CodePath AI VSCode Extension

The CodePath AI VSCode Extension brings the power of AI-assisted coding directly into Visual Studio Code. Built with a dual-model architecture, it connects to the CodePath backend service to provide intelligent code explanations, generation, debugging, analysis, and refactoring capabilities.

Features

• Code Explanation: Select code and get detailed explanations of what it does
• Code Generation: Describe what you want to build and generate code automatically
• Debugging Assistance: Get help identifying and fixing code issues
• Code Analysis: Analyze code for security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and best practices
• Code Refactoring: Improve existing code structure and readability
• Context-Aware Processing: Leverages surrounding code context for better results

Architecture

The extension follows a dual-model architecture:

• Lightweight Frontend: The VSCode extension only sends structured data (selected code, file context, language, user action, metadata) to the backend
• Centralized Backend: The backend handles all heavy processing including:
  • Authentication and authorization
  • Model selection and routing
  • Prompt construction and optimization
  • Cost control and usage tracking
  • Response formatting and caching

Installation

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio Code v1.74 or higher
• Access to a running CodePath backend service

Setup

1. Clone the CodePath repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-org/code-path-ai.git
   cd code-path-ai/vscode-extension
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Compile the extension:

   npm run compile
   

4. Package the extension (optional):

   npm install -g @vscode/vsce
   vsce package
   

Configuration

The extension can be configured through VSCode settings:

• codepath-ai.backendUrl: URL of the CodePath backend service (default: http://localhost:3001)
• codepath-ai.apiKey: API key for authenticating with the backend
• codepath-ai.userApiKey: Optional provider API key (fallback if Secret Storage isn't available)
• codepath-ai.model: Selected AI model ID
• codepath-ai.provider: Selected AI model provider
• codepath-ai.modelListSource: Model list source (dynamic or static)
• codepath-ai.userId: User ID for tracking usage (optional)

To configure these settings:

1. Open VSCode Settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,)
2. Search for "CodePath AI"
3. Enter your backend URL and API key

Alternatively, you can add these to your settings.json:

{
  "codepath-ai.backendUrl": "https://your-codepath-backend.com",
  "codepath-ai.apiKey": "your-api-key-here",
  "codepath-ai.model": "gpt-4o",
  "codepath-ai.provider": "openai",
  "codepath-ai.userId": "optional-user-id"
}

Usage

Code Explanation

1. Select the code you want to understand
2. Right-click and choose "CodePath: Explain Selected Code" from the context menu
3. Or use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and run "CodePath: Explain Selected Code"

Code Generation

1. Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run "CodePath: Generate Code"
3. Describe what code you want to generate in the input box

Debugging Assistance

1. Select the problematic code (or leave unselected if you have an error message)
2. Right-click and choose "CodePath: Debug Code" from the context menu
3. Or use the command palette and run "CodePath: Debug Code"
4. If no code is selected, you'll be prompted to describe the error

Code Analysis

1. Select the code you want to analyze
2. Right-click and choose "CodePath: Analyze Code" from the context menu
3. Choose the type of analysis (security, performance, best practices, refactoring)
4. Or use the command palette and run "CodePath: Analyze Code"

Code Refactoring

1. Select the code you want to refactor
2. Right-click and choose "CodePath: Refactor Code" from the context menu
3. Or use the command palette and run "CodePath: Refactor Code"

Model Selection

1. Open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run "CodePath: Select Model"
3. Choose a model from the list (the backend catalog is used when available)

Settings Model Dropdown

You can also pick a model/provider directly in Settings via dropdowns:

• codepath-ai.model: choose a model ID (e.g., gpt-4o, claude-3.5-sonnet, mistral-large, gemini-1.5-pro)
• codepath-ai.provider: choose a provider (e.g., openai, anthropic, mistral, google)

User API Key

1. Open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run "CodePath: Set User API Key"
3. Paste your provider key (stored in VSCode Secret Storage)

API Keys

To use the extension, you need an API key from your CodePath backend. If you're running the backend locally, a default development key is created automatically. For production use, you should generate an API key through the backend's authentication system.

Development

To develop and test the extension:

1. Open the vscode-extension folder in VSCode
2. Press F5 to launch a new Extension Development Host window
3. The extension will be loaded and ready for testing

Building for Production

npm run compile

Running Tests

npm test

Security

• API keys are stored securely and never exposed to client-side code
• All AI provider keys are kept server-side
• Requests are authenticated using API key-based authentication
• Sensitive code context is transmitted securely over HTTPS

Troubleshooting

• If you receive authentication errors, verify your API key is correct
• If requests are timing out, check that your backend URL is accessible
• For issues with specific AI features, check the backend logs for detailed error messages

Support

For support, please check the main CodePath repository or contact the development team.

Version: 0.0.1
Last Updated: February 3, 2026