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‎guides/setup-qwen-coder-cli.md‎

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# Setup QWEN Coder CLI in VS Code
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**QWEN Coder CLI is completely FREE to use!** 🎉 This powerful AI coding assistant can help you write, debug, and understand code directly from your terminal. Follow this step-by-step guide to get it set up in VS Code.
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## What is QWEN Coder CLI?
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QWEN Coder CLI is an AI-powered coding agent that lives in your terminal. It can:
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- 🔍 **Analyze codebases** and explain architecture
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- 💻 **Generate code** for any programming language
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- 🐛 **Debug issues** and suggest fixes
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- 📚 **Understand new codebases** quickly
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- 🔄 **Refactor code** and improve performance
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- 📝 **Generate documentation** and tests
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## Prerequisites
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Before we start, make sure you have:
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- **VS Code** installed (download from [code.visualstudio.com](https://code.visualstudio.com))
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- **Node.js** (version 18 or higher) - [Download here](https://nodejs.org)
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- **Git** installed - [Download here](https://git-scm.com)
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## Step 1: Download and Install VS Code
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1. **Download VS Code**
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- Go to [code.visualstudio.com](https://code.visualstudio.com)
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- Click "Download for Windows" (or your operating system)
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- Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
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2. **Open VS Code**
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- Launch VS Code from your desktop or start menu
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- You'll see the welcome screen
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## Step 2: Open Terminal in VS Code
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1. **Open the Terminal**
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- Press `Ctrl + `` (backtick) or go to `View > Terminal`
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- The terminal will appear at the bottom of VS Code
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- Make sure you're in your project directory
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2. **Verify Node.js Installation**
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```bash
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node --version
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npm --version
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```
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You should see version numbers (Node.js 18+ and npm 8+)
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## Step 3: Install QWEN Coder CLI
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1. **Install QWEN Coder CLI globally**
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```bash
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npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest
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```
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2. **Verify Installation**
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```bash
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qwen --version
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```
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You should see the version number (e.g., v0.0.15)
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## Step 4: Authentication Setup
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QWEN Coder CLI offers **FREE authentication** with generous quotas! Choose your preferred method:
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### Option 1: QWEN OAuth (🚀 Recommended - Completely FREE!)
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This is the easiest way to get started:
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1. **Run the authentication command**
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```bash
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qwen
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```
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2. **Follow the browser authentication**
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- CLI will automatically open your browser
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- Sign in with your qwen.ai account (create one if needed)
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- Grant permissions when prompted
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- You'll be redirected back to the terminal
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**Free Tier Benefits:**
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- ✅ **2,000 requests/day** (no token counting needed)
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- ✅ **60 requests/minute** rate limit
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- ✅ **Automatic credential refresh**
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- ✅ **Zero cost** for individual users
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### Option 2: API Key Authentication (Alternative)
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If you prefer using API keys:
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1. **Set up environment variables**
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```bash
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# Create a .env file in your project
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echo "OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key_here" > .env
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echo "OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1" >> .env
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echo "OPENAI_MODEL=qwen3-coder-plus" >> .env
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```
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2. **Or set system environment variables**
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- Windows: Set in System Properties > Environment Variables
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- Mac/Linux: Add to your `~/.bashrc` or `~/.zshrc`
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## Step 5: Test Your Setup
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1. **Start QWEN Coder CLI**
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```bash
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qwen
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```
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2. **Try a simple command**
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```
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> Hello! Can you help me understand this codebase?
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```
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3. **Test code analysis**
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```
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> What are the main components of this project?
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```
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## Step 6: VS Code Integration Tips
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### Terminal Configuration
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1. **Set up your preferred terminal**
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- Go to `File > Preferences > Settings`
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- Search for "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows"
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- Choose your preferred shell (PowerShell, Command Prompt, or Git Bash)
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2. **Enable terminal shortcuts**
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- `Ctrl + `` - Toggle terminal
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- `Ctrl + Shift + `` - New terminal
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- `Ctrl + C` - Cancel current operation
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### Useful VS Code Extensions
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Install these extensions for better integration:
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1. **Terminal Extensions**
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- **Terminal** - Built-in terminal support
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- **PowerShell** - Enhanced PowerShell support
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2. **Code Quality Extensions**
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- **ESLint** - JavaScript/TypeScript linting
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- **Prettier** - Code formatting
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- **GitLens** - Enhanced Git capabilities
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## Step 7: Basic Usage Examples
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### 🔍 Explore Your Codebase
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```bash
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# Navigate to your project
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cd your-project-directory
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# Start QWEN Coder CLI
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qwen
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# Ask questions about your code
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> Describe the main architecture of this project
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> What are the key dependencies?
