Migration Guide

Switching from another tool

SANDCODE shares a familiar tool-based workflow with other AI coding assistants. If you’re coming from another terminal-based coding tool, here’s what you need to know.

Configuration

SANDCODE uses .sandcode/ for project config:

File	Purpose
~/.sandcode/config.json	User-level settings (all projects)
.sandcode/settings.json	Project-level settings (committed)
.sandcode/settings.local.json	Personal project overrides (gitignored)

API Key

SANDCODE defaults to z.ai as its provider. Set your API key:

export ZAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key-here

Get one at docs.z.ai. You can also configure alternative providers — see Providers & Models.

Models

The default model is GLM-5.1 with a 200K context window. You can configure alternative models in your settings:

{
  "model": "GLM-5.1"
}

Plugins

SANDCODE has its own plugin format using .sandcode-plugin/ directories. It also provides backward compatibility — if a .sandcode-plugin/ is not found, it falls back to .claude-plugin/. Hook variables support both ${SANDCODE_PLUGIN_ROOT} and ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}.

Core tools

SANDCODE’s tool system provides everything you need:

• Hooks — lifecycle hooks for automation
• Slash commands — /init, /model, /compact, /help, etc.
• MCP servers — connect to external tools and data sources
• Built-in tools — Bash, Edit, Read, Write, Grep, Glob

What makes SANDCODE unique

• Auto Memory — persists context across sessions
• Recipe system — reusable workflow templates
• Amber/gold theme — distinctive visual identity with 6 built-in themes
• Zero telemetry — all tracking endpoints disabled by default