Quick Start Guide

Welcome to ThinkCode! This 10-minute guide will help you quickly get familiar with the most important features of ThinkCode, allowing you to start using it effectively right away.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• ThinkCode installed on your system (see the Installation Guide if needed)
• Completed the initial setup (see Initial Setup if needed)
• A project to work with (or use our sample project mentioned below)

Step 1: Launch and Sign In (1 minute)

1. Launch ThinkCode from your applications menu, desktop shortcut, or command line
2. Sign in with your ThinkCode account if prompted
3. If this is your first time, follow the setup wizard to configure your preferences

Step 2: Open or Create a Project (1 minute)

Open an Existing Project

1. Click on File > Open Folder... or press Ctrl+O (Cmd+O on macOS)
2. Navigate to your project folder and click "Open"

Create a New Project

1. Click on File > New Project...
2. Select a project template (optional)
3. Choose a location for your project
4. Click "Create Project"

Use a Sample Project

To explore ThinkCode with a ready-made project:

1. Click on File > Open Sample Project...
2. Choose one of the available samples:
   • Web Application: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript project
   • Node.js API: Simple REST API with Express
   • Python Data Science: Notebook and data analysis scripts
   • React Application: Modern React project with TypeScript

Step 3: Explore the Interface (2 minutes)

ThinkCode's interface is designed to be intuitive while providing powerful features:

graph TD
    A[ThinkCode Interface] --> B[Activity Bar]
    A --> C[Editor Area]
    A --> D[Side Bar]
    A --> E[Panel]
    A --> F[Status Bar]
    A --> G[Think Panel]
    
    style G fill:#f96,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Key Interface Elements

• Activity Bar (left): Icons for different views (Explorer, Search, Source Control, etc.)
• Side Bar: Shows the active view from the Activity Bar
• Editor Area: Where you edit your code
• Panel (bottom): Terminal, Problems, Output, Debug Console
• Status Bar (bottom): Information and quick actions
• Think Panel (right): AI assistant interface

Think Panel

The Think Panel is where you interact with ThinkCode's AI assistant:

1. Open it by clicking the Think icon in the Activity Bar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+T (Cmd+Shift+T on macOS)
2. The panel shows:
   • Current AI context
   • Chat interface for direct questions
   • Suggestion history
   • AI controls

Step 4: Basic Editing with AI Assistance (2 minutes)

Let's try some basic editing with ThinkCode's AI features:

Code Completion

1. Open a code file in your project
2. Start typing and notice the inline suggestions that appear
3. Press Tab to accept a suggestion, or use arrow keys to navigate multiple suggestions
4. Try typing a partial method name and observe how ThinkCode suggests completions

Code Generation from Comments

One of ThinkCode's most powerful features is generating code from comments:

1. Type a comment describing what you want to implement, for example:

   // Function to calculate the factorial of a number

2. Press Enter or wait a moment for ThinkCode to generate the implementation
3. Press Tab to accept the entire suggestion or edit it as needed

Multi-file Context

ThinkCode understands your project across files:

1. Open multiple related files in your project
2. Make a reference to something defined in another file
3. Notice how ThinkCode understands the reference and provides appropriate suggestions

Step 5: Using Think Commands (2 minutes)

ThinkCode provides AI-powered commands for common tasks:

Access Think Commands

Open the Command Palette by pressing:

• Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS)
• Type "Think:" to see available AI commands

Try These Commands

• Think: Explain Selection: Get an explanation of selected code
• Think: Generate Tests: Create tests for the selected function
• Think: Refactor Selection: Improve your selected code
• Think: Find Problems: Analyze code for issues
• Think: Document Selection: Generate documentation for your code

Example: Code Explanation

1. Select a complex piece of code in your project
2. Right-click and select "Think: Explain Selection" or use the Command Palette
3. Review the explanation in the Think Panel

Step 6: Exploring Advanced Features (2 minutes)

Let's quickly explore some more advanced features:

Think Sandbox Debugging

The Think Sandbox allows you to analyze and debug code in isolation:

1. Select a function or code block
2. Right-click and select "Think: Analyze in Sandbox"
3. In the Think Panel, you'll see:
   • Execution trace
   • Potential issues
   • Performance suggestions
   • Edge case analysis

Contextual Chat

You can ask specific questions about your code:

1. In the Think Panel, click on the chat input
2. Ask a question like "How can I optimize this function?" or "What's the best way to implement X?"
3. ThinkCode will respond with context-aware answers related to your code

AI Role Selection

ThinkCode can adopt different roles to provide specialized assistance:

1. Click on the role selector in the Think Panel
2. Choose from roles like:
   • Code Assistant (default): General coding help
   • Architect: System design and structure advice
   • Reviewer: Code quality and best practices
   • Teacher: Explanations and learning resources
3. Notice how the AI's responses change based on the selected role

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've now experienced the core features of ThinkCode. Here's what to explore next:

Recommended Features to Try

• Engineering Workflow Integration: Test-driven development and version control enhancements
• Session Management: Save and restore your development context
• Team Collaboration: Share code context with team members
• Role-based Development: Create custom AI roles for specialized tasks

Optimizing Your Experience

• Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn shortcuts to work efficiently
• Customization: Personalize ThinkCode to your preferences
• Performance Optimization: Fine-tune for your system

Getting Help

If you need assistance, ThinkCode offers multiple resources:

• Documentation: Browse the comprehensive guides on this site
• In-app Help: Use the "Think: Help" command in the Command Palette
• Community Forum: Discuss with other users at community.thinkstudio.iechor.com
• Support: Contact support@thinkstudio.iechor.com for direct assistance

Quick Reference

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Common Think Commands

Pro Tips

• Be Specific: The more specific your comments and questions, the better the AI responses
• Use Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn shortcuts to work quickly with ThinkCode
• Keep Context in View: Open related files to give the AI better context
• Try Different Roles: Switch AI roles based on your current task
• Save Sessions: Use session management to save your work context