Perplexity Bot - AI Chat Assistant for VS Code

🚀 Chat with Perplexity AI directly in VS Code! Get instant coding help, explanations, and answers without leaving your editor. Boost your productivity with AI-powered assistance.

✨ Features

🤖 AI-Powered Chat

• Direct Perplexity AI Integration - Chat with one of the most advanced AI models
• Context-Aware Conversations - AI remembers your entire conversation history
• Smart Code Assistance - Get help with debugging, code reviews, and explanations

💾 Chat Management

• New Chat Creation - Start a new chat session with one click
• Chat History Browser - Browse and switch between previous conversations
• Delete Individual Chats - Remove specific chat sessions you no longer need
• Persistent Chat History - Chat history is automatically saved and restored
• Cross-Session Persistence - Your conversations survive VS Code restarts
• Smart Storage Management - Automatically manages storage to prevent bloat

🎨 Modern UI/UX

• Copilot/Gemini-Style Interface - Modern chat design similar to popular AI assistants
• Multiline Chat Input - Auto-resizing textarea for better message composition
• Model Selection - Choose between different Perplexity AI models
• File Context Integration - Include current file content in conversations
• Theme-Aware Interface - Matches your VS Code theme perfectly
• Markdown Support - Rich formatting for code blocks, lists, and text
• Code Highlighting - Syntax-highlighted code in responses
• Timestamps - See when each message was sent

🔒 Security & Privacy

• Secure API Key Storage - Keys stored in VS Code's secure configuration
• No Data Leakage - API keys never leave your system
• Local Processing - All chat processing happens locally

⚡ Developer Productivity

• No Context Switching - Stay in your editor while getting AI help
• Quick Access - One-click access from the Activity Bar
• Command Palette Integration - Access features via keyboard shortcuts

🚀 Quick Start

1. Installation

# Install from VS Code Marketplace
code --install-extension ankitmalik.perplexity-bot

Or search for "Perplexity Bot" in the VS Code Extensions marketplace.

2. Get Your API Key

1. Visit Perplexity AI
2. Sign up for an account
3. Navigate to API settings
4. Copy your API key (starts with pplx-)

3. Configure the Extension

1. Open VS Code Settings (Cmd+, on macOS or Ctrl+, on Windows/Linux)
2. Search for "Perplexity Bot"
3. Add your API key to the perplexityBot.apiKey setting

Or add to your settings.json:

{
  "perplexityBot.apiKey": "pplx-your-api-key-here"
}

4. Start Chatting!

1. Click the "Chat Assistant" icon in the Activity Bar
2. Choose your preferred AI model from the dropdown
3. Optionally enable "File Context" to include current file content
4. Type your question in the multiline input and press Send
5. Get instant AI-powered responses with context awareness!

5. Managing Your Chats

1. Click the "➕" button to create a new chat session
2. Click the "🕒" button to browse and select from previous chat sessions
3. Hover over chat history items to reveal the delete option (✖️)
4. Click on any chat history item to restore that conversation

📖 Usage Examples

💻 Coding Help

User: "How do I create a React component with TypeScript?"
AI: [Provides detailed explanation with code examples]

🐛 Debugging Assistance

User: "My JavaScript function is returning undefined, can you help?"
AI: [Analyzes the issue and provides debugging steps]

📚 Learning & Explanation

User: "Explain the difference between async/await and Promises"
AI: [Provides comprehensive explanation with examples]

📁 File Context Analysis

User: "Can you review this code for best practices?" (with File Context enabled)
AI: [Analyzes current file and provides specific recommendations]

🔍 Code Review

User: "Can you review this code for best practices?"
AI: [Reviews code and suggests improvements]

⚙️ Configuration

Extension Settings

🎯 Use Cases

🧑‍💻 For Developers

• Code Reviews - Get instant feedback on your code
• Debugging Help - Troubleshoot issues with AI assistance
• Learning New Technologies - Understand concepts and best practices
• Code Generation - Get help with boilerplate and examples

👨‍🎓 For Students

• Homework Help - Get explanations for programming concepts
• Project Guidance - Receive guidance on coding projects
• Learning Path - Understand complex topics step by step

🏢 For Teams

• Code Documentation - Generate documentation for your code
• Best Practices - Ensure code follows industry standards
• Knowledge Sharing - Get explanations for team codebases

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

❌ "API key is not set"

• Solution: Add your Perplexity API key to VS Code settings

❌ "API Error: 401"

• Solution: Check if your API key is valid and has sufficient credits

❌ "Request failed"

• Solution: Check your internet connection and try again

❌ Chat history not persisting

• Solution: Ensure you're using the latest version of the extension

Getting Help

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue if your problem isn't listed
3. Include details about your VS Code version and error messages

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Perplexity AI for providing the powerful AI API
• VS Code Team for the excellent extension API
• Community Contributors for feedback and suggestions

📊 Statistics

• Version: 1.0.3
• VS Code Compatibility: 1.102.0+
• Last Updated: August 2025
• License: MIT