Documentation & Getting Started

1. Quick Start Guide

Getting up and running with miCode Studio takes less than 60 seconds. There are no registration forms, credit cards, or complex cloud dependencies.

Download

Grab miCode Studio Setup 1.0.7.exe (94.6 MB) from the download section.

Install or Extract

Run the installer or unpack the standalone portable executable to any flash drive or folder.

Open Folder

Click "Open Folder" to open any existing coding project or begin an entirely new one.

2. Installer vs Portable Edition

miCode Studio offers two deployment packages for Windows:

Windows Setup Installer (miCode Studio Setup 1.0.7.exe): Standard NSIS Windows setup. Adds desktop and Start Menu shortcuts, registers file associations (.php, .js, .html, .py), and places an uninstaller in Windows Add/Remove Programs.
Standalone Portable Edition (miCode Studio 1.0.7.exe): Requires no administrative permissions and makes no modifications to the Windows registry. Perfect for school computer labs, restricted company laptops, or running directly from a USB drive.

3. Keybindings & Essential Shortcuts

miCode Studio uses industry-standard editor shortcuts powered by the Monaco engine:

`Ctrl` + `P`

Quick file navigator. Search and switch between open files instantly.

`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `P`

Command Palette. Access all editor actions, commands, and formatting tools.

`Ctrl` + `

Toggle integrated terminal (PowerShell, Command Prompt, or Git Bash).

`Ctrl` + `F5`

Run active script (PHP, Python, Node.js) with captured output console.

`Ctrl` + `B`

Toggle Primary Side Bar (File Explorer, Extensions, Search).

`Ctrl` + `K`

Documentation and Quick Command Palette in website & editor.

4. PHP Runner & Dev Server Execution

miCode Studio includes dedicated workflows for modern PHP full-stack developers:

Automatic Detection: miCode Studio automatically looks for standard PHP binaries on your %PATH%, as well as default XAMPP (C:\xampp\php\php.exe) and Laragon paths.

Live Dev Server: Click the "PHP Server" status bar icon to start a local development server at http://127.0.0.1:8000 targeting your project root.
Script Output Panel: Open any .php file and press Ctrl+F5 to execute the script in real-time, capturing stdout and runtime exceptions into the bottom console.
MySQL Integration: Connect to local MySQL/MariaDB instances without installing heavy standalone database GUIs.

5. Integrated Terminal & Shell Support

Press Ctrl+` to open the built-in terminal pane. miCode Studio supports multiple concurrent shell profiles:

PowerShell 7 / Windows PowerShell: Default on modern Windows 10/11 systems.
Command Prompt (cmd.exe): Fast, lightweight legacy execution.
Git Bash / WSL: If installed on your workstation, miCode Studio auto-detects them for seamless Linux command-line workflows.

6. Offline Extensions & Open VSX Support

miCode Studio is built to work seamlessly offline, allowing you to install themes and extensions without an internet connection:

Installing .VSIX Packages:
In the Extensions activity bar, click the ... (More Actions) menu and choose "Install from VSIX...". Select any standard extension package downloaded to your computer.

When connected to the internet, you can also search and install community extensions directly from the open-source Open VSX marketplace registry.

7. Troubleshooting & FAQ

Why does installation close after clicking Finish?

The standard NSIS installer launches the background electron runtime upon clicking Finish. If Windows SmartScreen or antivirus software performs a one-time signature verification, initialization can take a few seconds on the very first launch. Subsequent launches will open instantaneously.

How do I open an empty workspace instead of the default project folder?

Go to File → Close Folder, or open miCode Studio with the --empty command-line argument.