DevEx AI Assistant Extension
Complete AI-Powered SDLC Acceleration Platform for Engineering Teams
Overview
The DevEx AI Assistant is a comprehensive VS Code extension that leverages GitHub Copilot to accelerate your entire software development lifecycle - from design validation to code generation to deployment automation. Built for engineering teams to maintain velocity while ensuring principal engineer-level quality standards throughout the SDLC.
What started as a Spring Boot generator has evolved into a complete development workflow assistant that covers:
- 📋 Design review and validation
- 📝 OpenAPI specification generation
- ⚙️ Production-ready code generation
- 🚀 Deployment automation
- 📊 Productivity analytics and ROI tracking
Features
Core Capabilities
Design & Planning Phase
- LLD Review & Validation: AI-powered architectural review with two specialized reviews:
- Software Engineering Completeness: Comprehensive review (error handling, state management, security, performance, monitoring, operations)
- API Design Completeness: Ensure LLDs have all details for OpenAPI/code generation
- Design Documentation: Summarize and analyze LLD documents (.md, .txt, .docx)
- Best Practices Guidance: Learn engineering standards through AI feedback
Development Phase
- OpenAPI Spec Generation: Create complete OpenAPI 3.0 specs from LLD documents
- OpenAPI Analysis: Validate and parse existing API specifications
- Spring Boot Project Generation: Complete enterprise-grade microservices from OpenAPI
- Code Review: AI-powered code quality and architecture review
- Endpoint Scaffolding: Quick REST API endpoint generation
Deployment & Operations
- Enterprise Templates: Pre-approved Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD configurations
- Deployment Automation: One-click insertion of infrastructure-as-code
Analytics & Productivity
- Productivity Tracking: Built-in telemetry to measure time savings and ROI
- Team Dashboards: Visualize team productivity and AI adoption
- Executive Reporting: ROI calculations and success metrics for leadership
Productivity Dashboard
Track your team's AI-enabled productivity:
- Time saved per engineer
- Projects generated count
- ROI calculations for executive reporting
- Feature usage analytics
Available Commands
Access all commands via Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) or context menu:
Design & Planning
- Summarize LLD - AI-powered analysis and summary of design documents
- Review LLD - Comprehensive architectural review (includes API completeness check)
- Generate OpenAPI Spec from LLD - Create complete OpenAPI 3.0 specifications
Development & Code Generation
- Generate Spring Boot Project - Complete enterprise-grade microservices
- Parse OpenAPI Spec - Validate and analyze API specifications
- Review Code - AI-powered code quality and architecture review
- Add REST Endpoint - Quick endpoint scaffolding (coming soon)
Deployment & Infrastructure
- Insert Deployment Template - Add Kubernetes/Docker/CI-CD configurations
Analytics & Tracking
- View Productivity Dashboard - Team metrics, time savings, and ROI
- Check for Updates - Stay current with internal releases
Prerequisites
Required (for using the extension)
- VS Code: Version 1.85.0 or higher
- GitHub Copilot: Active subscription (uses existing Copilot license)
Optional (only for building/running generated projects)
- JDK: Java 17 or 21 (only needed to build and run generated Spring Boot projects)
- Maven/Gradle: Build tools (only needed to compile and run generated projects)
Note: Most extension features (LLD review, summarization, OpenAPI generation, templates) work without any additional tools. Java and build tools are only required if you want to compile and run the generated Spring Boot projects.
Installation
Internal Distribution (Current)
- Download the latest
.vsix file from your internal GitHub releases page
- In VS Code, go to Extensions view (
Ctrl+Shift+X)
- Click the
... menu → "Install from VSIX..."
- Select the downloaded
.vsix file
- Restart VS Code
The extension will automatically check for updates from the configured internal repository.
Quick Start
Complete SDLC Workflow (Design → Code)
Step 1: Write Your LLD
Create a detailed Low-Level Design document with your API specifications.
Step 2: Review for Completeness ⭐ NEW!
