Editor
The embedded editor is OpenVSCode, an open build of VS Code, running inside Coldtea. So the editing, the command palette, the keybindings, and the shortcuts work the way VS Code does, and you can bring your VS Code theme in and keep it synced.
Use the editor when you need to read files, inspect diffs, or leave review context without leaving Coldtea. The terminal tells you what the agent said. The editor shows what changed.
Open the editor
Press ⌘⇧E on macOS, or Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows and Linux, to toggle the editor. Press it again to close it.
The editor follows the active project or worktree. Each root, whether a base project or a linked worktree, opens in its own editor window scoped to that directory. So a worktree tab shows exactly one root in the Explorer, not every linked checkout. Switch to another worktree and Coldtea brings up that root's own window.
Presentation modes
The editor shows in three modes, and you switch between them from the controls in its header:
- Dock: the editor sits in the right dock beside your panes. This is the default when you open it.
- Float: the editor becomes a movable, resizable panel over the workspace. Use Float to reposition it, and Dock to send it back to the right dock.
- Full: Expand opens the editor full-screen over the workspace. Use the back control to return to your panes.
Inline AI autocomplete
The editor offers inline AI completions as you type, in the style of an AI pair completion. Suggestions appear ahead of your cursor; accept the part you want and keep going. The completions draw on the file you are editing and your recent edits, so they follow the code around your cursor.
Theme sync
Open settings to set the editor theme. Choose Use app theme to tie the editor to Coldtea's built-in theme, or import your active VS Code or Cursor theme and keep it in sync, so the editor matches the theme you already use. When live sync is on, the editor follows theme changes in the source app.
Native shortcuts
Coldtea mirrors the VS Code shortcuts that a desktop webview tends to steal, so they reach the editor:
- ⌘P / Ctrl+P for go to file.
- ⌘S / Ctrl+S for save.
- ⌘F / Ctrl+F for find.
- ⌘⇧P / Ctrl+Shift+P for the command palette.
- Undo, redo, cut, copy, paste, and select all when the editor holds focus.
⌘N and ⌘W act on the editor (new file, close editor) only while the editor iframe holds focus. Everywhere else, ⌘N opens the composer and ⌘W closes the active pane. If a shortcut does not respond, click the editor first: focus matters when a terminal, browser, and editor are all on screen.
Files and diffs
Use the editor to:
- Browse project files.
- Open changed files.
- Inspect a diff before accepting an agent's summary.
- Check whether the work happened in the expected project or worktree.
Do not review from terminal output alone. Agents can summarize the wrong thing with complete confidence. The diff is the part you can verify. The editor's Source Control view is VS Code's built-in git integration, scoped to the active project or worktree alone, so it shows that one checkout's status, branches, and stash rather than every linked worktree. Switch the editor to the agent's worktree to review its work.
Comments and annotations
Coldtea supports review comments and annotations on the editor surface. Select the relevant line or range, add the comment, and send that context back to the agent when you want a revision. Read comments and annotations for the full flow.
Annotations are explicit context. The agent does not automatically know every open file, selection, or thought you had while reading. If a selection matters, attach it through the annotation action or name the file and range in your prompt.
Review habit
When an agent says it is done, open the changed files before you answer. Check the small boring things: imports, paths, copy, tests, and whether the diff matches the task.
A short review prompt after that is much stronger:
In apps/docs/content/docs/terminal/composer.mdx, line 26 overstates file mentions. Soften it to say references are prompt text, then rerun prettier.Next: review agent work, or read how context moves between surfaces.