Terminal Mentions

The terminal mention enables you to incorporate your terminal output directly into your Sypha conversation. Simply enter @terminal and Sypha gains access to your terminal's recent output.

Typing @ in the chat field allows you to choose "Terminal" from the dropdown, or you can directly enter @terminal. Sypha instantly accesses the latest output from your active terminal, encompassing error notifications, build records, or command outcomes.

The terminal mention is my go-to tool when handling build failures, test errors, or debugging information. Rather than attempting to copy terminal output manually (which frequently corrupts formatting), I simply query:

I'm getting this error when running my tests: @terminal

What's causing this and how can I fix it?

This provides Sypha with the entire terminal output while preserving all formatting. Sypha can subsequently examine error notifications, stack traces, and contextual information to deliver more precise assistance.

Terminal mentions become particularly effective when paired with file mentions. During API call debugging, I reference both:

I'm getting this error when calling my API: @terminal

Here's my API client code: @/src/api/client.js
And the endpoint implementation: @/src/server/routes/users.js

What am I doing wrong?

This method equips Sypha with all necessary components - the precise error output, client-side code, and server-side implementation - without requiring any manual copying.

When encountering command output or build failure challenges, consider utilizing @terminal rather than manually copying output. You'll receive more accurate support since Sypha can access the full terminal context with intact formatting.

How It Works Under the Hood

Here's the behind-the-scenes process when employing terminal mentions in your message:

1. Upon message submission, Sypha identifies the @terminal pattern within your text

2. The extension invokes getLatestTerminalOutput() which interfaces with VSCode's terminal API

3. It retrieves the recent output buffer from your currently active terminal

4. The terminal output gets attached to your message using a structured format:

   <terminal_output>
   $ npm run test
   > project@1.0.0 test
   > jest
   
   FAIL src/components/__tests__/Button.test.js
   ● Button component › renders correctly
   
   [Complete terminal output with formatting preserved]
   </terminal_output>

5. This enriched message containing the embedded terminal output gets transmitted to the AI

6. The AI now accesses the complete terminal output while maintaining all formatting

This procedure executes automatically each time you employ terminal mentions, granting the AI access to your command outcomes, error notifications, and other terminal data without requiring manual copying.

Troubleshooting Terminal Issues

Should you encounter problems with terminal mentions or overall terminal integration (such as "Shell Integration Unavailable" notifications or commands producing no visible output), consult our detailed Terminal Integration Troubleshooting Guide.

Frequent problems encompass:

• Terminal mentions failing to capture output
• "Shell Integration Unavailable" notifications appearing in Sypha chat
• Commands running but producing output invisible to Sypha
• Terminal integration functioning unreliably

The troubleshooting guide offers platform-specific remedies and comprehensive configuration instructions to address these problems.