Before generating code, ensure your LLD has all necessary details:
1. Right-click your LLD file → "Review LLD"
2. Select "API Design Completeness"
3. AI checks for:
- Complete endpoint definitions (HTTP methods, paths, parameters)
- Detailed request/response schemas with validation rules
- HTTP status codes and error handling
- Security/authentication specifications
- Data models and constraints
4. Review AI feedback and update your LLD
5. Re-run review until AI says "READY"
See our guides:
Step 3: Generate OpenAPI Spec ⭐ NEW!
Once your LLD is complete:
1. Right-click your LLD file → "Generate OpenAPI Spec from LLD"
2. Provide:
- Service name
- API version
- Format preference (YAML/JSON)
- Whether to include examples and security definitions
3. Review and save the generated OpenAPI spec
Step 4: Generate Spring Boot Project
Now generate production-ready code:
Generate Your First Spring Boot Project
Prepare Your Inputs:
- ✅ Reviewed LLD document (use Step 2 above)
- ✅ OpenAPI specification (generated in Step 3 or existing)
Run the Generator:
- Open Command Palette:
Ctrl+Shift+P
- Type:
DevEx: Generate Spring Boot Project
- Follow the prompts:
- Estimate manual development time (for ROI tracking)
- Choose output directory
- Select OpenAPI spec file
- (Optional) Select LLD document
- Configure project details (name, package, Java version, etc.)
Review Generated Project:
- Complete Maven/Gradle project structure
- REST controllers from OpenAPI endpoints
- Service and repository layers
- Exception handling and validation
- OpenAPI documentation setup
- Unit test scaffolding
- README with getting started instructions
Build and Run:
cd <your-project>
mvn spring-boot:run
# or
gradle bootRun
Access Your API:
- Application: http://localhost:8080/api
- Swagger UI: http://localhost:8080/api/swagger-ui.html
- Health Check: http://localhost:8080/api/actuator/health
Complete End-to-End Workflow
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Phase 1: Design & Validation │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. Write LLD with detailed API specifications │
│ 2. ⭐ Review LLD → "API Design Completeness" │
│ • AI checks 40+ completeness criteria │
│ • Get specific actionable feedback │
│ • Iterate until AI says "READY" │
│ 3. ⭐ Generate OpenAPI Spec from LLD │
│ • Complete OpenAPI 3.0 YAML/JSON │
│ • Includes all schemas, validation, errors │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Phase 2: Code Generation │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 4. Generate Spring Boot Project from OpenAPI │
│ • Complete enterprise-grade microservice │
│ • Controllers, services, repositories │
│ • Exception handling, validation, tests │
│ 5. (Optional) Review Code for quality assurance │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Phase 3: Deployment & Operations │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 6. Insert Deployment Templates │
│ • Kubernetes manifests │
│ • Docker configurations │
│ • CI/CD pipelines │
│ 7. Push to Git → Automated deployment │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Phase 4: Analytics & Continuous Improvement │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 8. View Productivity Dashboard │
│ • Track time saved across all phases │
│ • Team adoption metrics │
│ • ROI calculations for leadership │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Cumulative Time Savings Across SDLC:
- Design Review: Manual (2 hours) → AI (5 minutes) = 95% faster
- OpenAPI Creation: Manual (2 hours) → AI (2 minutes) = 98% faster
- Project Scaffolding: Manual (4-8 hours) → AI (15 minutes) = 94% faster
- Deployment Setup: Manual (2 hours) → AI (5 minutes) = 96% faster
- Total: 10-14 hours → 27 minutes = 96% reduction 🚀
Use Cases Beyond Spring Boot
While Spring Boot generation is a core feature, this extension accelerates multiple development scenarios:
1. Design Review & Validation
Use Case: Comprehensive review to ensure production-ready designs
