# First steps: Start Julia in a certain folder in VSCode

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/first-steps-start-julia-in-a-certain-folder-in-vscode/80822>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Tags:** vscode\
**Created:** [May 10, 2022, 3:13pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/first-steps-start-julia-in-a-certain-folder-in-vscode/80822 "2022-05-10T15:13:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![BrianOConner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c2a13f/32.png) [@BrianOConner](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BrianOConner)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2022, 11:19am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/first-steps-start-julia-in-a-certain-folder-in-vscode/80822/5 "2022-05-11T11:19:06Z")

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Hi,

my Path is for example this folder saved somewhere

> **[GitHub - JuliaPackageMirrors/PowerModels.jl: Julia package mirror.](https://github.com/JuliaPackageMirrors/PowerModels.jl)**
>
> Julia package mirror.

From the question:

> [@WARNING: using x.x in module Main conflicts with an existing identifier](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/warning-using-x-x-in-module-main-conflicts-with-an-existing-identifier/80819):
>
> Hi, this is basically my first day with Julia. I know that this question came up a few times in different context, but I did not really think the answers there where helpful. I tried to get random program and run it. I tried this with two different programs and got a similar error. My plan was to get code and learn from it. My choice (but the topic of the code doesnt matter, this one is just one I should understand and the README is super easy… so I thought): I startet with “] activate .” a…

All I wanted is to run a Julia file, thats it. The example I tried is the link (PowerModels, but any would work for me, I just need an example), it does have a Project and Manifest file. I am in the right path, I guess, and I did activate and instantiated (what I think is the current folder with those files).

So to back up to the absolut beginning in VS Code: “File” → “Open Folder” and my Terminal Commant line shows PS D:\Daten\Julia\PowerModels.jl-master\>  
(… the cd(“D:\Daten\Julia\PowerModels.jl-master”) command then does nothing, right? But I should be in the working directory) I can change the environment in the left corner of VSCode and chose “C:\users\myName.julia\environments\v1.7”, but that doesnt help … and typing in “using Pkg” doesnt work in any case.  
Runing one line of Code by Ctrl+enter in a file in that folder starts Julia and I can type in using Pkg and then activate and so on…

That cant be the way, right?  
But that is also another problem due to inexperience, I hope.

I just want to run the Code, shown in the read me:

## Basic Usage

Once PowerModels is installed, Ipopt is installed, and a network data file (e.g. “nesta\_case3\_lmbd.m”) has been acquired, an AC Optimal Power Flow can be executed with,

**using PowerModels**  
**using Ipopt**  
**run\_ac\_opf(“nesta\_case3\_lmbd.m”, IpoptSolver())**

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/first-steps-start-julia-in-a-certain-folder-in-vscode/80822)._