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Quickstart

Get ParrotJS running in VS Code in under two minutes.

This guide walks you through installing ParrotJS and seeing your first inline values. For more detail, see the full Installation guide.

Prerequisites

  • VS Code 1.75 or later
  • Node.js 18 or later
  • A JavaScript or TypeScript project

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 results inline.

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

Live Comments (Free)

Drop // ? after any expression to see its value — this works on the free tier:

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

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

The // ? items live comment shows [2, 4, 6] at the end of the same line. On PRO, the variable’s own inline decoration also shows the input array, rendered like 1, 2, 3, [2, 4, 6].

Inline Console Output (Free)

console.log output appears right at the call site, plus in the ParrotJS output panel:

const sum = add(5, 7);
console.log('sum is', sum);  // → ['sum is', 12] (inline, no terminal switching)

Inline Assertions (Free)

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

Full Inline Values (PRO)

The full inline runtime values — every variable, function return, and loop iteration — are a PRO feature. On the free tier you’ll see live comments, console output, and assertions. Upgrade for the complete picture:

const user = { name: 'Ada', age: 36 };
// PRO shows: → {name: 'Ada', age: 36} inline as you type

Time Travel (PRO)

Time Travel recording and playback is a PRO feature:

  1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
  2. Run ParrotJS: Toggle Time Travel (or press Shift+F5)
  3. Let your code execute — each step is recorded
  4. Use the timeline panel to scrub through execution
  5. Use keybindings: F10 step over, F11 step into, Alt+← step back, Alt+→ step forward

See the Time Travel guide for the full walkthrough.

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: Re-execute

What’s Next?