coding-with-cli.md

Guide - Coding with CLI

This guide for developer aims to help you to code with the CLI because AI IDE extension (like GitHub Copilot) are not capable yet of writing code, especially a codebase.

• Example
• Why "Aider" CLI
  • Alternatives
• Installation
• Full Script
• How-to use (with example)
• Wishlist (coming soon)

Example

I use CLI to code with the AI when I need to:

• Write in multiple files at once.
• Create directories or files.
• Update a codebase.

Here is an example of a split tagManager.ts file into multiple files, per function:

Why "Aider" CLI

For now, Aide is the best coding CLI tool I have found.

It supports:

• Writing in files.
• Creating directories.
• Existing codebase.
• Manual file indexation.
• Auto file selection.

Alternatives

I tried other tools but they are not as good as Aider.

• Mentat
• Plandex
• GPT-Engineer
• GPT-Pilot
• OpenInterpreter
• OpenDevin

Installation

This is a Python program that can be installed using pip:

Follow this installation guide: Aider CLI.

Full Script

The aider script to code with the CLI.

It supports:

• GPT-4o as default (cloud)
• Ollama as default (local)
• File indexation:.
  • By containing text.
  • By directory.
• File path listing.

Just run it from the example below and add your code.

bash script.sh

Source code:

#!/bin/bash
#
# Run:
#   chmod +x script.sh
#   export OPENAI_API_KEY="" && ./script.sh
#
# This script demonstrates how to use an AI to interact with your codebase.
# It uses the 'aider' CLI to prompt the AI with a message and a list of files.
#
# Usage:
#   addToIndex ./src/features/tagManagement/api/tagManager.ts
#   prompt "for each function in the file, create a new separate file with that function."

# Proxy: Uncomment to use local LLM from Ollama
#export OLLAMA_API_BASE=http://127.0.0.1:11434
#model="ollama/qwen2:latest"

# Arrays
declare -a filesToIndex 

#
# Resets the 'filesToIndex' array.
#
# Parameters:
#   None
# Example:
#   reset
# Returns:
#   None
#
function reset() {  
  filesToIndex=()
}

# 
# Adds the given files to the 'filesToIndex' array.
#
# Parameters:
#   $@: The files to add to the 'filesToIndex' array.
# Example:
#   addToIndex file1 file2 file3
# Returns:
#   None
#
function addToIndex() {

  for file in "$@"; do
    if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
      echo "Error: File '$file' does not exist."
      exit 1
    fi
  done

  filesToIndex+=("$@")
}

#
# Searches for files containing the given text and adds them to the 'filesToIndex' array.
#
# Parameters:
#   $1: The text to search for in the files.
#   $2: The file extension to search for. Default is '*.*'.
# Example:
#   indexFilesContainingText "function myFunction"
# Returns:
#   None
#
function indexFilesContainingText() {
  local text=$1
  local extension=${2:-*.*}

  local cmd="find . -type f -name \"$extension\" -exec grep -l \"$text\" {} +"
  local files=$(eval $cmd)
  local uniqueFiles=$(echo "$files" | sort | uniq)

  addToIndex ${uniqueFiles[@]}
}

#
# Indexes all files in the given directory.
#
# Parameters:
#   $1: The directory to index.
#   $2: The file extension to search for. Default is '*.*'.
# Example:
#   indexContentInDirectory "./src/features/tagManagement/api" "*.ts"
# Returns:
#   None
#
function indexContentInDirectory() {
  local directory=$1
  local extension=${2:-*.*}

  local files=`find "$directory" -type f -name "$extension"`

  addToIndex ${files[@]}
}

#
# Lists all file paths in the given directory.
#
# Parameters:
#   $1: The directory to list file paths from.
#   $2: The file extension to search for. Default is '*.*'.
# Example:
#   listFilePathsInDirectory "./src/features/tagManagement/api" "*.ts"
# Returns:
#   A list of file paths, like: "file1 file2 file3"
#
function listFilePathsInDirectory() {
  local directory=$1
  local extension=${2:-*.*}

  local files=`find "$directory" -type f -name "$extension"`

  echo "$files"
}

#
# Prompt the AI with the given message.
#
# Parameters:
#   $1: The message to prompt the AI with.
# Example:
#   prompt "Add a new function to the file."
# Returns:
#   None
#
function prompt() {

  # check if the files to index are empty
  if [ ${#filesToIndex[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "🙅 No files to index."
    exit 1
  fi

  local message=$1
  
  echo -e "🚀 Prompting AI with message:\n---\n$message\n---"

  if [ -n "$OLLAMA_API_BASE" ]; then
    aider --yes \
          --no-auto-test \
          --no-dirty-commits \
          --no-auto-commits \
          --model "$model" \
          --message="$message" \
          "$(getFilesToIndex)"
  else
    aider --yes \
          --no-auto-test \
          --no-dirty-commits \
          --no-auto-commits \
          --message="$message" \
          "$(getFilesToIndex)"
  fi
}

#
# Pause the interaction with the AI and ask the user if he wants to continue.
#
# Parameters:
#   None
# Example:
#   shouldContinue
# Returns:
#   None
#
function shouldContinue() {
  echo ">>> 🛑 Review AI changes before next prompt. 🛑"
  read -p "Do you want to continue? [y/N] " -n 1 -r
  echo ""

  if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
    echo "Continuing..."
  else
    echo "Aborting..."
    exit 1
  fi
}

#
# Get the files to index.
#
# Parameters:
#   None
# Example:
#   getFilesToIndex
# Returns:
#   A list of indexed files, like: "file1 file2 file3"
#
function getFilesToIndex() {
  echo "${filesToIndex[@]}"
}

#
# Formats the array to string.
#
# Parameters:
#   $1: The array to format.
# Example:
#   arrayToString "file1 file2 file3"
# Returns:
#   A list of formatted paths, like: "file1\nfile2\nfile3"
#
function arrayToString() {
  local paths="$1"

  echo $paths | tr ' ' '\n' # | sed 's/^/- /'
}

#
# Main
#
reset

# >>> HERE GOES YOUR CODE <<<

# source: scripts/generated/code-with-cli.sh

How-to use (with example)

At the bottom of the script, you can add your code where # >>> HERE GOES YOUR CODE <<< appears.

Here is an example of how to use the script to:

• List all file paths of a directory.
• Index files containing text.
• Prompt the AI with a message and 2 parameters.

Script:

# list all file paths of a directory:
filePaths=$(listFilePathsInDirectory "./src/features/tagManagement/api" "*.ts")

# index files containing text:
indexFilesContainingText "tagManager" "*.ts*"

# provide params:
param1=$(arrayToString "$filePaths")
param2=$(arrayToString "$(getFilesToIndex)")

# prompt the AI with a message:
message=$(cat <<EOF
The "tagManager" file does not exist anymore and you need to update your imports and references.

Functions inside are now split into multiple files:
$param1

For each of these files, change the imports and references replacing "tagManager" file with the new files:
$param2
EOF
)

prompt "$message"

Wishlist (coming soon)

• Switching between AI CLI (from aider to mentat for example).