ChatNPC - AI Coding Assistant
Your intelligent pair programmer, right inside VS Code
Features •
Installation •
Quick Start •
Commands •
Configuration •
Get API Key
✨ Features
Have natural conversations with an AI assistant directly in your editor. Ask questions about your code, get explanations, debug issues, or brainstorm solutions—all without leaving VS Code.
🧠 Project Context Awareness
ChatNPC automatically understands your project structure, detecting frameworks, languages, and dependencies. Get responses tailored to your specific tech stack.
🔍 Code Explanation
Select any code and instantly get a detailed explanation. Perfect for understanding legacy code, learning new patterns, or onboarding team members.
⚡ Code Improvement
Get AI-powered suggestions to improve your selected code—better performance, cleaner syntax, modern patterns, and best practices.
🔐 Secure by Design
Your API key is stored in VS Code's built-in secret storage, never in plain text files. Your code stays private.
📦 Installation
From VS Code Marketplace
- Open VS Code
- Go to Extensions (
Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
- Search for "ChatNPC"
- Click Install
From VSIX File
code --install-extension chatnpc-0.1.0.vsix
🚀 Quick Start
Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
Get your API Key from chat-npc.vercel.app
- Sign up or log in
- Go to Dashboard → API Keys
- Create a new API key
Configure the extension
- Open Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
- Run
ChatNPC: Set API Key
- Paste your API key
Start chatting!
- Click the ChatNPC icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
- Type your question and press Enter
🎯 Commands
| Command |
Description |
Shortcut |
ChatNPC: Open Chat |
Open the AI chat sidebar |
— |
ChatNPC: Set API Key |
Configure your API key |
— |
ChatNPC: Explain Selected Code |
Get an explanation of selected code |
Right-click menu |
ChatNPC: Improve Selected Code |
Get improvement suggestions |
Right-click menu |
Right-click on selected code to access:
- Explain Selected Code - Understand what the code does
- Improve Selected Code - Get optimization suggestions
⚙️ Configuration
Access settings via File → Preferences → Settings and search for "ChatNPC".
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
chatnpc.apiEndpoint |
https://chat-npc.vercel.app |
ChatNPC API endpoint URL |
chatnpc.model |
llama-3.3-70b |
AI model to use for responses |
chatnpc.provider |
cerebras |
AI provider (cerebras or groq) |
Available Models
| Model |
Provider |
Description |
llama-3.3-70b |
Cerebras |
Fast, high-quality responses (recommended) |
llama-3.1-8b |
Cerebras |
Lightweight, faster responses |
llama-3.1-70b-versatile |
Groq |
Versatile, balanced performance |
llama-3.1-8b-instant |
Groq |
Ultra-fast responses |
🔑 Get API Key
- Visit chat-npc.vercel.app
- Create an account or sign in
- Navigate to Dashboard → API Keys
- Click Create New Key
- Copy the key and use it in VS Code
Note: Keep your API key secure. Never share it or commit it to version control.
Requirements
- VS Code version 1.85.0 or higher
- ChatNPC API Key (free tier available)
- Internet connection for AI responses
🐛 Troubleshooting
Run ChatNPC: Set API Key from the Command Palette and enter your key.
"Request failed"
- Check your internet connection
- Verify your API key is valid
- Ensure you haven't exceeded your plan's rate limits
Extension not appearing
- Restart VS Code
- Check that the extension is enabled in the Extensions panel
📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
🔗 Links
Made with ❤️ by Claudio Nicolas Buzzi
