Contrail for VS Code
Send AI chats only the code that matters, reuse your best prompts, and improve prompts before you send them. Works with GitHub Copilot Chat, Claude Code, or any AI chat you paste into.
Pack for AI: fewer tokens, better answers
Right-click files or folders in the Explorer (or a file's tab) → Pack for AI, then type your question.
- Skips what shouldn't go to an AI:
node_modules, build output, lock files, minified files, binaries, and secret files such as .env and private keys.
- If the files are bigger than your budget (default 8,000 tokens), keeps the parts most relevant to your question and marks what was cut, e.g.
[… 42 lines omitted …].
- Masks API keys, tokens and card numbers in the code.
- Shows the saving, e.g. Packed 12 files: ≈7.8k tokens (from ≈46k, 83% smaller), then sends the prompt to the chat, copies it, or opens it in an editor.
The status bar shows the estimated tokens of the current selection or file. Click it to pack that file.
@contrail in Copilot Chat
@contrail /pack #file:src/auth.ts #folder:src/session why does the session expire early? trims the attached context, then asks the chat model with only what matters.@contrail /enhance write tests for login rewrites your prompt into a clearer, structured one.
Needs a chat provider such as GitHub Copilot. Every other feature works without one.
Templates
- Contrail: Insert template (
Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+T) inserts a template, asking for each {{variable}}. {{tone|Formal|Casual}} becomes a pick list, {{words=120}} has a default, and {{clip}} is the current selection.
- Save selection as template stores the selected text as a template.
- Define your own in
settings.json under contrail.templates (Edit templates in settings.json), and export or import them as JSON.
Enhance prompt
Select a prompt (or run Contrail: Enhance prompt, Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+P), answer two or three quick questions (audience, format, length, tone), and get a structured prompt. Runs locally; nothing is sent anywhere.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
|
contrail.packBudget |
8000 |
Maximum estimated tokens of file content in a packed prompt |
contrail.maskInCode |
secrets |
secrets, all (also emails and phone numbers) or off |
contrail.promptStyle |
markdown |
xml structures prompts with XML tags, which Claude prefers |
contrail.includeRole |
true |
Add a "You are…" line to improved prompts |
contrail.templates |
[] |
Your templates: [{ "name": "…", "body": "…" }] |
Privacy
Packing, masking, templates and the local enhancer run entirely inside VS Code. Text is sent only when you choose to: to the chat you send it to, or, for @contrail, to the chat model your chat provider uses.
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