- Commands:
- Review LLD → "Software Engineering Completeness" (comprehensive: error handling, state, security, performance, ops)
- Review LLD → "API Design Completeness" (API-focused: endpoints, schemas, status codes)
- Benefit: Catch design issues early, validate completeness, ensure all engineering aspects are covered
- Users: Architects, Tech Leads, Senior Engineers, All Engineers before implementation
2. OpenAPI Specification Creation
Use Case: Creating API contracts from design documents
- Command: Generate OpenAPI Spec from LLD
- Benefit: Consistent, complete API specifications in minutes
- Users: API Designers, Backend Engineers, Integration Teams
3. Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
Use Case: Understanding existing LLDs or onboarding new team members
- Command: Summarize LLD
- Benefit: Quick understanding of complex designs
- Users: New Engineers, Cross-functional Teams, Documentation Writers
4. Code Quality Assurance
Use Case: Reviewing codebases for quality, security, and best practices
- Command: Review Code
- Benefit: Principal engineer-level feedback in seconds
- Users: All Engineers, Code Reviewers, QA Teams
5. Infrastructure as Code
Use Case: Standardizing deployment configurations across projects
- Command: Insert Deployment Template
- Benefit: Enterprise-approved configs, zero configuration drift
- Users: DevOps Engineers, Platform Teams, All Developers
6. Team Productivity Analytics
Use Case: Measuring AI adoption and ROI for leadership
- Command: View Productivity Dashboard
- Benefit: Data-driven decisions on AI investment
- Users: Engineering Managers, Directors, Executives
Quick Start by Role
👨💻 For Backend Engineers
Primary workflow: Complete microservice development
Prepare Your Inputs:
- ✅ Reviewed LLD document (use design review feature)
- ✅ OpenAPI specification (generated from LLD or existing)
Run the Generator:
- Command:
DevEx: Generate Spring Boot Project
- Follow prompts for project configuration
- Review generated enterprise-grade code
Build and Deploy:
cd <your-project>
mvn spring-boot:run
# Access at http://localhost:8080/api
# Swagger UI: http://localhost:8080/api/swagger-ui.html
🏛️ For Architects & Tech Leads
Primary workflow: Design review and validation
Review LLDs for comprehensive engineering completeness:
- Command:
DevEx: Review LLD → "Software Engineering Completeness"
- Validates: error handling, state management, security, performance, monitoring, operations
- Get detailed feedback with actionable checklists
Review LLDs for API completeness (if API-focused):
- Command:
DevEx: Review LLD → "API Design Completeness"
- Ensures teams have complete API specifications for code generation
Generate standard API specifications:
- Command:
DevEx: Generate OpenAPI Spec from LLD
- Validate API designs before implementation
Track team productivity:
- Command:
DevEx: View Productivity Dashboard
- Monitor adoption and ROI
🔌 For API Designers & Integration Teams
Primary workflow: API specification creation
- Write detailed API design in LLD
- Run:
DevEx: Generate OpenAPI Spec from LLD
- Use generated spec for:
- Frontend/backend contracts
- API documentation
- Mock server generation
- Client SDK generation
- Multi-language code generation
Primary workflow: Infrastructure standardization
Access standardized templates:
- Command:
DevEx: Insert Deployment Template
- Choose from Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD templates
Ensure consistency across projects:
- All projects use approved configurations
- Zero configuration drift
- Easy updates via extension
📊 For Engineering Managers & Directors
Primary workflow: Team productivity and ROI tracking
Monitor team metrics:
- Command:
DevEx: View Productivity Dashboard
- Time saved per engineer
- Feature adoption rates
- Project velocity improvements
Generate executive reports:
- Export metrics for leadership presentations
- Calculate ROI on AI tooling investment
