IDE Extensions

Band provides IDE extensions that bridge the gap between your editor and the Band dashboard. The primary extension is for VS Code and compatible editors (Cursor, Windsurf), enabling automatic workspace detection, terminal management, and agent status reporting.

VS Code / Cursor Extension

The Band extension for VS Code and Cursor provides the following capabilities:

• Automatic workspace detection when opening a Band worktree directory.
• Terminal creation and splitting based on .band/config.json.
• Real-time agent status reporting to the Band dashboard.
• Integration with Claude Code hooks for task lifecycle events.

Auto-Activation

The extension activates automatically when it detects a .band/config.json file in the opened workspace. No manual configuration is needed — just open a directory that is part of a Band project and the extension connects to the Band server.

The extension discovers the Band server URL from the default location (http://localhost:3001) or from the BAND_SERVER_URL environment variable.

Terminal Creation and Splitting

When the extension activates, it reads the terminal commands from your project configuration and creates terminal instances accordingly:

• Each command entry creates a named terminal tab.
• Commands with "split": true open as split panes within the previous terminal.
• Commands run automatically in the workspace directory.

// .band/config.json
{'{'}
  "apps": [
    {'{'}
      "preset": "cursor",
      "commands": [
        {"{"} "command": "npm run dev", "name": "dev" {'}'},
        {"{"} "command": "npm test -- --watch", "name": "test", "split": true {'}'}
      ]
    {'}'}
  ]
{'}'}

Agent Status Reporting

The extension monitors the AI agent running inside the editor and reports its status to the Band dashboard. This enables the dashboard to show whether an agent is:

• Idle — No agent activity.
• Working — Agent is actively processing a task.
• Waiting — Agent is waiting for user input or approval.
• Error — Agent encountered an error.

Status is communicated via JSON files in the workspace's .band/ directory. This file-based protocol ensures compatibility across different agent implementations.

Claude Code Hooks Integration

Band integrates with Claude Code's hooks system to track agent lifecycle events. When Claude Code runs inside a Band workspace, hooks fire on key events:

• Task start — When Claude Code begins processing a prompt.
• Task complete — When Claude Code finishes a task.
• Tool use — When Claude Code invokes tools (file edits, terminal commands).
• Error — When Claude Code encounters an error.

These events are forwarded to the Band server, allowing the dashboard to display real-time agent activity including tool calls, file changes, and chat messages.

Supported Editors

The extension is compatible with:

• Visual Studio Code — Full support.
• Cursor — Full support (uses VS Code extension API).
• Windsurf — Full support (uses VS Code extension API).

JetBrains IDEs use a different integration mechanism. See App Presets for JetBrains IDE support.