VS Code's interface is organized into a few key areas that you'll use regularly when working with the ENERGY 2100 model in Julia:

Activity Bar (far left) — A vertical strip of icons that lets you switch between major views: the file Explorer, Search, Source Control (Git), and Extensions. You'll use the Extensions panel to install the Julia extension if it isn't already set up.

Side Bar (left panel) — This panel changes depending on what you've selected in the Activity Bar. Most of the time you'll see the Explorer, which shows your project's folder and file tree. This is where you'll navigate to and open the ENERGY 2100 model files.

Editor Area (center) — The main workspace where files open for viewing and editing. You can have multiple files open as tabs, and VS Code supports split views if you want to look at two files side by side (e.g., an input file alongside the main model script).

Terminal (bottom panel) — An integrated terminal that runs right inside VS Code. This is where you'll launch Julia, activate your project environment (] activate .), and run the model. You can open it with Ctrl+` or via the Terminal menu.

Status Bar (very bottom) — A thin bar that shows useful at-a-glance info, including the current file type and — once the Julia extension is installed — the Julia environment or version being used.


For ENERGY 2100 specifically, your typical workflow will live in three of these areas: the Explorer to open model files, the Editor to read and modify Julia scripts, and the Terminal to run the model. The Julia extension also adds a built-in REPL and plot viewer, which will appear as additional panels when active.


You can learn more about all the features the Julia VSCode extension provides here: Julia Visual Studio Code Documentation or here: Visual Studio Basic Layout.