- Track continuous improvement trends
Configuration
Access via VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) → Search "DevEx"
Project Defaults
{
"devex-ai-assistant.springBoot.version": "3.4.1",
"devex-ai-assistant.java.version": "21",
"devex-ai-assistant.buildTool": "maven",
"devex-ai-assistant.packageName": "com.yourcompany"
}
Telemetry & Updates
{
"devex-ai-assistant.telemetry.enabled": true,
"devex-ai-assistant.updates.checkOnStartup": true,
"devex-ai-assistant.updates.githubReleasesUrl": "https://github.com/yourorg/devex-ai-assistant/releases"
}
AI Model Selection
{
"devex-ai-assistant.ai.modelFamily": "claude",
"devex-ai-assistant.ai.modelSelector": {
"vendor": "copilot",
"family": "claude"
}
}
Enterprise Templates
Adding Your Organization's Templates
Navigate to extension installation:
.vscode/extensions/yourorg.devex-ai-assistant-x.x.x/templates/
Add templates to appropriate folders:
kubernetes/ - Deployment manifests, services, ingress
docker/ - Dockerfiles, docker-compose configurations
ci-cd/ - GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines, Jenkins
Use Handlebars syntax for dynamic values:
name: {{projectName}}
image: registry/{{artifactId}}:{{version}}
Engineers insert via: DevEx: Insert Deployment Template
Productivity Metrics & ROI
Individual Engineer Tracking
- Personal Dashboard:
DevEx: View Productivity Dashboard
- Track your time saved across all SDLC phases:
- Design review time
- OpenAPI generation time
- Code generation time
- Deployment setup time
- Compare manual vs. AI-assisted development
- See your productivity trends over time
Team & Leadership Analytics
The extension automatically tracks:
- Total time saved across entire team
- Phase-by-phase breakdown (Design, Development, Deployment)
- Feature adoption rates (which commands are most used)
- Project velocity (projects per engineer per quarter)
- Quality metrics (code review feedback, iterations needed)
- ROI calculation:
(Time Saved × Hourly Rate) - Tooling Investment
Export Metrics: Dashboard includes "Export Data" button for executive reporting
Real-World ROI Examples
Scenario 1: Backend Development Team
Team: 10 engineers
New microservices per quarter: 20
Time saved per service: 10 hours (design + code + deployment)
Hourly rate: $75
Quarterly Savings: 20 × 10 × $75 = $15,000
Annual Savings: $60,000
Scenario 2: API-First Organization
Team: 50 engineers across multiple teams
LLD reviews per month: 100
OpenAPI specs generated per month: 80
Spring Boot projects per quarter: 40
Time saved:
- LLD reviews: 100 × 1.5 hours = 150 hours/month
- OpenAPI generation: 80 × 1.5 hours = 120 hours/month
- Project generation: 40 × 6 hours = 240 hours/quarter
Monthly savings: (150 + 120) × $75 = $20,250
Quarterly project savings: 240 × $75 = $18,000
Annual total: ($20,250 × 12) + ($18,000 × 4) = $315,000
Organization: 200 engineers
Using extension for various SDLC phases
Average time saved per engineer per month: 4 hours
Hourly rate: $85
Monthly savings: 200 × 4 × $85 = $68,000
Annual savings: $816,000
Generated Project Structure (Spring Boot)
my-service/
├── pom.xml (or build.gradle)
├── README.md
├── .gitignore
├── src/
│ ├── main/
│ │ ├── java/com/company/myservice/
│ │ │ ├── MyServiceApplication.java
│ │ │ ├── config/
│ │ │ │ └── OpenApiConfig.java
│ │ │ ├── controller/
│ │ │ │ └── [Generated from OpenAPI]
│ │ │ ├── service/
│ │ │ │ └── [Business logic layer]
│ │ │ ├── repository/
│ │ │ │ └── [Data access layer]
│ │ │ ├── model/
│ │ │ │ ├── entity/
│ │ │ │ └── dto/
│ │ │ └── exception/
│ │ │ └── GlobalExceptionHandler.java
│ │ └── resources/
│ │ └── application.yml
│ └── test/
│ └── java/
│ └── MyServiceApplicationTests.java
└── (Optional) kubernetes/, docker/, .github/workflows/
Best Practices
1. Start with Design Review
- Before coding, run LLD review with "API Design Completeness"
- Fix all critical issues identified by AI
- Ensure design has all necessary details for code generation
