Tools

Welcome to the Cline Prompting Guide! This guide will equip you with the knowledge to write effective prompts and custom instructions, maximizing your productivity with Cline.

Cline Tools Reference Guide

What Can Cline Do?

Cline is your AI assistant that can:

  • Edit and create files in your project
  • Run terminal commands
  • Search and analyze your code
  • Help debug and fix issues
  • Automate repetitive tasks
  • Integrate with external tools

First Steps

  1. Start a Task

    • Type your request in the chat
    • Example: “Create a new React component called Header”

  2. Provide Context

    • Use @ mentions to add files, folders, or URLs
    • Example: “@file:src/components/App.tsx”

  3. Review Changes

    • Cline will show diffs before making changes
    • You can edit or reject changes

Key Features

  1. File Editing

    • Create new files
    • Modify existing code
    • Search and replace across files

  2. Terminal Commands

    • Run npm commands
    • Start development servers
    • Install dependencies

  3. Code Analysis

    • Find and fix errors
    • Refactor code
    • Add documentation

  4. Browser Integration

    • Test web pages
    • Capture screenshots
    • Inspect console logs

Available Tools

For the most up-to-date implementation details, you can view the full source code in the Cline repository.

Cline has access to the following tools for various tasks:

  1. File Operations

    • write_to_file: Create or overwrite files
    • read_file: Read file contents
    • replace_in_file: Make targeted edits to files
    • search_files: Search files using regex
    • list_files: List directory contents

  2. Terminal Operations

    • execute_command: Run CLI commands
    • list_code_definition_names: List code definitions

  3. MCP Tools

    • use_mcp_tool: Use tools from MCP servers
    • access_mcp_resource: Access MCP server resources
    • Users can create custom MCP tools that Cline can then access
    • Example: Create a weather API tool that Cline can use to fetch forecasts

  4. Interaction Tools

    • ask_followup_question: Ask user for clarification
    • attempt_completion: Present final results

Each tool has specific parameters and usage patterns. Here are some examples:

  • Create a new file (write_to_file):

    <write_to_file>
<path>src/components/Header.tsx</path>
<content>
// Header component code
</content>
</write_to_file>

  • Search for a pattern (search_files):

    <search_files>
<path>src</path>
<regex>function\s+\w+\(</regex>
<file_pattern>*.ts</file_pattern>
</search_files>

  • Run a command (execute_command):

    <execute_command>
<command>npm install axios</command>
<requires_approval>false</requires_approval>
</execute_command>

Common Tasks

  1. Create a New Component

    • “Create a new React component called Footer”

  2. Fix a Bug

    • “Fix the error in src/utils/format.ts”

  3. Refactor Code

    • “Refactor the Button component to use TypeScript”

  4. Run Commands

    • “Run npm install to add axios”

Getting Help