Overview Version History Q & A Rating & Review
BrewHand
Production-Ready AI Development Assistant for VS Code
💡 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
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)
Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X
)
Search for "BrewHand"
Click Install
From VSIX File
Download the latest brewhand-1.0.3.vsix
file
Open VS Code
Press Ctrl+Shift+P
→ "Extensions: Install from VSIX..."
Select the downloaded .vsix
file
🔍 Verifying Installation
Quick Check
code --list-extensions | findstr brewcode
Should return: brewcode.brewhand
Test Core Functionality
Open VS Code Chat (Ctrl+Shift+I
) and try @brewhand help
Check Beer Menu - Look for the 🍺 icon in your status bar
Command Palette - Press Ctrl+Shift+P
and search "BrewHand" to see available commands
🍺 Getting Started
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
Open VS Code Chat panel (Ctrl+Shift+I
)
Type @brewhand
followed by your request
Ask for shell commands, code generation, or architectural advice
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
Click 🍺 Beer Menu in status bar
Open Quick Settings panel
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