DIFF Review
AI-powered code review coaching for VS Code. Review diffs block-by-block, get risk scores, inline suggestions, and post directly to GitHub -- all from your editor.
Highlights
- Works out of the box -- no API key needed; AI analysis is included via a hosted proxy. Bring your own Anthropic key if you prefer.
- Three view modes -- review block-by-block, as a full PR diff, or per-file.
- AI verdicts -- every code block gets a verdict (Good / Needs Work / Something to Consider) with specific, actionable suggestions.
- Post to GitHub -- send review comments to a PR as a Comment, Approval, or Request Changes with one click.
- @-mention files -- type
@ in any comment or question input to reference workspace files and give the AI extra context.
- Team standards -- drop a
.diff-review-standards file in your repo root and the AI evaluates against your team's conventions automatically.
Install
Search for "DIFF Review" in the VS Code Extensions panel, or install from the command line:
code --install-extension GivTech.diff-review-coach
View on the VS Code Marketplace
Quick Start
- Install the extension from the Marketplace.
- Switch to a feature branch with committed changes.
- Open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run DIFF Review: Start Review from Current Branch.
- Review each block: pick a verdict, leave inline comments, or ask the AI questions.
- See AI results on the Reveal screen -- or skip the human review entirely with "Skip to AI Review".
- Post to GitHub or export to Markdown from the Final Review screen.
Features
AI-Powered Analysis
Each code block receives an independent AI analysis including:
- A verdict -- Good, Needs Work, or Something to Consider.
- A suggested comment with severity tags and specific references to functions, variables, and line content.
- Explain this -- get a plain-English walkthrough of what the code does and why the AI flagged it.
- Better version -- see a rewritten version of the code with an explanation of every change.
- Quiz me -- test your understanding of the block with an AI-generated question.
Full PR View
Review the entire diff in one scrollable view, grouped by file. Sticky file headers stay visible as you scroll. Add inline comments and ask the AI questions on any block without leaving the page.
@-Mention File References
Type @ in any comment or "Ask AI" input to search your workspace files. Selected files are sent as additional context so the AI can see how a function is defined, where a component is used, or what an interface looks like.
Team Coding Standards
Create a .diff-review-standards or .diff-review-standards.md file in your repo root with your team's conventions, review checklist, or style guide. The AI will evaluate every block against those standards in addition to general best practices.
You can also paste standards directly in VS Code Settings under diffReview.reviewStandards. Both sources are combined automatically.
Post to GitHub
Send selected review comments to a GitHub PR with a single click. Choose the review type:
- Comment -- post observations without changing the PR status.
- Approve -- approve the PR with your comments attached.
- Request Changes -- formally request changes on the PR.
The extension uses the GitHub CLI (gh) if installed and authenticated. If not, it falls back to a GitHub Personal Access Token (configured in settings). You can also paste a PR URL manually if auto-detection fails.
Export to Markdown
Export any review session to a clean Markdown file with diffs, AI verdicts, your comments, and inline annotations -- ready for sharing or archiving.
Skip to AI Review
Don't have time for a full human review? Click "Skip to AI Review" to jump straight to the AI analysis. All blocks are analyzed and you can browse the results, ask follow-up questions, or post to GitHub immediately.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
diffReview.anthropicApiKey |
"" |
Your Anthropic API key (optional -- the extension works without one via the hosted proxy) |
diffReview.baseBranch |
"" |
Base branch to diff against. Leave empty to auto-detect (origin/HEAD, main, master). |
diffReview.pythonPath |
"python" |
Path to Python 3.10+ interpreter (used to create the sidecar venv) |
diffReview.claudeModel |
"claude-sonnet-4-20250514" |
Claude model for AI analysis |
diffReview.fullFileContext |
true |
Send full file contents (up to 2000 lines) to the AI for deeper analysis |
diffReview.githubToken |
"" |
GitHub Personal Access Token for posting PR comments (fallback when gh CLI is unavailable) |
diffReview.reviewStandards |
"" |
Your team's coding standards or review checklist (multiline). Also auto-detected from .diff-review-standards in the repo root. |
How It Works
extension/ -- VS Code extension host (TypeScript)
webview/ -- Review UI rendered in VS Code webview panels (React + Tailwind)
sidecar/ -- Local Python server for diff parsing, risk scoring, and AI calls
On first activation the extension creates an isolated Python virtual environment, installs dependencies, and starts a local sidecar server. The sidecar handles diff parsing, block risk scoring, symbol context resolution, and all Claude API communication.
When no user API key is configured, AI requests are routed through a lightweight proxy on the DIFF Review backend. Your code diffs are sent to Claude for analysis but are never stored on the proxy server.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85 or later
- Python 3.10 or later (the extension manages its own virtual environment)
Optional:
Building from Source
git clone https://github.com/GivTechLLC/diff-review-vscode.git
cd diff-review-vscode
# Build the webview
cd webview && npm install && npm run build && cd ..
# Build the extension
cd extension && npm install && npm run compile && cd ..
Open the extension/ folder in VS Code and press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.
To package a .vsix:
cd extension && npx vsce package
License
MIT
