Skip to content
| Marketplace
Sign in
Visual Studio Code>Programming Languages>BrewHandNew to Visual Studio Code? Get it now.
BrewHand

BrewHand

BrewCode

|
2 installs
| (0) | Free
Enhances GitHub Copilot with 'do it right the first time' philosophy
Installation
Launch VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P), paste the following command, and press enter.
Copied to clipboard
More Info

BrewHand

Production-Ready AI Development Assistant for VS Code

Version Ko-fi

💡 Tips are appreciated to support ongoing development and new features!

BrewHand is a comprehensive VS Code extension that enhances AI-powered development with production-ready code generation, intelligent shell command validation, and quality-first development principles.

🆕 What's New in v1.0.3

🔧 Simplified Settings

  • Unified Iterative Mode - Consolidated continuous and iterative modes into a single, intuitive setting
  • Streamlined Interface - Removed complex budget and model selection UI for better user experience
  • Beer Menu - Clean, friendly interface accessible from the status bar

🍺 Enhanced User Experience

  • Beer Menu Status Bar - Click the 🍺 Beer Menu in the status bar for quick access to features
  • Simplified Configuration - Focus on core functionality with fewer confusing options
  • Better Tooltips - Clear guidance on what each feature does

View Full Changelog

✨ Key Features

🎯 Quality-First AI Development

  • Production-ready code generation with comprehensive error handling and best practices
  • Architectural guidance for performance, maintainability, security, and scalability
  • Multi-language support for JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, Rust, and more
  • Complexity analysis that adapts AI responses to task difficulty

🐚 Intelligent Shell Command System

  • Automatic shell detection (PowerShell, CMD, Bash, Zsh) with platform-specific formatting
  • Command syntax validation and correction before execution
  • Cross-platform compatibility ensuring commands work on your specific environment
  • Error prevention with proactive syntax checking and educational tips

🧠 Smart AI Chat Integration

  • @brewhand chat participant integrated directly into VS Code's chat interface
  • Iterative workflow support - Maintains context throughout multi-step development processes
  • Context-aware conversations that understand your project structure and coding patterns
  • Enhanced AI responses with shell-aware command generation and validation
  • Educational integration - Learn best practices while you code

🔍 Code Quality & Analysis Tools

  • Import path resolution with automatic error detection and intelligent suggestions
  • Error parsing system for compilation and runtime errors with actionable fixes
  • Code complexity scoring with recommendations for simplification and optimization
  • Architectural pattern suggestions based on comprehensive project analysis

🔒 Privacy-First Design

  • Local-first data storage with no external data transmission by default
  • Anonymized information handling for file paths and sensitive project details
  • Complete user control over data collection and sharing preferences
  • Transparent telemetry with clear explanations of benefits and opt-in choices

🚀 Installation

From VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
  3. Search for "BrewHand"
  4. Click Install

From VSIX File

  1. Download the latest brewhand-1.0.3.vsix file
  2. Open VS Code
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+P → "Extensions: Install from VSIX..."
  4. Select the downloaded .vsix file

🔍 Verifying Installation

Quick Check

code --list-extensions | findstr brewcode

Should return: brewcode.brewhand

Test Core Functionality

  1. Open VS Code Chat (Ctrl+Shift+I) and try @brewhand help
  2. Check Beer Menu - Look for the 🍺 icon in your status bar
  3. Command Palette - Press Ctrl+Shift+P and search "BrewHand" to see available commands

🍺 Getting Started

Open the Beer Menu

Click the 🍺 Beer Menu in your status bar to access:

  • Features Panel - Toggle core functionality on/off
  • Quick Settings - Configure BrewHand behavior
  • Help & Documentation - Learn more about available features

Using @brewhand in Chat

  1. Open VS Code Chat panel (Ctrl+Shift+I)
  2. Type @brewhand followed by your request
  3. Ask for shell commands, code generation, or architectural advice
  4. BrewHand will provide validated, production-ready responses

Key Features to Try

  • Shell Commands: Ask for platform-specific terminal commands
  • Code Generation: Request production-ready code with error handling
  • Error Analysis: Get help understanding and fixing compilation errors
  • Architecture Advice: Ask about best practices and design patterns

🎛️ Available Commands

BrewHand provides 11 focused commands accessible via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Core Shell & AI Commands

  • BrewHand: Detect Current Shell - Identify your shell environment
  • BrewHand: Validate Command Syntax - Check shell command syntax (Ctrl+Shift+Q)
  • BrewHand: Toggle Enhanced AI Mode - Enable/disable advanced AI responses
  • BrewHand: Show Shell Reference - Display shell syntax reference guide

Workflow Management

  • BrewHand: Toggle Iterative Support - Enable continuous workflow assistance (Ctrl+Shift+G)
  • BrewHand: Continue Workflow - Resume an active development workflow
  • BrewHand: Pause Workflow - Temporarily pause iterative assistance
  • BrewHand: Show Workflow Summary - View current workflow context and history
  • BrewHand: Clear Workflow History - Reset all workflow memory

Interface & Settings

  • BrewHand: Open Features Panel - Access the Beer Menu features panel
  • BrewHand: Open Settings - Configure BrewHand behavior and preferences

⚙️ Configuration

BrewHand works great with default settings, but you can customize behavior through:

Settings Options

  • Iterative Support - Enable continuous workflow assistance (default: enabled)
  • Shell Detection - Automatic or manual shell type selection
  • Strict Mode - Enforce production-ready code standards
  • Architectural Focus - Prioritize performance, maintainability, security, or balanced approach

Access Settings

  1. Click 🍺 Beer Menu in status bar
  2. Open Quick Settings panel
  3. Toggle features or click settings to modify values

🎯 Best Practices

For New Users

  • Start with @brewhand help to learn available features
  • Enable Iterative Support for multi-step development workflows
  • Use the Beer Menu to familiarize yourself with available features

For Development Workflows

  • Use @brewhand for shell commands to ensure platform compatibility
  • Ask for architectural advice before starting complex features
  • Request code reviews and suggestions for optimization

For Team Adoption

  • Share BrewHand commands and workflows with your team
  • Use consistent architectural focus settings across projects
  • Leverage educational tips to improve team coding practices

🤝 Support & Feedback

  • Issues & Feature Requests: GitHub Repository
  • Support the Project: Ko-fi
  • Documentation: Check the Beer Menu for built-in help and references

Made with ❤️ for developers who value quality and reliability

  • Contact us
  • Jobs
  • Privacy
  • Manage cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Trademarks
© 2025 Microsoft