code-review-bot
A VS Code extension built for developers who want instant feedback without leaving their editor. It combines an AI-powered code reviewer using a fully local model with a pattern-based Debug Checker that explains runtime errors. No internet connection and no API keys.
Requirements
1. Download and install Ollama
Ollama runs the AI model locally on your machine.
- Go to https://ollama.com and download the installer for your OS
- Run the installer and follow the setup steps
- Once installed, open a terminal and start Ollama:
ollama serve
- Pull the model used by this extension:
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b
The model is about 4.7 GB. It only needs to be downloaded once.
2. Install the extension
- Clone or download this repository
- Open the folder in VS Code
- Press
F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
3. Open the panel
- Open any source file
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) and run Open Code Review
- The panel opens beside your editor
Note: If you switch to a file in a different language, close and reopen the panel so the language is detected correctly.
Features
AI Code Review — C O D E bar
Four review modes powered by qwen2.5-coder:7b running locally through Ollama. Select a mode and click Run.
| Button |
Mode |
What it checks |
| C |
Clarify |
Readability, naming, confusing logic |
| O |
Oversight |
Security vulnerabilities, unsafe operations |
| D |
Documentation |
Missing comments, unclear parameters, undocumented APIs |
| E |
Efficiency |
Performance bottlenecks, redundant operations, algorithmic improvements |
- Results include a summary, per-issue cards with severity labels (
low / medium / high / critical), and an improved version of your code with a Copy button
- Each mode result is cached — switching tabs doesn't re-run
- The panel auto-saves your file before running so it always reviews your latest code
- No API key required — everything runs on your machine
Debug Checker
Runs your file and explains any errors found — no AI, no internet, pure pattern matching.
- Click Run & Diagnose to execute the file and scan stderr for known error patterns
- The panel auto-saves before running so you always get results for your current code
- Supports 384 error patterns across 12 languages
Supported languages:
| Language |
How it runs |
| JavaScript |
node |
| TypeScript |
npx ts-node |
| Python |
python3 |
| Go |
go run |
| Java |
javac + java |
| C |
gcc + binary |
| C++ |
g++ + binary |
| Rust |
cargo run |
C / C++ compilation cache: Compilation starts in the background the moment you open the panel. By the time you click Run & Diagnose, the binary is usually already built. The binary is cached by file content hash so unchanged files never recompile.
Cheatsheet
A built-in quick reference for beginner programmers. The language is auto-detected from your open file.
Select a topic from the dropdown to instantly see a code snippet with a Copy button.
Topics covered:
|
|
|
| Character Output |
User Input |
Program Structure |
| Conditionals |
Comments |
Relational Operators |
| Compile & Execute |
Random Number |
Variables & Data Types |
| Loops |
Logical Operations |
Arithmetic Operators |
| Chaining |
|
|
Languages with cheatsheet support:
JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Java, C, C++, Rust, Ruby, PHP, C#, Kotlin, Swift, Bash/Shell
Help & Common Issues
A collapsible reference section at the bottom of the panel. Click Open to expand it.
Covers the most common problems beginners run into:
- What to do when switching languages
- Why the Debug Checker may say "not supported"
- Why C/C++ takes longer on the first run
- What to do if Ollama isn't running
- Why "No errors detected" doesn't mean the program is correct
- What to do if results seem stale
- Why programs that ask for keyboard input hang
Known Issues
- Ollama must be running for the AI review modes (C, O, D, E). The Debug Checker works completely offline.
- C/C++ with
#include <bits/stdc++.h> can take 10–15 seconds to compile on the first run. Subsequent runs are near-instant due to binary caching.
- Programs that read from stdin (
input(), scanf(), readline(), etc.) will hang in the Debug Checker until the 15-second timeout. Temporarily comment out input calls while debugging.
- Debug Checker reads stderr only — logic errors that produce wrong output without crashing will not be detected. Use the AI review modes for logic analysis.
- The extension panel is tied to the language of the file it was opened on. Reopen the panel when switching languages.
Release Notes
1.0.0
Initial release.
- AI code review via local Ollama (
qwen2.5-coder:7b) with four modes: Clarify, Oversight, Documentation, Efficiency
- Pattern-based Debug Checker with 384 error patterns across 12 languages
- C/C++ binary cache with background pre-compilation
- Beginner Cheatsheet for 14 languages across 13 topics
- Help & Common Issues collapsible reference section
- Auto-save before running review or debug
- Ollama availability warning on panel open
- Smooth entrance animations and hover effects (contained in
src/animations.ts for easy removal)
