Your Ultimate Guide to Python Scripting with Claude & VS Code
Z
Zack Saadioui
8/10/2025
Here's a detailed, step-by-step guide on using Claude for Python scripting in VS Code, based on the research.
Your Ultimate Guide to Python Scripting with Claude & VS Code
Hey there! So, you're looking to get into AI-assisted coding, & you've heard about Claude. Smart move. Honestly, integrating AI like Claude into your development workflow, especially for Python scripting inside Visual Studio Code, can be a TOTAL game-changer. It's like having a tireless, super-knowledgeable pair programmer available 24/7.
I've been down this rabbit hole, & I've gotta say, it's pretty incredible what you can do. From spinning up a quick script to debugging complex applications, Claude can seriously boost your productivity. But like any powerful tool, there's a bit of a learning curve to get the most out of it.
That's why I've put together this in-depth guide. We'll go through everything, step-by-step, from getting set up to using advanced techniques. Think of this as your personal roadmap to becoming a pro at using Claude for Python in VS Code.
First Things First: What Are We Even Talking About?
Alright, so when people talk about using Claude for coding, they're usually referring to a couple of key tools that work together.
Claude by Anthropic: This is the AI model itself. In our case, we'll likely be using a powerful version like Claude 3.5 Sonnet, which has some seriously impressive coding capabilities.
Claude Code: This is the official command-line tool from Anthropic. It's designed for what's called "agentic coding," which is a fancy way of saying the AI can take on complex tasks, figure out the steps, & execute them with your approval. It’s super flexible & powerful.
Claude Dev Extension for VS Code: This is where the magic happens for most of us. It's an extension you install in VS Code that gives you a nice, user-friendly interface to interact with Claude Code right inside your editor.
So, essentially, you'll be using the Claude Dev extension in VS Code to chat with the Claude AI, which then uses its "agentic" abilities to help you write, debug, & manage your Python code.
Step 1: Getting Everything Installed & Set Up
Before we can start scripting, we need to get our tools in place. It's a pretty straightforward process.
Installing the Claude Dev Extension
This is your main gateway to Claude in VS Code.
Open up Visual Studio Code.
Head over to the Extensions view on the sidebar (it's the icon with the four squares).
In the search bar, type in "Claude Dev". You should see it pop up.
Click Install.
That's it for the extension itself. But it won't work without an API key.
Getting Your Anthropic API Key
The extension needs a way to talk to the Claude AI, & that's done through an API key.
Go to the Anthropic website at anthropic.com/api.
You'll need to create an account if you don't have one already.
Once you're logged in, navigate to the API keys section of your account settings.
Generate a new API key. Be sure to copy it somewhere safe – you won't be able to see it again!
Heads up: Using the API does have a cost associated with it, based on the number of "tokens" you use (which is basically how much text you process). It's usually pretty affordable, especially for individual use, but it's something to be aware of.
Connecting the Extension to Your API Key
Now, let's link the extension to your key.
Back in VS Code, click on the new Claude Dev icon that should have appeared in your sidebar.
The first time you open it, you'll see a screen asking for your Anthropic API key.
Paste your key into the field & hit enter or click the "Let's Go" button.
And that's it! You're all set up & ready to start coding.
Step 2: Your First Python Script with Claude
Let's start with something simple to get a feel for how it works. We'll ask Claude to create a classic "Snake" game in Python.
Open a New Workspace: Create a new, empty folder on your computer & open it in VS Code. I called mine
1
ClaudeSnakeGame
.
Start a Chat: Open the Claude Dev panel. You'll see a chat interface.
Give Your Prompt: This is where you tell Claude what you want. Let's be specific. Type in a prompt like this:
"Create a new folder called 'snake_game'. Inside that folder, create a Python script for a classic Snake game using the pygame library. The game should have a window, a snake that I can control with the arrow keys, and food that appears randomly. When the snake eats the food, it should get longer and the score should increase."
Watch the Magic Happen: After you send the prompt, Claude will start "thinking." It will break down the task into smaller steps, like creating the folder & then creating the Python file. This is the agentic part in action. It will show you its plan before it does anything.
Grant Permission: Claude will ask for your permission to create the files & write the code. This is a GREAT safety feature. It uses a "diff engine," so you can see exactly what changes it's proposing before you approve them. It looks a lot like a Git diff.
Review & Apply: Look over the proposed code. If it looks good, click "Apply" or "Yes."
Claude will then create the
1
snake_game
folder & a
1
main.py
file inside it, populated with the Python code for your game. It's honestly that easy.
Now, you'll probably need to install the
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pygame
library. You can even ask Claude how to do that! Just type: "How do I install the library needed for this script?" It'll likely tell you to run
1
pip install pygame
in your terminal.
Step 3: Let's Get More Advanced - The "Agentic" Workflow
Okay, so generating a single script is cool, but the REAL power of Claude Code lies in its ability to work with an entire project. It can read your existing files, understand the context, & make intelligent changes.
