Integrate APIMart with Cline in VSCode

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Introduction

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Prerequisites

1. Visual Studio Code is installed
   Download and install VSCode from the official website
2. Cline extension is installed
   Search for “Cline” in the VSCode extension marketplace and install it
3. APIMart API key obtained
   Log in to the APIMart Console to get your API key (starts with sk-)

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Step 1: Install Cline Extension

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1.1 Open Extension Marketplace

1. Click the Extensions icon in the left activity bar (or press Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
2. Type Cline in the search box
3. Find the Cline extension (by Cline)
4. Click the Install button

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1.2 Verify Installation

1. The Cline icon (robot head) will appear in the left activity bar
2. Click the icon to open the Cline sidebar
3. On first open, you’ll see the welcome message “Hi, I’m Cline”
4. Two options are displayed:
   • Get Started for Free - Use the official free trial
   • Use your own API key - Use your own API key

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Step 2: Configure APIMart API

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2.1 Choose to Use Your Own API Key

1. Click the Use your own API key button
2. This will open the API configuration interface

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2.2 Configure API Provider

1. Expand the API Configuration section
2. Select OpenAI Compatible from the API Provider dropdown
3. This will display OpenAI compatible configuration options

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2.3 Fill in API Configuration

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2.4 Save Configuration

1. Click the Done button in the top right corner
2. Configuration is saved automatically
3. Cline will immediately connect to APIMart using the new configuration
4. Return to the Cline main interface, showing “What can I do for you?”

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Step 3: Choose the Right Model

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Recommended Models

• gpt-5 ⭐ Latest model, highest code generation quality
  • Suitable for: Complex algorithms, architecture design, code refactoring
  • Features: Strong comprehension, high code quality
• gpt-4o High-performance model
  • Suitable for: Daily development, code review, bug fixing
  • Features: Fast, stable quality
• gpt-4o-mini 💰 Cost-effective
  • Suitable for: Simple code generation, comment writing, documentation
  • Features: Great value, quick response

• claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
  • Suitable for: Complex logical reasoning, algorithm optimization
  • Features: Excellent reasoning, great for complex problems
• claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
  • Suitable for: Quick code completion, simple Q&A
  • Features: Extremely fast, low cost

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Switching Models

1. Find the model button below the input box (shows current model, e.g., openai-compatible:clau...)
2. Click this button to switch models
3. Or modify the Model ID field in settings
4. Changes take effect immediately, no VSCode restart needed

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Step 4: Start Using Cline

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4.1 Basic Conversation

1. The Cline main interface will show “What can I do for you?”
2. Enter your request in the input box at the bottom (shows “Type your task here…”)
3. For example: “Create a function to calculate the Fibonacci sequence”
4. Press Enter to send
5. AI will analyze your request, generate code, and can apply it directly to your project
6. Each step’s progress is displayed in the sidebar

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4.2 Code Generation

Please create a JavaScript function to validate email address format

Help me implement a user login form with email and password inputs using React Hooks

Write unit tests for the calculateTotal function using Jest

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4.3 Code Explanation and Improvement

1. Select the code you want to process in the editor
2. Right-click to see Cline options:
   • Explain with Cline - Explain the code’s functionality and logic
   • Improve with Cline - Optimize and improve the code
3. Select the corresponding action
4. Cline will display analysis results and improvement suggestions in the sidebar

Refactor this code to improve readability and performance

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4.4 Bug Debugging

1. Send error messages or problematic code to Cline
2. For example: “This code throws an error: TypeError: Cannot read property ‘name’ of undefined”
3. AI will analyze the problem and provide solutions
4. You can apply the fix directly

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4.5 Code Explanation

1. Select a difficult-to-understand code snippet
2. Type in Cline: “Explain what this code does”
3. AI will provide a detailed explanation and how it works

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4.6 Documentation Generation

Add JSDoc comments to this function

Generate a README.md file for this project

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Advanced Features

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Multi-file Operations

1. Create multiple files:
   Copy

   Create a complete Express.js API with routes, controllers, and model files
   
2. Batch modifications:
   Copy

   Replace all var with const or let in the project
   
3. Project refactoring:
   Copy

   Migrate this project from JavaScript to TypeScript
   

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Terminal Command Execution

1. Install dependencies:
   Copy

   Install axios and dotenv packages
   
2. Run scripts:
   Copy

   Run npm test
   
3. Git operations:
   Copy

   Create a Git commit with the message "feat: add user authentication"
   

1. Cline will display “Cline wants to execute this command:” in the sidebar
2. Shows the specific command (e.g., gcc fibonacci.c -o fibonacci.exe)
3. Two buttons appear at the bottom:
   • Run Command - Execute the command
   • Reject - Refuse to execute
4. After clicking “Run Command”, the command runs in the integrated terminal
5. Results are displayed in both the terminal and Cline sidebar

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Context Management

• Current file context: Automatically includes the file being edited
• Selected code context: Automatically includes code snippets you select
• Project structure context: Understands your project structure
• Error message context: Automatically captures terminal error messages

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Custom Prompts

1. Find Custom Instructions in Cline settings
2. Add your preferences, for example:
   Copy

   - Use TypeScript instead of JavaScript
   - Follow Airbnb code style
   - Use arrow function syntax
   - Prefer functional programming style
   
3. AI will follow these instructions in all interactions

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FAQ

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Q1: Cline says API key is invalid?

