Cline Cheat Sheet

VS Code extension for AI-assisted coding. Autonomous agent with approval workflow and MCP integration.

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Installation

1. Open VS Code 2. Install Cline extension from marketplace 3. Set API key in Cline settings (OpenAI, Anthropic, or local) 4. Open Cline panel: Cmd+Shift+P → "Cline: Open"

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Core Workflow

Step	Action
1	Open Cline panel in VS Code
2	Describe task with clear constraints
3	Review proposed file edits in diff view
4	Approve / reject per action
5	Iterate until task complete

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Commands

Panel Controls

Action	Shortcut
Open Cline	`Cmd+Shift+P` → "Cline: Open"
New conversation	Click "New Chat" or `Cmd+K Cmd+N`
Stop generation	"Stop" button or `Esc`
Clear chat	"Clear" button

Slash Commands (In Chat)

Command	Description
`/files <pattern>`	Add files to context (glob supported)
`/folder <path>`	Add entire folder to context
`/clear`	Clear conversation history
`/model`	Switch AI model
`/memory`	Show memory/context usage
`/settings`	Open Cline settings

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Settings

Access via: VS Code Settings → Search "Cline"

Model Configuration

Setting	Options
`cline.model`	gpt-4-turbo, claude-3.5-sonnet, gpt-4o, etc.
`cline.apiKey`	Your API key (or use env var)
`cline.provider`	openai, anthropic, azure, local
`cline.baseUrl`	Custom API endpoint (for local models)

Behavior

Setting	Description
`cline.autoApprove`	Auto-approve file edits (risky!)
`cline.maxTokens`	Max tokens per response
`cline.temperature`	Creativity (0-1)
`cline.systemPrompt`	Custom system instructions
`cline.contextWindow`	Token limit for context

MCP Integration

Setting	Description
`cline.mcpServers`	MCP server configurations (JSON)
`cline.enableMcp`	Enable/disable MCP tools

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MCP Integration (Model Context Protocol)

Cline supports MCP for external tools and data sources.

Enable MCP Servers

// settings.json
{
  "cline.mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/dir"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_..."
      }
    },
    "postgres": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Available MCP Servers

filesystem — Enhanced file operations
github — GitHub API (issues, PRs, repos)
postgres — Database queries
brave-search — Web search
puppeteer — Browser automation

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Project Rules File

Create .clinerules in project root for consistent behavior:

# .clinerules
Code Style
Use TypeScript strict mode
Prefer functional components (React)
Use async/await over promises

Testing
Write tests for all new features
Use Jest for unit tests
Minimum 80% coverage

Commit Messages
Follow conventional commits
Format: <type>(<scope>): <description>
Types: feat, fix, docs, refactor, test

Forbidden Actions
Never modify package.json without asking
Never delete files without confirmation
Always run tests before committing

Cline reads this file automatically and follows the rules.

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Examples

Basic Task

> Add error handling to the API fetch in UserList.tsx
[Cline shows diff]
[Approve]
[Cline applies changes]

Multi-File Task

> Refactor the authentication system:
> 1. Extract auth logic to AuthService.ts
> 2. Add JWT token refresh
> 3. Update Login.tsx to use new service
> 4. Write tests
[Cline proposes changes]
[Review each file]
[Approve]

With Context

> /files src/auth/*/.ts
> Explain the current authentication flow
[Cline analyzes files and explains]

MCP-Powered

> Fetch the latest issues from our GitHub repo and summarize
[Uses MCP GitHub server]
[Displays summary]

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Tips & Best Practices

Clear Instructions

✅ "Add JSDoc comments to all exported functions in auth.ts"
❌ "Document the code"

Break Down Tasks

✅ "1. Add type definitions, 2. Implement API, 3. Write tests"
❌ "Build the entire feature"

Use Project Rules

Create .clinerules for consistent behavior
Include code style, testing requirements, forbidden actions

Context Management

Use /files to include only relevant files
Remove unneeded files to save tokens
Use /folder sparingly (adds many files)

Review Changes

Always review diffs before approving
Test changes locally
Use version control (git) for easy rollback

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut (Mac)	Shortcut (Windows/Linux)
Open Cline	`Cmd+Shift+P` → "Cline"	`Ctrl+Shift+P` → "Cline"
Accept suggestion	`Tab`	`Tab`
Reject suggestion	`Esc`	`Esc`
New chat	`Cmd+K Cmd+N`	`Ctrl+K Ctrl+N`

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Model Support

Recommended Models

Model	Use Case	Cost
claude-3.5-sonnet	Best balance (recommended)	Medium
gpt-4-turbo	Fast, good quality	Medium
gpt-4o	Very fast, multimodal	Medium
claude-3-opus	Most capable, complex tasks	High
gpt-3.5-turbo	Quick edits, simple tasks	Low

Local Models

Cline works with local models via OpenAI-compatible API:

{
  "cline.provider": "local",
  "cline.baseUrl": "http://localhost:1234/v1",
  "cline.model": "llama-3-70b"
}

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Troubleshooting

"API key not found"

Set cline.apiKey in settings
Or export env var: export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

Cline stuck/not responding

Click "Stop" button
Restart Cline panel
Reload VS Code window

Context too large

Use /clear to reset conversation
Remove files with /files (toggle off)
Lower cline.contextWindow setting

Changes not applying

Check file permissions
Ensure file is not open in read-only mode
Review diff carefully (Cline shows proposed changes)

MCP server errors

Check MCP server logs in Output panel
Verify command and args in settings
Ensure dependencies are installed (npx auto-installs)

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Advanced: Custom System Prompt

Override default behavior with custom instructions:

{
  "cline.systemPrompt": "You are a senior TypeScript developer. Always:\n- Use strict type checking\n- Prefer composition over inheritance\n- Write concise JSDoc comments\n- Follow airbnb style guide"
}

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Resources

GitHub: https://github.com/cline/cline
VS Code Marketplace: Search "Cline"
Documentation: https://github.com/cline/cline/wiki
MCP Servers: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers