🤖 Bob AI CLI Extension

Your AI coding buddy, right in VS Code ⚡

Select code. Hit a key. Let AI do the heavy lifting.

🎯 What's This?

Bob AI connects VS Code to AI CLIs like Claude Code and Gemini CLI. Select code, press a shortcut, and boom—AI suggestions, refactors, tests, you name it.

Zero config. Pure speed. Maximum fun. 🚀

Includes delightful sound feedback (toggle on/off in settings)

⚡ Keyboard Shortcuts (ASDF Home Row)

The fastest way to use Bob AI—your fingers never leave home row!

Keys	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl+K A`	`Cmd+K A`	🎯 Quick Actions menu
`Ctrl+K D`	`Cmd+K D`	📤 Send to terminal
`Ctrl+K F`	`Cmd+K F`	📋 Copy reference
`Ctrl+K G`	`Cmd+K G`	🚀 Start AI CLI
`Ctrl+K I`	`Cmd+K I`	🖼️ Send image file to terminal
`Ctrl+Shift+K I`	`Cmd+Shift+K I`	📋 Paste image from clipboard

Pro tip: Just select code and mash Ctrl+K A (or Cmd+K A on Mac). Choose your action. Done. ⚡

🎨 Quick Actions Menu

Hit Ctrl+K A and choose:

🔍 Explain this code - Get the breakdown
🐛 Find and fix bugs - Catch issues fast
♻️ Refactor this code - Clean it up
✅ Write unit tests - Auto-generate tests
📝 Add documentation - JSDoc magic
⚡ Optimize performance - Make it faster
🔒 Security review - Find vulnerabilities
🎯 Simplify logic - Untangle spaghetti code

📁 Folder Operations

Right-click any folder/file in Explorer → "Bob AI: Actions" for quick operations:

✨ Quick Actions (Template-based)

Choose from customizable templates:

📖 Explain This - Get AI explanation of folder structure & purpose
🔍 Review Code - Comprehensive code review
🔬 Deep Code Review - Expert review with confidence-based filtering (≥80 threshold)
🐛 Find Bugs - Analyze for potential issues
✅ Generate Tests - Create test coverage
📝 Add Documentation - Generate or improve documentation
♻️ Refactor - Get refactoring suggestions
📂 Show Structure - Show file tree + send to AI CLI

📋 Copy Code Reference

Copy clean references to folders or files:

Folders: @src/components/
Files: @src/utils/helper.js

Perfect for analyzing entire features, reviewing modules, or understanding unfamiliar code! 🚀

Customize: Create your own folder action templates in .askbob/folder-actions/ - just like Quick Actions!

🖼️ Working with Images

Send images to Claude Code for visual context and analysis!

⚡ NEW: Paste from Clipboard (Phase 2!)

🤖 Auto-Detect Mode (Recommended):

1. Enable: Cmd+Shift+P → "Bob AI: Toggle Auto-Detect Screenshots"
2. Make sure AI CLI (Claude Code) is running
3. Take screenshot (Cmd+Shift+4 / Win+Shift+S)
4. Notification appears: "📷 Screenshot detected!"
5. Click "Preview & Send"
6. Review image → Click "Send to Terminal"
7. Text populates in terminal → Press Enter to submit

⌨️ Manual Mode:

1. Take screenshot (Cmd+Shift+4 / Win+Shift+S)
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+K I (or Cmd+Shift+K I on Mac)
   OR: Command Palette → "Paste Image from Clipboard"
3. Preview opens → Click "Send to Terminal"
4. Text populates in terminal → Press Enter to submit

Features:

✅ Auto-detect screenshots (optional, only when AI CLI running)
✅ 60-second deduplication (same screenshot won't trigger twice)
✅ Preview image before sending (cancel anytime)
✅ No auto-execute (review prompt before pressing Enter)
✅ No need to save file first
✅ Temp files saved to ~/.bob-ai/temp/
✅ Manual cleanup command
✅ Works even if you change clipboard after taking screenshot

Quick Image Send (Files)

Right-click any image file in Explorer → "Bob AI: Send Image to Terminal"
Keyboard: Select image → Press Ctrl+K I (or Cmd+K I)

Supported Formats

.png .jpg .jpeg .gif .svg .webp .bmp

Use Cases

🐛 Debug UI issues - Send screenshots of broken layouts
🎨 Implement designs - Share mockups and get code suggestions
📊 Analyze diagrams - Get help understanding architecture
🖥️ Explain errors - Screenshot error messages for analysis
🔍 Code reviews - Show before/after UI comparisons

Example Workflow (Clipboard - Auto-Detect):

1. Start Claude Code (AI CLI must be running)
2. See UI bug → Take screenshot (auto-copies to clipboard)
3. Notification appears: "📷 Screenshot detected!"
4. Click "Preview & Send" → Preview appears → Click "Send"
5. Prompt populates in terminal → Press Enter
6. Ask: "Why is this button misaligned?"

