CodeCritter: Your AI Code Review Companion

CodeCritter is a VS Code extension that acts as an AI-powered code reviewer, helping you improve your code's quality, style, and security. With multiple reviewer personas, you can get tailored feedback, from a strict architectural analysis to supportive mentorship.

🎬 Demo

✨ Features

• 🤖 AI-Powered Code Review: Get comprehensive code analysis with summary, critique, and suggestions
• 👥 Multiple Reviewer Personas: Choose from 5 distinct personalities:
  • Strict Tech Lead - Architectural focus and best practices
  • Supportive Mentor - Encouraging feedback with learning opportunities
  • Sarcastic Reviewer - Witty and direct feedback
  • Code Poet - Artistic and elegant code suggestions
  • Paranoid Security Engineer - Security-focused analysis
• 🔒 Security Analysis: Production risk assessment with safety indicators
• 📝 Docstring Generation: Auto-generate professional documentation
• 📋 Copy to Clipboard: Export reviews as Markdown for PRs
• 🔑 Secure API Key Storage: Your Gemini API key is stored locally in VS Code settings

🚀 Quick Start

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Get a Gemini API key from Google AI Studio
3. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
4. Run CodeCritter: Start Review
5. Add your API key in the Settings section
6. Paste your code and get instant feedback!

🛠️ How It Works

CodeCritter is now a standalone extension that communicates directly with Google's Gemini AI API. No separate backend server needed!

The Extension Architecture

• Direct API Integration: The extension communicates directly with Gemini AI
• Circuit Breaker Pattern: Handles API failures gracefully with automatic recovery
• Retry Logic: Implements exponential backoff for reliable service
• Secure Storage: API keys are stored securely in VS Code's configuration

Key Components

1. Webview Interface: Modern React + Tailwind CSS UI
2. AI Service: Direct integration with Google Gemini 1.5 Flash
3. Prompt Engineering: Specialized prompts for each reviewer persona
4. Error Handling: Robust error handling and user feedback

🔧 Installation & Setup

Method 1: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "COdedCritter"
4. Click "Install"

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Download the .vsix file from releases
2. Open VS Code
3. Run Extensions: Install from VSIX... from Command Palette
4. Select the downloaded file

Getting Your API Key

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy the key and paste it in CodeCritter's settings

📖 Usage Guide

Basic Review Process

1. Open COdeCritter: Use Command Palette → CodeCritter: Start Review
2. Add API Key: Go to Settings section and save your Gemini API key
3. Paste Code: Add your code snippet in the text area
4. Select Persona: Choose your preferred reviewer style
5. Get Review: Click "Get Review" for comprehensive analysis
6. Copy Results: Use "Copy Review as Markdown" for documentation

Reviewer Personas Explained

🏗️ Strict Tech Lead

• Focus on architecture and scalability
• Emphasizes best practices and patterns
• Identifies potential technical debt

🤝 Supportive Mentor

• Encouraging and educational approach
• Explains the "why" behind suggestions
• Great for learning and improvement

😏 Sarcastic Reviewer

• Witty and direct feedback
• Points out obvious issues with humor
• Keeps reviews entertaining

🎨 Code Poet

• Focuses on code elegance and readability
• Artistic approach to code structure
• Emphasizes beautiful, clean code

🔒 Paranoid Security Engineer

• Security-first analysis
• Identifies vulnerabilities and risks
• Focuses on production safety

Production Risk Assessment

Each review includes a "Production Risk Watch" section that:

• ✅ Safe: No production concerns
• ⚠️ Risk: Potential production issues identified
• Lists specific risks with safety indicators

🔒 Privacy & Security

• Local Storage: API keys are stored locally in VS Code settings
• No Data Collection: GitWit doesn't collect or store your code
• Direct API Calls: Your code is sent directly to Google's Gemini API
• Secure Transport: All API calls use HTTPS encryption

🛠️ Development

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/shrutipandey15/gitwit.git
cd gitwit
npm install
npm run compile

Testing the Extension

npm run test

Packaging

npm install -g vsce
vsce package

🤝 Contributing

I welcome contributions! Please see my Contributing Guide for details.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🆘 Support

• Issues: Report bugs on GitHub Issues
• Discussions: Ask questions in GitHub Discussions
• Email: Contact the maintainer at [email]

🎯 Roadmap

• [ ] Support for more AI providers (OpenAI, Claude)
• [ ] Custom prompt templates
• [ ] Integration with GitHub Pull Requests
• [ ] Code quality metrics
• [ ] Team collaboration features

📊 Stats

• Languages Supported: All programming languages
• AI Model: Google Gemini 1.5 Flash
• VS Code Version: 1.85.0+
• License: MIT

Made with ❤️ by Shruti Pandey

CodeCritter - Making code reviews intelligent, one line at a time.