cline/cline

What it is

Cline is an open source coding agent available as a CLI, a macOS/Windows desktop app, a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin and a Node.js SDK. It reads project structure, edits files across a codebase, runs terminal commands, and monitors linter and compiler errors as it works. All products are powered by the same engine, and the agent can be extended with plugins and MCP servers.

Who it's for

• Developers who want an AI coding agent inside VS Code or JetBrains IDEs
• Teams automating tasks in CI/CD or scripts via the headless CLI
• Developers building custom agents or integrations with the SDK
• Users who want to choose their own model provider, including local models

Requirements

Setup

1. Install the CLI

   Install Cline globally with npm to run it in your terminal, either interactively or headless.

   bashCopy

   npm i -g cline

2. Install the SDK

   Install the SDK to build your own agents and integrations on the same engine.

   bashCopy

   npm install @cline/sdk

3. Install the IDE extension or desktop app

   Install the VS Code extension from the VS Marketplace, the JetBrains plugin from the JetBrains Marketplace, or download the desktop app for macOS and Windows from cline.bot/desktop.

Examples

cline "Run tests and fix any failures"
git diff origin/main | cline "Review these changes for issues"
cline --json "List all TODO comments" | jq -r 'select(.type == "agent_event" and .event.text) | .event.text'

import { Agent, createTool } from "@cline/sdk"

const deployTool = createTool({
  name: "deploy",
  description: "Deploy the current branch to staging.",
  inputSchema: { type: "object", properties: { env: { type: "string" } }, required: ["env"] },
  execute: async (input) => {
    // your deployment logic
  },
})

const agent = new Agent({ tools: [deployTool], /* ... */ })

cline --team-name auth-sprint "Plan and implement user authentication with tests"

cline schedule create "PR summary" \
  --cron "0 9 * * MON-FRI" \
  --prompt "List all open PRs and their review status" \
  --workspace /path/to/repo

cline connect telegram -k $BOT_TOKEN

Pros & cons

Images