Chat Catalyst ⚡

Transform your GitHub Copilot Chat into a productivity powerhouse with smart session continuity

🤔 The Problem

Every developer knows this frustration:

• 🔄 Restart. Repeat. Explain. Starting fresh with Copilot Chat every single session
• 📝 Copy-paste prompts over and over to get the AI back up to speed
• 🧠 Lost context means lost productivity and wasted time
• 👥 Team inconsistency when everyone has different AI setup approaches

✨ The Solution

Chat Catalyst supercharges VS Code's native Copilot features with intelligent automation and session memory. We take what VS Code already provides and make it effortless, consistent, and team-ready.

🚀 VS Code Native + Chat Catalyst Magic

💡 Key Productivity Benefits

• 🚀 Zero Setup Friction: From empty folder to AI-ready workspace in 2 seconds
• 🧠 Never Lose Context: Your AI remembers everything between sessions
• 👥 Team Superpowers: Consistent AI behavior across your entire team
• 🎯 Smart Automation: Leverages VS Code's native features with intelligent enhancements
• 🔧 MCP Integration: Automatically detects and utilizes Model Context Protocol servers

⚡ How The Magic Works

Press Ctrl+Alt+C anywhere in VS Code and watch this happen:

1. 🔍 Smart Detection: Instantly recognizes your project type (React, Node.js, Python, etc.)
2. 🏗️ Infrastructure Creation:
   • .github/copilot-instructions.md - VS Code's native persistent AI instructions (auto-generated!)
   • Session_starter.md - Your project's living memory file
   • .github/prompts/session-startup.prompt.md - Automated session loading
3. 🤖 AI Enhancement: Copilot Chat opens with full project context and MCP server awareness
4. 🎉 Instant Productivity: Start coding with an AI that already knows your project

💡 The secret sauce? We take VS Code's built-in .github/copilot-instructions.md feature and make it effortless with smart templates, project detection, and team-ready automation.

Installation

1. Install from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+C in any project to get started
3. Customize templates in Settings > Extensions > Chat Catalyst (optional)

Features

🔧 NEW: Enhanced AI Capabilities with MCP Integration

Chat Catalyst now includes Model Context Protocol (MCP) server awareness, making your AI sessions more powerful than ever:

• 📚 Microsoft Documentation: Automatically leverages Microsoft docs MCP for accurate Azure/Microsoft product information
• 🔗 External Tools: Detects and utilizes available MCP servers (GitHub, Azure, custom APIs, databases)
• 🎯 Intelligent Routing: AI knows when to use external tools vs. built-in knowledge
• 📝 Session Memory: Tracks which MCP tools are useful for your project type
• 🔄 Template Updates: Existing projects get updated templates when new MCP features are added

Session Continuity Setup

• Automatically creates .github/copilot-instructions.md for consistent AI behavior
• Generates Session_starter.md with project-specific context
• Creates .github/prompts/session-startup.prompt.md for automated startup
• Template variables for project name, type, date, and common commands

Template Customization

• Edit custom instructions template globally
• Modify session starter template structure
• Reset to defaults when needed
• Variable substitution for dynamic content

Commands

• Start Chat with Auto-Prompt (Ctrl+Alt+C) - Launch Copilot Chat with your project context
• Edit Custom Instructions Template - Customize the .github/copilot-instructions.md template
• Edit Session Starter Template - Modify the Session_starter.md template
• Reset Templates to Default - Restore original templates

Configuration

Access settings via Settings > Extensions > Chat Catalyst:

• Custom Instructions Template: Template for .github/copilot-instructions.md
• Session Starter Template: Template for Session_starter.md

Example Session Startup Prompt

When you press Ctrl+Alt+C, Chat Catalyst automatically injects:

#file:Session_starter.md

🎯 Session Context Loaded

I've attached the Session_starter.md file which contains the project context and current state for this session. Please:

1. Review the session file for project overview, current status, and established patterns
2. Follow the documented technical decisions and architectural patterns
3. Update the session file as we make progress with new discoveries and achievements
4. Maintain project continuity by building upon previous session work

Ready to continue where we left off! 🚀

Contributing

• Report bugs: GitHub Issues
• Feature requests: GitHub Issues
• Rate the extension: VS Code Marketplace

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.