Let's say you want to add a feature to your Snake game, like a "high score" that saves to a file.
Reference Existing Code: In the Claude Dev chat, you can refer to the files it just created. Start a new prompt like this:
"Okay, that works great. Now, I want to add a high score feature to the snake game in
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snake_game/main.py
. It should read the high score from a file called
1
highscore.txt
. If the player's score at the end of the game is higher than the high score, it should update the file with the new high score. Also, display the high score on the screen during the game."
Context is Key: Because Claude is "aware" of the files in your project, it will read your
1
main.py
file, understand the code it already wrote, & figure out where to insert the new logic for handling the high score.
Iterative Development: It will propose changes to your existing file. Again, you'll see a diff showing the lines it wants to add or modify. This is an amazing way to work. You're not just getting a block of code; you're seeing exactly how to integrate it.
Debugging Together: What if the code doesn't work right away? This is where Claude really shines. Let's say you run the game & get an error. You can literally copy the entire error message from your terminal & paste it into the Claude chat.
Try a prompt like:
"I ran the game and got this error. Can you fix it? [paste your error message here]"
Claude will analyze the traceback, cross-reference it with the code, and tell you what went wrong & how to fix it. It might be a simple syntax error or a more complex logical flaw. This collaborative debugging process is incredibly efficient.
Step 4: Customizing Claude for Your Projects
This is where you go from a casual user to a power user. Claude Code allows for some deep customization to make it fit your specific needs perfectly.
The
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CLAUDE.md
File
This is probably the most important customization feature. You can create a file named
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CLAUDE.md
in the root of your project folder. Claude will automatically read this file & use it as context for all of its work within that project.
So, what do you put in it?
Project Instructions: "This is a Python project using Django 4.2. All models should be in the
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models.py
file."
Style Guides: "Use black for formatting. All functions must have docstrings in the Google style."
Testing Instructions: "Our unit tests are written with pytest. To run the tests, use the command
1
pytest -v
. New features must have corresponding tests."
Common Commands: A list of shell commands you use frequently for the project.
This file gives the AI a "brain" for your project, ensuring it stays consistent with your architecture & coding style without you having to repeat yourself in every prompt.
Custom Slash Commands
You can create your own commands within Claude to automate repetitive tasks. For example, you could create a command to write unit tests for a specific piece of code.
You would do this by creating a prompt that defines the command, like:
"/create-command /write_pytest_test - Create a pytest unit test for the selected Python function. The test should cover common edge cases and follow the arrange-act-assert pattern."
Once created, you can simply highlight a Python function in your editor, open Claude, & type
1
/write_pytest_test
. It will use the function as context & generate the test code for you based on your instructions. It's a massive time-saver.
Tying It All Together: The Bigger Picture
Using an AI assistant like Claude isn't just about writing code faster. It's about changing how you solve problems. It frees you up from a lot of the routine, boilerplate tasks & lets you focus on the high-level architecture & logic.
This is a trend we're seeing everywhere in business. Companies are increasingly using AI to handle repetitive, time-consuming work. Think about customer support. Many businesses are now using AI to provide instant answers to common questions.
In fact, this is where a platform like Arsturn comes in. Just like how Claude assists you with code, Arsturn helps businesses build custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. These chatbots can be deployed on a website to provide instant customer support, answer product questions, & engage with visitors 24/7. It's the same principle: using AI to augment human capabilities & provide a better, faster experience. A business can use Arsturn to build a no-code AI chatbot that acts as a first line of support, freeing up human agents to handle more complex issues.
When you're deep in a coding session, asking Claude to generate a function or fix a bug, you're experiencing a micro-version of this broader business transformation. You're using a specialized AI to automate a task so you can be more efficient. Similarly, when a company uses Arsturn to build a chatbot for their website, they're automating lead generation & customer engagement, allowing their sales & support teams to focus on high-value interactions. It's all about building meaningful, personalized connections through conversational AI.
Some Final Pro Tips
Use Git: Claude works great with version control. Make a commit before you start a big task with Claude. That way, if you don't like the direction it's heading, you can easily revert back.
Multi-Agent Workflow: For complex problems, you can try a multi-agent approach. Use one Claude chat to write the code. Then, open another chat (or clear the context with
1
/clear
) & ask the second Claude to review the code written by the first one. It's like having a built-in code review process.
Be Specific, But Not Too Rigid: Give Claude clear instructions, but also give it some room to be creative. Sometimes its solution will be something you hadn't thought of.
Don't Trust Blindly: Always review the code. AI is an assistant, not an infallible oracle. It can make mistakes, so you're still the human in charge. Review, test, & understand the code before you deploy it.
I hope this guide was helpful! Getting started with Claude in VS Code is one of those "aha!" moments in a developer's journey. It genuinely changes your workflow for the better. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of prompting & working with the AI as a partner, you'll wonder how you ever coded without it.
Let me know what you think, & have fun building some awesome Python scripts