Getting started

CapyCode is a code editor for learning to program. It looks like VS Code, the editor developers use, but everything happens in your browser: nothing to install, and your code is never sent to a server.

You can write and run Python programs, SQL queries and OCaml code, organize your files, use a terminal and keep track of the versions of your work with Git.

The screen

	Area	What it is for
1	Menu bar	File, Edit, View, Run, Help: every action in CapyCode
2	Activity bar	Chooses what the side panel shows: Explorer, Search, Outline, Extensions (and Source Control once enabled)
3	Side panel	Here the explorer: the files and folders of your project
4	Tabs	One tab per open file; a dot means unsaved changes
5	Run and Format	Runs the file on screen; tidies up its code
6	Editor	Where you write your code
7	Bottom panel	The consoles: program output, terminal, drawings
8	Status bar	Git branch, errors and warnings, cursor position, language, interface language

Your first program

On your first visit, CapyCode creates a small project with a main.py file.

1. Click main.py in the explorer: it opens in the editor.
2. Change the code, for example print("Hello!").
3. Click ▶ Run (or press Ctrl+Enter).

The output appears in the bottom panel. The file is saved automatically before it runs.

Saving

CapyCode does not save on its own while you type: Ctrl+S saves the file on screen. A dot ● on a tab means the file has changes that are not saved yet. Running a program saves its file first.

Where is my work?

Your project is kept in this browser, on this computer. It is still there when you come back to the page, even after closing it. However:

• it is not on other computers or in other browsers;
• clearing the site data in the browser, or using a private browsing window, makes it disappear.

To take your work with you or hand it in, export it as a ZIP or share it with a link: see Saving and sharing.

Going further

I want to…	Page
Create, organize, rename files	Files and folders
Write faster, search, fix my mistakes	Writing code
Understand what happens when I run my code	Running a program
Type commands	The terminal
Keep the history of my versions	Git
Enable Git, SQL, OCaml or code formatting	Extensions
Hand in my work, pick it up elsewhere	Saving and sharing
Change the colors, the language, the font	Customizing the display
Do everything with the keyboard	Keyboard and accessibility
Prepare an activity for my class	For teachers
Find the answer to a problem	FAQ