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> Find all API endpoints and their authentication methods
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```
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### 💻 Code Development
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```bash
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# Code generation
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> Create a REST API endpoint for user management
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> Generate unit tests for the authentication module
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> Add error handling to all database operations
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# Code refactoring
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> Refactor this function to improve readability
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> Convert this class to use dependency injection
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> Split this large module into smaller components
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```
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### 🐛 Debugging & Analysis
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```bash
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# Performance analysis
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> Identify performance bottlenecks in this React component
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> Find all N+1 query problems in the codebase
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# Security audit
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> Check for potential SQL injection vulnerabilities
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> Find all hardcoded credentials or API keys
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```
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## Step 8: Advanced Configuration
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### Custom Settings
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Create a `.qwen/settings.json` file in your home directory:
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```json
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{
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"experimental": {
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"vlmSwitchMode": "once",
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"visionModelPreview": true
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}
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}
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```
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### Session Commands
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While using QWEN Coder CLI, you can use these commands:
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- `/help` - Display available commands
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- `/clear` - Clear conversation history
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- `/compress` - Compress history to save tokens
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- `/stats` - Show current session information
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- `/exit` or `/quit` - Exit QWEN Coder CLI
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## Troubleshooting
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### Common Issues
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1. **"qwen: command not found"**
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```bash
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# Reinstall globally
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npm uninstall -g @qwenlm/qwen-code
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npm install -g @qwenlm/qwen-code
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```
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2. **Authentication errors**
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```bash
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# Clear cached credentials
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qwen --logout
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qwen # Re-authenticate
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```
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3. **Permission errors on Windows**
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```bash
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# Run VS Code as Administrator
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# Or use PowerShell as Administrator
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```
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4. **Node.js version issues**
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```bash
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# Update Node.js to version 18+
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# Or use nvm to manage versions
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nvm install 18
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nvm use 18
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```
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### Getting Help
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- **Documentation**: [qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs](https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs)
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- **GitHub Repository**: [github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code](https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code)
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- **Issues**: Report bugs on GitHub Issues
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## Best Practices
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### 1. Project Organization
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- Always run `qwen` from your project root directory
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- Keep your codebase organized with clear folder structure
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- Use meaningful commit messages for better analysis
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### 2. Effective Prompts
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- Be specific about what you want to achieve
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- Provide context about your project
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- Ask follow-up questions for clarification
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### 3. Security
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- Never share your API keys
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- Use environment variables for sensitive data
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- Review generated code before using in production
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### 4. Performance
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- Use `/compress` to save tokens in long sessions
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- Break down complex tasks into smaller steps
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- Use `/clear` to start fresh when needed
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## Next Steps
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Now that you have QWEN Coder CLI set up, try these activities:
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1. **Explore a new codebase**
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```bash
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> What are the core business logic components?
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> How does the data flow through the system?
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> What security mechanisms are in place?
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```
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2. **Refactor existing code**
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```bash
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> Help me refactor this class to follow SOLID principles
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> Add proper error handling and logging
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> Convert callbacks to async/await pattern
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```
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3. **Generate documentation**
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```bash
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> Generate comprehensive JSDoc comments for all public APIs
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> Create API documentation in OpenAPI format
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> Generate a README for this module
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```
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4. **Set up new projects**
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```bash
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> Set up a new Express server with authentication
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> Create a React component with TypeScript and tests
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> Implement a rate limiter middleware
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```
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## Conclusion
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Congratulations! 🎉 You now have QWEN Coder CLI set up and ready to use. This powerful AI coding assistant will help you:
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- **Understand codebases** faster
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- **Generate code** more efficiently
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- **Debug issues** more effectively
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- **Learn new technologies** through hands-on assistance
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Remember: QWEN Coder CLI is completely **FREE** to use with generous quotas, so don't hesitate to experiment and explore its capabilities!
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---
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**Happy Coding!** 🚀
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*Need help? Check out the [official documentation](https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs) or join the [GitHub discussions](https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/discussions).*

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