Patch Tutor
Learn from the code you just wrote. Patch Tutor explains each change in your git
working tree right on the code, then quizzes you on it.
Features
- Explain this change. Every changed hunk gets an Explain button. The
explanation opens on the code, with Simpler and Go deeper to change the level.
- Quiz me. A few short questions on the change, graded as you answer. Answer in
the thread, or move the quiz to the Quiz chat in the sidebar.
- Progress. See which concepts you have mastered and which need practice.
- Your model, your data. Use a model you already have in VS Code, or your own
API key. No account, no backend, no telemetry.
Getting started
- Install Patch Tutor and open a git repository.
- Pick a model: open the Patch Tutor sidebar, then ⚙ in the Quiz chat.
- Change some code and click Explain this change above the hunk.
The Get started with Patch Tutor walkthrough (Help → Welcome) shows the same steps.
Models
| Provider |
What you need |
| VS Code models |
GitHub Copilot, or any extension that adds models to VS Code. |
| Anthropic |
An Anthropic API key. |
| OpenAI-compatible |
A key for OpenAI, OpenRouter, Groq, or a local LM Studio server. |
| Ollama |
Ollama running locally. Nothing leaves your machine. |
Privacy
- Your diff and related code are sent only to the model provider you choose.
- API keys are kept in VS Code's secret storage, never in settings files.
- Quiz history and progress stay on your machine.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
patchTutor.contextTokenBudget |
6000 |
How much context to send with each explanation. |
patchTutor.maxOutputTokens |
1200 |
Maximum length of each explanation. |
patchTutor.gutterIcons |
true |
Show an icon in the gutter on changed hunks. |
patchTutor.highlightChangedLines |
true |
Softly highlight lines Patch Tutor can explain. |
Provider and model are easiest to change from ⚙ in the Quiz chat.
Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome.
npm install
npm run build
npm test # unit tests
npm run test:integration # runs inside VS Code
Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host.
License
MIT
| |
