Roo Code

Roo Code is a smart coding helper that lives inside VS Code. Think of it as having multiple AI assistants working together on your code. One assistant can plan the structure of your app, another can write the actual code, and another can find and fix problems.

What makes it special is that it understands your whole project, not just single files. It can read your code, make changes to multiple files, run commands in your terminal, and even test web apps in a browser. You stay in control by approving or rejecting what it wants to do.

The tool works with many different AI models, so you are not locked into one provider. You can use free models or paid ones.

Getting started with Roo Code is simple and takes just a few minutes:

• Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace by searching for Roo Code and clicking install.

• After installation, open the Roo Code panel by clicking the kangaroo icon on the left sidebar of VS Code.

• Connect your AI model by adding an API key from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter in the settings.

• Choose which mode you need: Code mode for writing features, Architect mode for planning systems, or Ask mode for questions about your project.

• Start typing what you want in plain language. For example, Create a login page with email and password fields.

• Review the changes Roo Code suggests before accepting them. You can edit suggestions or ask for improvements.

• Control how much freedom it has using auto-approve settings for routine tasks or manual approval for bigger changes.

• Complete AI dev team in VS Code

• Specialized modes for coding, planning, and debugging

• Multi-file editing and refactoring

• Terminal command execution

• Browser automation for testing

• Custom AI agent creation

• Works with any AI model provider

• Open-source and free to use

• Privacy-first local operation

• Deep codebase understanding

• Diff-based safe edits

• Active community support