Aider is a terminal-based AI coding assistant and pair programmer that uses large language models to write, edit, and refactor source code across multiple files and programming languages. It functions as a command line interface for automating programming tasks and managing codebase modifications.
The tool distinguishes itself by creating structural maps of entire codebases to provide language models with the necessary context for navigating and modifying large repositories. It further expands input capabilities through a speech-to-text pipeline for voice-driven development and multi-modal integration that allows images and web pages to be attached to conversations as visual context.
The system integrates directly with version control to automate git workflows, including the generation of descriptive commit messages and the management of snapshots for safe rollbacks. It also covers automated debugging by running test suites and linters to identify and resolve errors, while maintaining synchronization with external text editors.