- Use the LLD API Checklist as reference
2. Generate, Then Validate
- Generate OpenAPI specs from reviewed LLDs
- Validate generated specs before sharing with teams
- Use generated specs as contracts between frontend/backend
- Share specs early for feedback and alignment
3. Leverage Code Generation Strategically
- Generated code provides 70-80% foundation
- Focus human effort on business logic and edge cases
- Use generated tests as starting point, expand coverage
- Review generated code for learning opportunities
4. Standardize with Templates
- Use organizational deployment templates consistently
- Maintain standard CI/CD pipelines across projects
- Follow security and compliance guidelines
- Update templates centrally, teams inherit changes
5. Track and Optimize
- Estimate manual time honestly for accurate ROI
- Provide feedback when prompted (👍/👎)
- Review personal dashboard weekly
- Share success stories with team and leadership
6. Continuous Learning
- AI feedback teaches best practices - read it carefully
- Improve LLD quality based on AI suggestions
- Share learnings across teams
- Contribute to template library
7. Iterate and Improve
- Don't expect perfection on first generation
- Iterate on designs based on AI feedback
- Refine generated code as needed
- Keep extension updated for new features
Troubleshooting
Issue: The popup to allow the extension to use AI models doesn't appear after installation.
Solution:
Check Copilot Status: Ensure GitHub Copilot is signed in and working
- Open Copilot Chat and verify it responds
- Command Palette → "GitHub Copilot: Sign In" if needed
Manually Grant Permissions:
Trigger Permission Request:
- Try using any extension command (e.g., "DevEx: Summarize LLD Document")
- This should trigger the permission popup
- Click "Allow" when prompted
Reload VS Code:
- Command Palette → "Developer: Reload Window"
- Try using the extension again
Check Output Logs:
- View → Output → Select "DevEx AI Assistant"
- Look for specific error messages
GitHub Copilot Not Available
Error: "GitHub Copilot is not available"
Solution:
- Ensure Copilot extension is installed
- Check Copilot subscription status
- Sign in to GitHub: Command Palette → "GitHub: Sign In"
- Restart VS Code
OpenAPI Parsing Fails
Error: "Failed to parse OpenAPI specification"
Solution:
- Validate spec at https://editor.swagger.io
- Ensure file is valid YAML/JSON
- Check OpenAPI version (3.0+ supported)
- Review error message for specific issues
Generated Code Won't Compile
Solution:
- Check Java version:
java -version (need 21+)
- Verify Maven/Gradle installation
- Run
mvn clean install or gradle clean build
- Check dependency resolution (network/proxy issues)
- Review generated pom.xml/build.gradle
Templates Not Showing
Solution:
- Verify templates exist in extension folder
- Check file naming (must have extensions like .yml, .yaml, .md)
- Reload VS Code:
Developer: Reload Window
FAQ
Q: Do I need a separate AI API key?
A: No! The extension uses your existing GitHub Copilot license via VS Code's Language Model API.
Q: What data is collected?
A: All telemetry is stored locally in ~/.devex-ai-assistant/metrics.json. No cloud transmission. Data includes: project generation timestamps, time estimates, feature usage.
Q: Can I customize generated code templates?
A: Yes! Advanced users can modify templates in the extension installation folder. See Customization Guide.
Q: What Spring Boot version is used?
A: Configurable, default is 3.4.1 (latest stable). Change via settings.
Q: Does this work with microservices architecture?
A: Yes! Generate each microservice independently. Use organizational templates for service mesh, API gateway configurations.
Q: Can I generate projects without LLD?
A: Yes, LLD is optional. At minimum, provide an OpenAPI specification.
Q: How do I justify this to leadership?
A: Use the Productivity Dashboard to show concrete ROI. Export metrics showing time saved, multiply by team's loaded hourly rate.
