.cmd:

@echo off
java -jar C:\path\to\vscode-agent.jar %*

4. Use in VS Code

Click the VSCode ACP icon in the Activity Bar, click Connect, select your agent.

Configuration Comparison

IDE	Configuration	Discovery
Zed	settings.json — direct command + args	Explicit in settings
JetBrains	~/.jetbrains/acp.json — direct command + args	Explicit in config file
VS Code	PATH wrapper script	Auto-detected from PATH

The same agent JAR works across all three editors. The only difference is how each editor finds and launches the agent.

Native VS Code Support

VS Code does not have native ACP support yet. Microsoft is tracking it in Issue #265496. The community extension provides ACP functionality until native support arrives.

Source Code

View on GitHub

Running the Example

./mvnw package -pl module-30-vscode-integration -q
./mvnw exec:java -pl module-30-vscode-integration