Codea (prev. Claude Dev) – #1 on OpenRouter

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Meet Codea, an AI assistant that can use your CLI aNd Editor.

Thanks to Claude 3.5 Sonnet's agentic coding capabilities, Codea can handle complex software development tasks step-by-step. With tools that let him create & edit files, explore large projects, and execute terminal commands (after you grant permission), he can assist you in ways that go beyond code completion or tech support. While autonomous AI scripts traditionally run in sandboxed environments, this extension provides a human-in-the-loop GUI to approve every file change and terminal command, providing a safe and accessible way to explore the potential of agentic AI.

Enter your task and add images to convert mockups into functional apps or fix bugs with screenshots.
Codea starts by analyzing your file structure & source code ASTs, running regex searches, and reading relevant files to get up to speed in existing projects. By carefully managing what information is added to context, Codea can provide valuable assistance even for large, complex projects without overwhelming the context window.
Once Codea has the information he needs, he can:
- Create and edit files + monitor linter/compiler errors along the way, letting him proactively fix issues like missing imports and syntax errors on his own.
- Execute commands directly in your terminal and monitor their output as he works, letting him e.g., react to dev server issues after editing a file.
- For web development tasks, Codea can launch the site in a headless browser to capture screenshots and console logs, allowing him to fix runtime errors and visual bugs.
When a task is completed, Codea will present the result to you with a terminal command like open -a "Google Chrome" index.html, which you run with a click of a button.

[!TIP] Use the CMD/CTRL + Shift + P shortcut to open the command palette and type "Codea: Open In New Tab" to open the extension as a tab in your editor. This lets you use Codea side-by-side with your file explorer, and see how he changes your workspace more clearly.

Use any API and Model

Codea supports API providers like OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, AWS Bedrock, Azure, and GCP Vertex. You can also configure any OpenAI compatible API, or use a local model through Ollama. If you're using OpenRouter, the extension fetches their latest model list, allowing you to use the newest models as soon as they're available.

The extension also keeps track of total tokens and API usage cost for the entire task loop and individual requests, keeping you informed of spend every step of the way.

Run Commands in Terminal

Thanks to the new shell integration updates in VSCode v1.93, Codea can execute commands directly in your terminal and receive the output. This allows him to perform a wide range of tasks, from installing packages and running build scripts to deploying applications, managing databases, and executing tests, all while adapting to your dev environment & toolchain to get the job done right.

For long running processes like dev servers, use the "Proceed While Running" button to let Codea continue in the task while the command runs in the background. As Codea works he’ll be notified of any new terminal output along the way, letting him react to issues that may come up, such as compile-time errors when editing files.

Create and Edit Files

Codea can create and edit files directly in your editor, presenting you a diff view of the changes. You can edit or revert Codea's changes directly in the diff view editor, or provide feedback in chat until you're satisfied with the result. Codea also monitors linter/compiler errors (missing imports, syntax errors, etc.) so he can fix issues that come up along the way on his own.

All changes made by Codea are recorded in your file's Timeline, providing an easy way to track and revert modifications if needed.

Analyze Images and Browser Screenshots

Models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet can now understand and analyze images, allowing for exciting possibilities of multimodal workflows. Paste images directly in chat to give Codea context that can't be explained in words, and turn mockups into apps, fix bugs with screenshots, and more.

Codea can also use a headless browser to inspect any website, e.g., localhost, allowing him to capture screenshots and console logs. This gives him autonomy to fixing visual bugs and runtime issues without you needing to handhold and copy-pasting error logs yourself.

Add Context

@url: Paste in a URL for the extension to fetch and convert to markdown, useful when you want to give Codea the latest docs
@problems: Add workspace errors and warnings ('Problems' panel) for Codea to fix
@file: Adds a file's contents so you don't have to waste API requests approving read file (+ type to search files)
@folder: Adds folder's files all at once to speed up your workflow even more

Contributing

To contribute to the project, start by exploring open issues or checking our feature request board. We'd also love to have you join our Discord to share ideas and connect with other contributors.

Local Development Instructions

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/codea/codea.git

Open the project in VSCode:
```
code codea
```
Install the necessary dependencies for the extension and webview-gui:
```
npm run install:all
```
Launch by pressing F5 (or Run->Start Debugging) to open a new VSCode window with the extension loaded. (You may need to install the esbuild problem matchers extension if you run into issues building the project.)

Codea

Codea AI