Q: Is this approved for production use?
A: Generated code follows best practices but requires code review. Treat as accelerated scaffolding, not production-ready without review.
Q: Can I contribute improvements?
A: Yes! This is an internal project. Contact the DevEx team or open issues on internal GitHub.
Support
Internal Resources
Getting Help
- Check this README and FAQ
- Search existing GitHub issues
- Post in Slack channel
- Contact DevEx team directly
Roadmap
The extension continues to evolve from a Spring Boot generator into a comprehensive SDLC automation platform.
Current Capabilities (v1.1+)
- ✅ LLD Review & Validation
- ✅ OpenAPI Spec Generation from LLD
- ✅ Spring Boot Project Generation
- ✅ Code Review & Quality Analysis
- ✅ Deployment Template Management
- ✅ Productivity Analytics & ROI Tracking
Upcoming Features (v1.2-2.0)
Short Term (Next Quarter):
- 🚧 Add REST Endpoint: Incremental endpoint addition to existing projects
- 📋 Database Migration Scripts: Auto-generate Flyway/Liquibase migrations
- 📋 Enhanced Test Generation: Integration and E2E test scaffolding
- 📋 More Language Support: Node.js, Python backend generation
Medium Term (6 months):
- 📋 Multi-Module Projects: Microservice ecosystems with service-to-service
- 📋 Frontend Generation: React/Angular from OpenAPI specs
- 📋 Security Scaffolding: OAuth2, JWT, RBAC templates
- 📋 Performance Testing: JMeter/Gatling script generation
Long Term (12 months):
- 📋 Complete SDLC Coverage: 50+ commands covering all phases (see PROJECT_BRAINSTORM.md)
- 📋 Team Intelligence: Learn from team's coding patterns
- 📋 Plugin Architecture: Custom commands for org-specific needs
Your Feedback Shapes the Roadmap
This is an evolving platform built for engineers, by engineers:
- What saves you the most time? We'll prioritize those features
- What templates are missing? We'll add them
- What pain points remain? We'll solve them
- What languages/frameworks? We'll expand support
Share your ideas via:
- Internal Slack channel
- GitHub issues
- Monthly feedback sessions
- Direct message to DevEx team
Summary: Beyond Spring Boot Generation
What started as a Spring Boot code generator has become a comprehensive AI-powered development platform that accelerates your entire SDLC:
📋 Design Phase → API Design Completeness Checking
Engineers get instant feedback on their designs, ensuring completeness before coding begins. Time savings: 2 hours → 5 minutes per design.
📝 Specification Phase → OpenAPI Generation
Transform design documents into production-ready API specifications automatically. Time savings: 2 hours → 2 minutes per spec.
⚙️ Development Phase → Code Generation
Generate enterprise-grade Spring Boot microservices with best practices baked in. Time savings: 4-8 hours → 15 minutes per project.
🚀 Deployment Phase → Infrastructure Automation
One-click deployment template insertion with organizational standards. Time savings: 2 hours → 5 minutes per project.
📊 Analytics Phase → ROI Tracking
Measure and demonstrate the value of AI tooling to leadership. $300K-$800K+ annual savings for enterprise teams.
🎯 The Result
96% reduction in SDLC overhead - spend more time on business logic, less on boilerplate.
This isn't just a code generator. It's your AI-powered development partner across the entire software lifecycle. 🚀
Contributing
Internal contributors welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
License
Internal use only - Proprietary to [Your Company Name]
Acknowledgments
- DevEx Team: Building tools to accelerate development
- Early Adopters: Pilot team feedback was invaluable
- GitHub Copilot: Powering the AI capabilities
- Spring Boot Community: For excellent documentation and patterns
Get Started Today!
- Install the extension
- Generate your first project
- Share feedback in #devex-ai-assistant
- Help us measure the productivity impact!
Questions? Reach out to the DevEx team. We're here to help! 🚀
Last Updated: January 2025 | Version 1.0.0