Code Coach 🎓

AI-powered coding tutor that explains code, not writes it.

"Most AI tools make coders faster. This one makes them better."

Code Coach is a VS Code extension focused on pedagogy over productivity. While other AI tools (Copilot, Cursor) write code for you, Code Coach explains code to you—helping you truly understand what you're building.

Features

🎯 The "Why" Hover (F-001)

Hover over any function, variable, or import and click "🎓 Explain this" to get a plain-English explanation. No jargon, just understanding.

🤔 Socratic Debugging (F-002)

When you hit an error, Code Coach doesn't just fix it—it explains why it happened first. Learn from your mistakes!

See a red squiggle? Click "🤔 Why is this happening?"
Understand the root cause before getting the solution
Build debugging intuition over time

📖 Logic Walkthrough (F-003)

Select any block of code (loops, functions, conditionals) and use "🎓 Explain This Code" from the context menu. Get a step-by-step breakdown:

"First, we initialize X. Then, for every item in Y, we do Z..."

Open the Code Coach sidebar for a chat interface where you can ask broader questions about your code:

"What does this file do?"
"How could I improve this function?"
"Explain this algorithm"

Installation

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Code Coach"
Click Install

Setup

Code Coach supports multiple AI providers. Choose one and get your API key:

Provider	Free Tier	Get API Key
Google Gemini	✅ Yes	aistudio.google.com
Groq	✅ Yes	console.groq.com
OpenAI	❌ Paid	platform.openai.com
Anthropic	❌ Paid	console.anthropic.com

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,)
Search for "Code Coach"
Select your preferred Provider
Enter the corresponding API Key

Configuration

Setting	Description	Default
`codeCoach.provider`	AI provider (gemini, openai, anthropic, groq)	`gemini`
`codeCoach.geminiApiKey`	Google Gemini API key	-
`codeCoach.geminiModel`	Gemini model	`gemini-2.0-flash`
`codeCoach.openaiApiKey`	OpenAI API key	-
`codeCoach.openaiModel`	OpenAI model	`gpt-4o`
`codeCoach.anthropicApiKey`	Anthropic API key	-
`codeCoach.anthropicModel`	Claude model	`claude-3-5-sonnet`
`codeCoach.groqApiKey`	Groq API key	-
`codeCoach.groqModel`	Groq model	`llama-3.3-70b`
`codeCoach.explanationStyle`	Complexity level	`beginner`

Usage

Explain Selected Code

Select code in your editor
Right-click → "🎓 Explain This Code"
Or use Command Palette: Code Coach: Explain This Code

Understand Errors

Click on an error (red squiggle)
Click the lightbulb or press Ctrl+.
Select "🤔 Why is this happening?"

Ask Questions

Click the 🎓 icon in the Activity Bar
Type your question
Get context-aware answers about your current file

The "Anti-Feature"

No Auto-Complete. Code Coach deliberately does NOT ghost-write code as you type. This is by design—we want you to learn, not become dependent on AI writing code for you.

Supported Languages

Currently optimized for:

✅ Python

More languages coming in future updates!

Roadmap

[ ] JavaScript/TypeScript support
[ ] Inefficiency Spotter (highlight slow patterns)
[ ] Learning history and progress tracking
[ ] Gamification (streaks, achievements)

Feedback

Found a bad explanation? Click "Still confused" and the AI will try again. If an explanation is incorrect, please report it so we can improve!

Privacy

Your code is sent to your chosen AI provider's API for analysis
No code is stored on our servers
API calls are made directly from your machine to the provider

License

MIT

Made with ❤️ for learners. Because understanding your code is more important than just shipping it.

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