Quickstart

This guide walks you through installing ParrotJS and seeing your first inline values.

Prerequisites

• VS Code 1.85 or later
• Node.js 18 or later
• A JavaScript or TypeScript project
• During beta (through July 10th, 2026): No license key or account needed

Installation

Install from the VS Code Marketplace:

1. Go to ParrotJS on the Marketplace
2. Click Install — or open VS Code and press Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X, then search for ParrotJS
3. Reload VS Code if prompted

Or via command line:

code --install-extension parrotdev.parrotjs

Your First Session

Open any .js, .ts, .jsx, or .tsx file. ParrotJS auto-starts and begins showing inline values.

// example.js — just open this file and ParrotJS does the rest
const add = (a, b) => a + b;
const result = add(3, 7);
// result → 10  (shown inline after execution)

Live Comments

Drop // ? after any expression to see its value:

const items = [1, 2, 3].map(x => x * 2);
// ?  → [2, 4, 6]

for (const item of items) {
    // ? item  → 2, 4, 6 (one per iteration)
}

Inline Assertions

Write assertions anywhere in your code:

const sum = add(5, 7);
expect(sum).toBe(12);  // ✓ pass
expect(sum).toBe(13);  // ✗ Expected 12 to be 13

Time Travel

1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run ParrotJS: Start Recording
3. Let your code execute
4. Use the timeline panel to scrub through execution
5. Use keybindings: F10 step over, F11 step into, Alt+← step back, Alt+→ step forward

Run Modes

ParrotJS offers three run modes, toggled from the status bar or command palette:

Mode	Behavior
Auto	Executes automatically as you type (debounced)
On Save	Executes only when you save (Cmd+S)
On Demand	Executes only when you run ParrotJS: Run

What’s Next?

• Configure ParrotJS — set up profiles, keybindings, and run preferences.
• API Reference — use ParrotJS programmatically.