Builder Toolkit · 02 / 11

IDE Setup

Choose a coding workspace, install it, open the right folder, and protect your free AI credits.

IDE Setup

What this is

An IDE is the app where you open a project, edit files, run commands, and work with an AI coding assistant.

For KDBM Lite work, use VS Code, Antigravity, Cursor, or any workspace whose AI agent can read your project files and run terminal commands.

The one idea

The IDE is one window containing four things: your files, your editor, your terminal, and your AI helper. Everything else is decoration.

Why it matters

The IDE is where planning turns into building.

If it is set up wrong, the session stalls before a single line of code is written. The two failures that cost the most class time are opening the wrong folder, which makes every command fail for no visible reason, and burning free AI credits on vague prompts in the first ten minutes.

What to do

Choose the editor

Choice	Best for	Cost note	Watch out
Cursor	Learners who want AI built into the editor	Has a free entry path and paid options. Check the current Cursor pricing page.	Broad prompts drain credits quickly.
Antigravity	Learners who want agent-style help and browser testing	Available at antigravity.google. Check current availability.	Can feel more advanced than a first session needs.
VS Code with Copilot	Learners who already know VS Code	Copilot has a free tier with monthly limits. Check the current GitHub Copilot page.	Extension setup matters; missing ones create friction.
VS Code alone	Lowest-friction classroom fallback	Free editor, no AI credits needed.	You use ChatGPT or Perplexity in the browser instead.

All limits and prices change without notice. Check the provider's current page before class rather than trusting any number written here.

Install it

Download only from the official site: Cursor, Antigravity, or VS Code.
Install and open the app.
Sign in with the account you will actually use.
Open your project folder, not the folder above it.
Open the integrated terminal.

Open the right folder

This is the single most common beginner blocker, so it gets its own step.

Create the project folder first, then open that exact folder. If the terminal seems to be somewhere else, move into it:

Terminal command

cd path/to/project-folder

Swipe sideways if a command is long.

Then list what is there. On Windows:

Terminal command

dir

Swipe sideways if a command is long.

On macOS or Linux:

Terminal command

ls

Swipe sideways if a command is long.

Once a project exists, the folder is correct when you can see package.json in that list.

Do this now

Open your terminal and run the list command above. If you cannot see package.json, you are in the wrong folder. Fix that before doing anything else.

Check yourself

My files panel shows my project files, not an empty pane.
My terminal is open at the project folder.
I am signed in to the AI helper I plan to use.
Running the list command shows package.json.

Add only the extensions you need

Too many extensions make beginner debugging harder, not easier. Start with these:

Extension	Why it helps
Prettier	Formats code so your changes are readable.
ESLint	Surfaces common JavaScript mistakes early.
Error Lens	Shows errors inline so you do not miss them.
Tailwind CSS IntelliSense	Suggests Tailwind classes if the project uses Tailwind.

Install from the official publisher shown in your editor's marketplace. Add more later, once the first project runs.

Protect your free credits

Plan in a browser chat. Build in the IDE. That split alone saves most of a session's credits.

Use the IDE agent for narrow work: explain this folder structure, build this one section, fix this pasted error, explain exactly what you changed.

Avoid using it for "build the whole app", for repeating the same vague prompt, or for adding features before the project runs locally.

If the terminal shows an error

Do not guess and do not re-run the same command hoping it changes. Copy the real error text and work through Reading errors.

Common mistakes

Opening the parent folder instead of the project folder, then wondering why every command fails.
Installing ten extensions before the first project runs.
Asking the AI agent to build features before the project starts locally.
Signing in with a different account than the one holding your credits.
Spending the first ten minutes of a class on broad prompts.

Next step

Your editor is ready. Now learn what its commands actually do in Node and npm.