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Inline Code Execution

Run code blocks from Claude's responses directly on your Mac with a single tap. See the output inline without switching to the terminal.

How It Works

When Claude responds with a fenced code block in a supported language, a green Run button appears in the code block header (next to the existing Copy button). Tapping it sends the code to your Mac for execution and displays the result inline in the chat.

Supported Languages

The Run button appears for code blocks tagged with these languages:

Language tag Execution method
bash, sh, zsh, shell Runs directly as a shell command
python, python3 Runs via python3 -c "<code>"
ruby Runs via ruby -e "<code>"
node, js Runs via node -e "<code>"
(no tag) Runs as a shell command

Code blocks tagged with other languages (e.g., swift, go, java, html, css) do not show the Run button because they cannot be directly executed as a one-liner.

Step-by-Step Example

  1. Ask Claude a question that results in runnable code:

    How do I list all Python files in the current directory?

  2. Claude responds with a code block:

    ```bash
find . -name "*.py" -type f
```

  3. The code block header shows:

    • The language label (bash)
    • A Copy button
    • A green Run button

  4. Tap Run

  5. The code block briefly shows a "Running..." placeholder

  6. After execution (30-second timeout), the result appears inline as a new output block:

    ./src/main.py
./src/utils.py
./tests/test_main.py

Context Menu Actions

In addition to the Run button, you can long-press (or right-click on iPad with a trackpad) any code block to access a context menu with three options:

Action Description
Run Execute the code on your Mac (same as the Run button)
Copy Copy the code to the clipboard
Save to Snippets Save the code block to your Code Snippet Library for later reuse

Execution Details

  • Timeout: Code execution has a 30-second timeout. If the command does not complete within 30 seconds, it is terminated and a timeout message is shown
  • Working directory: Code runs in the working directory set for the current chatroom (visible in Info --> Project directory)
  • SSH connection required: The Run button only works when you have an active SSH connection to your Mac. In API mode without a Mac connection, the button does not appear
  • Output format: The execution result replaces the "Running..." placeholder with a fenced code block containing stdout and stderr output

Tips

  • Quick testing: Use inline execution to quickly test Claude's suggestions before applying them to your project
  • Chain with Snap & Code: Photograph a UI mockup, let Claude generate HTML, then tap Run to render it (if Claude generates a shell command to write and open the file)
  • Shell one-liners: The Run button is especially useful for shell one-liners like du -sh *, ps aux | grep node, or curl commands
  • Python snippets: Claude often suggests Python one-liners for data processing. The Run button makes it trivial to test them
  • Save useful snippets: If Claude generates a command you will reuse, long-press the code block and tap Save to Snippets to keep it in your library