AIDE — Conquer Any Code in VS Code
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Code Convert | Convert code between any two programming languages |
| Code Viewer Helper | Auto-generate detailed comments for readability |
| Expert Code Enhancer | AI-powered optimization and refactoring |
| Smart Paste | Paste with intelligent format conversion |
| AI Batch Processor | Process multiple files with AI simultaneously |
| Rename Variable | AI-suggested naming with explanations |
| Ask AI | Custom AI commands on selected code |
| Copy as AI Prompt | Export code as formatted prompt for any AI |
How It Works
- Select code in your editor
- Right-click or use keyboard shortcut
- Choose action — AIDE processes with AI and applies the result
- Review the changes in the diff view
Configuration
AIDE works with any OpenAI-compatible API:
{
"aide.openaiKey": "your-api-key",
"aide.openaiModel": "gpt-4o",
"aide.openaiBaseUrl": "https://api.openai.com/v1"
}Works with Claude, Gemini, Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Use Cases
- Legacy code migration — convert old Python 2 code to modern Python 3
- Documentation — batch-add docstrings to an entire codebase
- Internationalization — convert hard-coded strings to i18n keys
- Code review prep — generate explanatory comments before PR
- Learning — understand unfamiliar codebases through AI-generated comments
FAQ
Q: What is AIDE? A: A VS Code extension that provides AI-powered batch code operations — comments, language conversion, optimization, and multi-file processing directly in your editor.
Q: Is AIDE free? A: Yes, AIDE is free and open-source under the MIT license. You need your own AI API key.
Q: Does AIDE work with Claude? A: Yes, AIDE works with any OpenAI-compatible API, including Claude via the Anthropic API or any proxy.