ChatAI – Your Local AI Assistant
Since CodeLite 18.2.0
Overview
CodeLite 18.2.0 ships with ChatAI, a built‑in chat interface that talks to any language‑model you configure – locally (via an Ollama server) or remotely (e.g. Anthropic Claude). Adding new endpoints is now a guided wizard, and all interactions are performed through a clean, toolbar‑driven UI.
1. Add an LLM Endpoint
- Open AI → Add New Endpoint from the main menu.
- Follow the wizard: choose a name, select the provider (Ollama, Claude, …), enter the URL and any required authentication, then click Finish.
- Test the endpoint: press Ctrl+Shift+H to open the chat box and send a short prompt (e.g. “Hello”).
2. The Chat Box
Open the chat box at any time with Ctrl+Shift+H. The window can be used for casual questions, code‑related queries, or to instruct the model to read/write files.
Toolbar (left → right)
| Icon | Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | Erases the chat history and the internal message log. | – |
| Endpoint ▼ | Switches between the endpoints you added. | – |
| Restart | Restarts the LLM client (clears all history). | – |
| Play | Sends the current input to the model | Shift+Enter |
| Stop | Cancels a long‑running request. | – |
| Replay | Opens a dialog that lists recent user messages – you can resend any of them. | – |
| Link | When enabled, the output pane auto‑scrolls so the last line is always visible. | – |
| Detach / Attach | Pops the chat window out of the dock (floating) or puts it back. | – |
3. Built‑in Model Tools
If the selected model advertises the tools capability, ChatAI can invoke the following helpers. The model decides when (and how) to call them.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
Get_the_text_of_the_active_tab_inside_the_editor |
Returns the full source text of the currently focused editor tab. |
Open_a_file_in_an_editor |
Opens a given file path in CodeLite for viewing or editing. |
Read_file_from_the_file_system |
Reads a file from disk and returns its contents. |
Read_the_compiler_build_output |
Retrieves the log of the most recent build performed inside CodeLite. |
Write_file_content_to_disk_at_a_given_path |
Writes supplied text to a file at the specified location. |
git_commit_log_history_between_two_commits |
Returns the git log between two commit IDs (or refs). |
These tools enable the model to help with file management, code editing, build‑log analysis, and version‑control queries without you having to copy‑paste anything.
Quick example
You get a confusing compile error. Type:
Explain the build errors and suggest fixes.
The model will automatically call Read_the_compiler_build_output, fetch the log, and then reply with a human‑readable explanation and concrete fixes.
4. Prompt Editor
Several AI‑powered actions are available with a single click. The prompts that drive those actions can be edited from AI → Open Prompt Editor.
| Action | Shortcut / UI | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Generate Git Commit Message | Click the toolbar button or use the context‑menu entry. | Summarises the staged changes into a concise, conventional commit message. |
| Generate Git Release Notes | Press the “Release Notes” button in the Git view. | Produces release notes for a selected commit range. |
| Code Review | Right‑click a file → AI‑powered code generation → Review. | Returns a comprehensive review with suggestions and identified issues. |
| Generate Docstring | Ctrl+Shift+M (or right‑click → Generate docstring for the current method). | Inserts a language‑appropriate docstring for the function/class under the cursor. |
The Prompt Editor lets you tweak the system prompt for each of these operations, add custom placeholders, or create entirely new AI actions.
5. AI‑Powered IDE Features
Git Commit Message
One click generates a full commit message from the current diff.
Git Release Notes
Select a commit range → Generate Release Notes → AI produces a polished changelog.
Automatic Function Documentation
Place the cursor inside a function, press Ctrl+Shift+M, and the model writes a complete docstring.
6. Getting Help
- Open the chat box (Ctrl+Shift+H) and ask any question.
- For endpoint‑specific issues, use AI → Settings to view or edit the stored URLs and tokens.
Enjoy a smarter, faster coding experience with ChatAI in CodeLite 18.2.0!