THI Coding Assistant

AI-powered coding assistant for THI projects — chat with your backend models, get code suggestions, and generate clear summaries directly inside VS Code.

Features

THI Coding Assistant provides AI-powered development tools directly in VS Code:

Primary Features

• AI Chat - Conversational coding assistant for questions and guidance
• Code Suggestions - Get improvement recommendations for selected code
• Code Summary - Generate explanations of complex code blocks
• Manual Code Review - Analyze files for critical issues with actionable fixes
• Pre-commit Hook - Automatic validation before commits (toggle on/off)
• Smart Model Selection - Auto mode selects optimal models per feature type
• Response Regeneration - Request alternative responses

Quick Start

1. Install the extension
2. Open the CAT icon in the Activity Bar
3. Ensure VPN connection to THI infrastructure (required for backend access)

Note: The extension UI loads regardless of backend availability, but AI features require backend connection.

Code Improvement Suggestions

Select any code snippet to receive AI-powered improvement suggestions, optimization tips, and best practice recommendations.

Code Summarization

Generate clear, concise summaries of selected code blocks or entire files to quickly understand complex code.

Manual Code Review

Review your active file with AI assistance and receive inline fix suggestions.

Pre-commit Hook Integration

Automatic code review before every commit. The extension integrates with git to help maintain code quality.

Getting Started

1. Install the extension
2. Open the "CAT" icon in the Activity Bar (sidebar)
3. Ensure the serverside backend is reachable
4. Start chatting or select code to get suggestions

Usage

Chat Mode: Type your questions in the chat panel and receive instant AI responses.

Code Suggestions: Select code in your editor, click "Get Suggestions" in the assistant panel, and review the improvements.

Code Summary: Select code you want to understand and click "Summarize Code" to get a clear explanation.

Manual Review: Open a file you want to review, click "Review Current File", and see inline suggestions.

Manual Review: Click the "Review Code" button to analyze the currently open file for critical issues (security vulnerabilities, logic errors, potential crashes). Receive structured fixes with line numbers and replacement code.

Pre-commit Hook: Toggle the pre-commit switch in the extension panel to enable or disable automatic code review before Git commits. When enabled, commits are validated for critical issues before being allowed.

Model Selection: Choose "Auto" from the model dropdown to enable intelligent model selection (chat uses general reasoning models, code features use specialized coding models). Manual model selection is also available.

Response Regeneration: Use the regenerate button to request an alternative AI response if the initial result is unsatisfactory.

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.93.0 or higher
• THI VPN connection required during use: https://www.thi.de/service/it-service/vpn/

About

Developed for students at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) to enhance coding experience and learning.

See main README for complete setup instructions.