TIP

This blog post is an early vision statement. For the current introduction to SubFrame, see What is SubFrame?.

The Problem ​

When developing with Claude Code, there's no real need for tools like VS Code or Cursor. Those editors are designed for writing code manually — syntax highlighting, autocomplete, multi-cursor editing. But when an AI is writing your code, you don't need that complexity.

What you actually need is:

  • A way to organize and manage your projects
  • A real terminal (or multiple terminals) where AI tools run
  • Context that persists between sessions
  • Task tracking so nothing falls through the cracks
  • Quick project switching without losing your place

Staying in the terminal means projects remain disorganized. Context is lost. Decisions are forgotten. There's no standardization across projects.

The Solution: SubFrame ​

SubFrame is not an IDE in the traditional sense. It's a framework — that's where the name comes from. Within SubFrame, you create "SubFrame projects" with a standard structure:

  • AGENTS.md — AI instructions that get read at session start
  • STRUCTURE.json — a module map of your codebase
  • PROJECT_NOTES.md — decisions and session notes
  • tasks.json — task tracking

Every project gets the same structure. Every AI session starts with context. Nothing is lost.

Terminal-First Philosophy ​

SubFrame's center is not a code editor — it's the terminal. Even multiple terminals, in a grid layout. This is intentional.

"I need standardization and manageability for my projects. I'm terminal and Claude Code focused. That's why SubFrame's center is not a code editor, but a terminal."

SubFrame supports up to 9 terminals simultaneously, with both tab and grid views. You can run Claude Code in one terminal, tests in another, and a dev server in a third — all visible at once.

What SubFrame is NOT ​

  • Not a code editor — there's a file editor for quick edits, but it's not the focus
  • Not a VS Code replacement — if you write code manually, VS Code is still better
  • Not optimized for manual coding — it's optimized for AI-assisted development

Target User ​

SubFrame is for developers who do daily development with AI coding tools, working terminal-focused. If you find yourself spending most of your time in Claude Code, Codex CLI, or Gemini CLI — and just need a better way to manage your projects and preserve context — SubFrame is for you.

Get started with SubFrame or check out the GitHub repository.