AIVA In-Code VS Code Extension

This document provides instructions on how to set up, configure, and run the AIVA In-Code VS Code extension for development purposes.

Overview

The AIVA In-Code is a VS Code extension that provides an AI-powered chat interface to help with software engineering tasks. It communicates with a backend service to provide features like code generation, suggestions, diagram creation, and more, directly within the editor.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Node.js: (LTS version recommended)
Visual Studio Code: The editor this extension is built for.

1. Project Setup

First, clone the repository and install the necessary dependencies.

# Clone the repository
git clone <your-repository-url>
cd <repository-folder>

# Install project dependencies
npm install

This will download all the required packages listed in package.json, such as the VS Code API types, API client dependencies, and UI components.

2. Configuration

The extension needs to connect to a backend API. The API base URL can be configured in your VS Code settings.

Open VS Code's settings.json file. You can do this by opening the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and searching for "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)".
Add the following configuration to specify the API endpoint:
```
"encora-code-assist.apiBaseUrl": "http://your-api-endpoint.com"
```
If this setting is not provided, the extension will default to http://20.84.112.206:8000 as specified in src/extension.ts.

3. Running the Extension

To run and debug the extension locally, follow these steps:

Open the project folder in Visual Studio Code.
Open the Run and Debug view from the sidebar (or press Ctrl+Shift+D / Cmd+Shift+D).
The launch configuration "Run Extension" should be pre-selected. Click the green play button or press F5.

This will perform two actions:

Compile the TypeScript code.
Open a new [Extension Development Host] window with the AIVA In-Code extension loaded.

4. Using the Extension

Once the Extension Development Host window is open, you can test the extension's features:

Find the AIVA In-Code icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window.
Clicking it will open the chat view.
You will be prompted to log in with your email and password. These credentials are required to communicate with the backend service.
After logging in, you can start a conversation, ask for code, generate diagrams, and use the other features provided.

Commands can also be accessed through the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) by searching for "AIVA In-Code" or "PlugAI".

This guide should help you get the development environment for the extension up and running. Let me know if you have any other questions!

AIVA In-Code

Encora