The problems mention gives Cline instant access to all the errors and warnings in your workspace. Just type @problems and Cline can see every diagnostic issue VSCode has detected.

When you type @ in chat, select “Problems” from the menu or just type @problems directly. Cline will immediately see all the errors and warnings from your workspace, complete with file locations and error messages.

I use the problems mention constantly when I’m stuck on build errors or TypeScript issues. Instead of trying to describe the errors or copy them one by one, I just ask:

I'm getting these TypeScript errors and I'm not sure how to fix them: @problems

Can you help me understand what's wrong and how to fix it?

This gives Cline the complete list of errors with their exact locations and messages. Cline can then analyze the patterns across multiple errors and suggest comprehensive solutions.

The problems mention is especially powerful when combined with file mentions. When I’m dealing with complex type errors, I’ll reference both:

I'm getting these type errors: @problems

Here's my component: @/src/components/DataTable.tsx
And the types file: @/src/types/api.ts

How can I fix these issues?

This approach gives Cline everything it needs - the exact errors, the component code, and the type definitions - all without me having to copy anything manually.

Next time you’re stuck on errors, try using @problems instead of copying error messages. You’ll get more accurate help because Cline can see the complete error context and locations.

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How It Works Under the Hood

When you use the problems mention in your message, here’s what happens behind the scenes:

  1. When you send your message, Cline detects the @problems pattern in your text
  2. The extension calls VSCode’s built-in vscode.languages.getDiagnostics() API to get all errors and warnings
  3. It formats these diagnostics into a structured text representation with file paths, line numbers, and error messages
  4. The formatted problems list is appended to your message in a structured format: 
    <workspace_diagnostics>
/path/to/file.js:10:5 - error TS2322: Type 'string' is not assignable to type 'number'.
/path/to/file.js:15:3 - warning: This variable is never used.
</workspace_diagnostics>
  5. This enhanced message with the embedded diagnostics is sent to the AI
  6. The AI can now “see” all the errors and warnings in your workspace, complete with their locations and messages

This process happens automatically whenever you use the problems mention, giving the AI a comprehensive view of all the issues in your workspace without you having to copy them manually.