AI Code Interface

An Emacs interface for AI-assisted software development. The purpose is to provide a uniform interface and experience for different AI backend. It is also designed to integrate seamlessly with AI-driven agile development workflow.

• Current it support these AI coding CLI:
  • Claude Code
  • Gemini CLI
  • OpenAI Codex
  • GitHub Copilot CLI
• I switch across different CLI based AI tool in emacs: Claude Code / Gemini CLI / Aider / OpenAI Codex. If you also use different AI tools inside emacs, but want to keep same user interface and experience, this package is for you.
• Lots of feature and tool ported from aider.el, if you like the feature in aider.el, but wish to switch to Claude Code / Gemini CLI / OpenAI Codex, this package is also for you.
• Screenshot

Installation

Using straight.el (Recommended)

(use-package ai-code-interface
  :straight (:host github :repo "tninja/ai-code-interface.el")
  :config
  (ai-code-set-backend  'claude-code-ide) ;; use claude-code-ide as backend
  ;; Enable global keybinding for the main menu
  (global-set-key (kbd "C-c a") #'ai-code-menu)
  ;; Optional: Set up Magit integration for AI commands in Magit popups
  (with-eval-after-load 'magit
    (ai-code-magit-setup-transients)))

Usage

Backend Configuration

This package acts as a generic interface that requires a backend AI assistant package to function. You can configure it to work with different backends.

• Press `C-c a` to open the AI menu, then `s` to “Select Backend”.
• Pick one of the supported backends and the integration will switch immediately.
• The selection updates the start/switch/send commands and the CLI used by `ai-code-apply-prompt-on-current-file`.

Supported options:

• Claude Code (`claude-code.el`)
• Claude Code IDE (`claude-code-ide.el`)
• Gemini CLI (`gemini-cli.el`)
• OpenAI codex CLI (`ai-code-codex-cli.el`)
• GitHub Copilot CLI (`ai-code-github-copilot-cli.el`)

You can add other backends by customizing the `ai-code-backends` variable.

Main Entry Point

Press `C-c a` to open the main transient menu, which provides access to all major features.

Typical Workflows

• Changing Code: Position the cursor on a function or select a region of code. Press `C-c a`, then `c` (`ai-code-code-change`). Describe the change you want to make in the prompt. The AI will receive the context of the function or region and your instruction.
• Implementing a TODO: Write a comment in your code, like `;; TODO: Implement caching for this function`. Place your cursor on that line and press `C-c a`, then `i` (`ai-code-implement-todo`). The AI will generate the implementation based on the comment.
• Asking a Question: Place your cursor within a function, press `C-c a`, then `q` (`ai-code-ask-question`), type your question, and press Enter. The question, along with context, will be sent to the AI.
• Refactoring a Function: With the cursor in a function, press `C-c a`, then `r` (`ai-code-refactor-book-method`). Select a refactoring technique from the list, provide any required input (e.g., a new method name), and the prompt will be generated.
• Reviewing a Pull Request: Press `C-c a`, then `v` (`ai-code-pull-or-review-diff-file`). Choose to generate a diff between two branches. The diff will be created in a new buffer, and you’ll be prompted to start a review.

The Prompt File

Use `M-x ai-code-open-prompt-file` to open or create `.ai.code.prompt.org` at the root of your Git repository. This file is an Org-mode buffer where you can write, edit, and manage your prompts. Press `C-c C-c` (`ai-code-prompt-send-block`) on a block of text to send it directly to the AI.

Key Features

• Interactive AI Chat: Start an interactive session with an AI assistant in a dedicated Emacs buffer.
• Context-Aware Prompting: Automatically include relevant context in your prompts, such as file paths, selected code regions, or the current function.
• Code Manipulation:
  • Change Code: Request changes to the current function or a selected region.
  • Implement TODOs: Automatically generate code to fulfill `TODO` comments.
  • Explain Code: Get explanations for a symbol, line, function, file, or selected region.
  • Fix Errors: Use `Flycheck` integration to automatically generate fixes for reported errors.
• Agile Development:
  • TDD Cycle: A guided workflow for the Red-Green-Refactor cycle of Test-Driven Development.
  • Refactoring: Apply common refactoring techniques (e.g., Extract Method, Rename Variable) with AI assistance.
• Git & Magit Integration:
  • Review Diffs: Generate and review diffs for commits, branches, or staged changes.
  • Analyze History: Use `git blame` and `git log` output to get AI-powered insights into code evolution and contributor patterns.
  • Transient Menus: Access AI commands directly from the Magit interface.
• Prompt Management:
  • Prompt File: Use a dedicated `.ai.code.prompt.org` file to manage and reuse prompts.
  • Snippets: Leverage `yasnippet` for a library of predefined, reusable prompts.
• Usability Enhancements:
  • Transient Menu: A clean, organized menu (`C-c a`) for easy command discovery.
  • Helm/Completing-Read: Enhanced input completion with history.
  • Clipboard Utilities: Easily copy file paths (formatted for AI prompts) and open clipboard paths in Dired.

Why Agile development with AI?

Dependencies

Required Dependencies

• Emacs 26.1 or later
• `org`: Org-mode support
• `magit`: Git integration
• `transient`: For the menu system

Optional Dependencies

• `helm`: For an enhanced auto-completion experience (`ai-code-input.el`).
• `yasnippet`: For snippet support in the prompt file. A library of snippets is included.
• `gptel`: For intelligent, AI-generated headlines in the prompt file.
• `flycheck`: To enable the `ai-code-flycheck-fix-errors-in-scope` command.

Related emacs packages

• Claude Code (`claude-code.el`)
• Claude Code IDE (`claude-code-ide.el`)
• Gemini CLI (`gemini-cli.el`)
• agent-shell (acp.el)

License

Apache-2.0 License

Contributing

Contributions, issue reports, and improvement suggestions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request on the project’s GitHub repository.