1. Check API Key format:
   • Confirm the API Key starts with sk-
   • Ensure it’s copied completely without extra spaces
2. Check Base URL:
   • Must be https://api.apimart.ai/v1
   • Note the /v1 suffix
3. Verify key validity:
   • Check key status at APIMart Console
   • Confirm sufficient account balance
4. Reconfigure:
   • Delete existing configuration
   • Re-enter API Key and Base URL

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Q2: Cline responds slowly?

1. Switch to a faster model:
   • Use gpt-4o-mini or claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
   • These models respond faster
2. Reduce context length:
   • Avoid sending very long code at once
   • Break large tasks into smaller ones
3. Check network connection:
   • Ensure stable network
   • Consider using a proxy server
4. Optimize request content:
   • Ask more specific questions
   • Avoid vague or overly broad questions

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Q3: Cline generates low-quality code?

1. Use higher-quality models:
   • Switch to gpt-5 or claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
   • These models produce higher quality code
2. Provide more detailed requirements:
   • Clearly state expected implementation
   • Provide example code or references
   • Specify tech stack and framework versions
3. Use custom instructions:
   • Add code standards in settings
   • Specify coding style and best practices
4. Iterative optimization:
   • Have multiple conversation rounds with AI
   • Gradually improve code quality

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Q4: How to manage API usage costs?

1. Choose appropriate models:
   • Use gpt-4o-mini for daily development
   • Use gpt-5 for complex tasks
2. Optimize question approach:
   • Be as specific as possible
   • Avoid repeating the same questions
3. Use code selection:
   • Only select the code portion that needs processing
   • Avoid sending entire file context
4. Monitor usage:
   • Regularly check the APIMart Console
   • Understand API call frequency and costs

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Q5: Cline can’t access certain files?

1. Check file permissions:
   • Ensure files have read/write permissions
   • Especially on Linux/macOS systems
2. Check .gitignore:
   • Cline ignores files in .gitignore by default
   • You can adjust this behavior in settings
3. Workspace settings:
   • Ensure files are within the VSCode workspace
   • Check workspace trust settings
4. Reload VSCode:
   • Use Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P
   • Run the “Reload Window” command

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Usage Tips

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1. Leverage Context Fully

I have an Express.js project using MongoDB database.
Please help me create a user authentication system including registration, login, and JWT token verification.
Project structure is:
- src/models/
- src/controllers/
- src/routes/
- src/middleware/

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2. Incremental Development

Step 1: Create the basic user model
Step 2: Add password encryption
Step 3: Implement registration and login endpoints
Step 4: Add JWT token verification

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3. Code Review Assistant

Please review this code, checking for:
1. Potential security issues
2. Performance optimization opportunities
3. Code style issues
4. Possible bugs

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4. Learn New Technologies

I want to learn React Hooks.
Please create a sample project demonstrating useState, useEffect, useContext usage,
and add detailed comments explaining how each Hook works.

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5. Rapid Prototyping

Create a simple todo app with requirements:
- Use React and LocalStorage
- Can add, delete, mark as complete
- Simple CSS styling
- Complete in a single HTML file

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6. Pair Programming

I'm implementing a sorting algorithm,
I wrote the first half, please help me complete the rest:

function quickSort(arr) {
    if (arr.length <= 1) return arr;
    const pivot = arr[0];
    // Please continue implementation...
}

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Feature Highlights

• 💻 Intelligent Code Generation - Generate high-quality code from natural language descriptions
• 🔧 Code Refactoring - Automatically optimize code structure and performance
• 🐛 Bug Debugging Assistance - Quickly locate and fix code issues
• 📝 Documentation Generation - Generate comments, README, API documentation
• 🧪 Test Case Writing - Automatically generate unit and integration tests
• 🔄 Code Migration - Language conversion, framework migration
• 💡 Code Explanation - Understand complex code logic
• 🎯 Best Practice Suggestions - Provide code standards and optimization advice
• 🚀 Rapid Prototyping - Quickly validate ideas and concepts
• 🤖 Terminal Command Execution - Automatically execute development commands

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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Best Practices

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1. Clear Task Description

Write a login feature

Create a user login feature with requirements:
- Use React and TypeScript
- Form validation (email format, password length)
- Use axios to call API
- Store JWT token to localStorage on successful login
- Error handling and user feedback

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2. Provide Context Information

• Tech stack and frameworks used
• Relevant file structure
• Existing code conventions
• Third-party library dependencies

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3. Iterative Improvement

1. Generate basic functionality first
2. Test and validate
3. Provide improvement feedback
4. Gradually refine

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4. Code Review

• Check logical correctness
• Verify security
• Test edge cases
• Ensure compliance with project standards

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5. Maintain Conversation Continuity

Round 1: Create user model
Round 2: Based on the model just created, create CRUD endpoints
Round 3: Add permission validation to these endpoints

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Support & Help

• 📚 APIMart Documentation
• 📚 Cline Official Documentation
• 💬 Discord Community
• 🐦 Twitter @APIMart_
• 📧 Technical Support: [email protected]

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Video Tutorials