AlgoPilot

AlgoPilot is an AI-powered VS Code Extension designed to assist developers, especially those in algorithm competitions or working on performance-critical code. It acts as an intelligent coach, providing proactive feedback on code quality, efficiency, and safety.

Setup

The AlgoPilot extension should work out-of-the-box. Ensure your internet connection is active as it relies on an external LLM service.

Implemented Features

1. AI-powered Algorithm Code Review (Auto Review)

AlgoPilot actively reviews your code in the background, providing real-time feedback directly in the VS Code editor. It focuses on common pitfalls and best practices in algorithm design and competitive programming.

• Multi-language Support: Supports a wide range of popular programming languages including:
  • TypeScript, JavaScript
  • Python
  • C++, C
  • Java
  • Go
  • Rust
• Intelligent Detection Capabilities:
  • Time Complexity (TLE Risk): Identifies loops or recursive patterns that might lead to Time Limit Exceeded (TLE) errors for large inputs (e.g., O(N^2) solutions when an O(N) or O(N log N) solution is expected).
  • Data Type Safety (Overflows): Checks for potential integer overflows, warning when a variable (e.g., int) might not be sufficient to hold computed values, and suggests using larger data types (e.g., long long in C++, BigInt in JavaScript).
  • Corner Cases & Edge Conditions: Flags missing or inadequate handling of edge cases such such as empty arrays, n=0, n=1, or other boundary conditions that often cause "Wrong Answer" (WA).
  • Memory Safety (C/C++ specific): Provides warnings for potential memory leaks, out-of-bounds access, or invalid pointer usage in C/C++ code.
• Proactive Feedback: Diagnostics (squiggly lines and warning messages) appear automatically in your editor upon saving the document, guiding you to write more robust and efficient code.

2. Smart Edge Case Generation

AlgoPilot helps you test your code more rigorously by automatically generating edge cases that you might have missed.

• One-Click Generation: Simply click the "⚡ Generate Edge Cases" CodeLens that appears above your function definitions.
• Intelligent Analysis: The AI analyzes the function's logic and input types to determine the most critical boundary conditions (e.g., INT_MAX, empty arrays, null inputs).
• Inline Results: The generated test cases are inserted directly into your code as comments, making it easy to reference them while writing tests or debugging.

3. Intelligent Debugging Assistant (Crash Analyzer)

When debugging your code in VS Code, AlgoPilot acts as a smart companion that helps you understand why your program crashed.

• Automatic Crash Detection: The extension listens for "Exception" events during a debug session.
• Root Cause Analysis: It captures the stack trace, local variable values, and relevant source code, then uses AI to explain the exact reason for the crash.
• Minimal Reproduction: It suggests a minimal test case or input that would reproduce the crash, helping you isolate the bug faster.

4. Vibe Coding Tutor

Learn to code by doing, with an AI tutor that guides you step-by-step.

• Goal Decomposition: Tell the tutor what you want to build (e.g., "A binary search tree"), and it breaks it down into manageable sub-tasks.
• Interactive Guidance: Get hints and code snippets for each step without being spoon-fed the entire solution.
• Gamified Progress: Track your progress through the lesson plan and celebrate completion.

Future Ideas & Roadmap

• Team Collaboration Tools:
  • Code Documentation Generator: Automatically create plain-language documentation (e.g., in .h files or comments) for functions and classes, aiding understanding of unfamiliar codebases.
  • Environment Configuration Checker: Automatically detect dependency changes when switching Git branches and notify developers, ensuring synchronized development environments.
• Interactive Code Sandbox: Allow users to highlight a function or class and instantly execute it in an isolated environment with auto-generated mock data, enabling real-time experimentation without affecting the main project.
• Git Diff Analysis: Analyze code changes between Git commits and provide plain-language explanations of their impact and purpose.