Example Workflow (File):

1. Save screenshot to workspace/screenshots/
2. Right-click → "Bob AI: Send Image to Terminal"
3. Ask: "How do I fix this layout?"

Pro tip: Combine images with code references for full context!

1. Select code → Ctrl+K D
2. Take screenshot → Click "Preview & Send" in notification
3. Add your question

Cleanup temp images:

Command Palette → "Bob AI: Clean Up Temp Images"
Choose: Delete All, 7 days, 30 days, or Open Folder

Learn more: See Working with Images Guide for detailed examples and workflows.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Install

vsce package
# Install the .vsix from Extensions panel

2. Select Some Code

function fibonacci(n: number): number {
    if (n <= 1) return n;
    return fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2);
}

3. Press `Ctrl+K A` (or `Cmd+K A`)

4. Pick "🔍 Explain this code"

5. Watch the magic ✨

Bob sends this to your AI CLI:

Explain this code @src/math.ts#L1-5 \

Your AI explains it line-by-line. Beautiful.

🎪 All Commands

Main Commands

Command	Shortcut	What it does
Quick Actions	`Ctrl+K A`	Template prompt menu
Send to Terminal	`Ctrl+K D`	Just the reference
Copy Reference	`Ctrl+K F`	Copy `@path#L1-5`
Start AI CLI	`Ctrl+K G`	Launch Claude/Gemini
Send Image	`Ctrl+K I`	Send image file to terminal
Paste Image	`Ctrl+Shift+K I`	Paste from clipboard with preview
Toggle Sound Effects	-	Enable/disable sound feedback
Toggle Auto-Detect	-	Enable/disable screenshot detection

Advanced Features

💡 Lightbulb Quick Fixes - Click 💡 icon for inline AI suggestions
📁 Folder Operations - Right-click folders for module-level AI operations
📋 Add Feature - Guided tech spec creation workflow
⚙️ Execute Plan - Implement from .md tech specs
🔒 Terminal Management - Auto-detects when AI CLI closes

⚙️ Settings & Customization

🔊 Sound Effects

Bob AI includes delightful birds chirping sound feedback when you execute commands! Control it your way:

Toggle via Command Palette:

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "Bob AI: Toggle Sound Effects"
Press Enter to enable/disable

Configure in Settings:

Open Settings: Ctrl+, (or Cmd+, on Mac)
Search for "Bob AI CLI"
Check/uncheck "Enable Sound Effects"

Or edit settings.json directly:

{
  "bobAiCli.enableSoundEffects": true,  // or false to disable
  "bobAiCli.autoPromptClipboardImage": false  // set true to auto-detect screenshots
}

Default: Sound effects are enabled by default. Auto-detect is disabled by default (use toggle command to enable).

📷 Auto-Detect Screenshots

Bob AI can automatically detect when you take screenshots and show a notification!

Toggle via Command Palette:

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "Bob AI: Toggle Auto-Detect Screenshots"
Press Enter to enable/disable

How it works:

Monitors clipboard every 2 seconds (lightweight)
Detects when new image appears
Only shows notification when AI CLI is running (smart & non-intrusive)
Shows notification: "📷 Screenshot detected! [Preview & Send] [Ignore]"
60-second deduplication - same screenshot won't trigger twice
Click "Preview & Send" to open preview window
Silent when dismissed - no clutter
No interruption if you're just copying text

Settings:

{
  "bobAiCli.autoPromptClipboardImage": true  // Enable auto-detection
}

✏️ Customize Quick Action Prompts

Bob AI lets you customize both Quick Action prompts (for code selections) and Folder Action templates (for files/folders)! Edit templates, create new ones, or reset to defaults.

Edit Quick Actions (Code Selections):

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "Bob AI: Edit Quick Action Prompts"
Choose your editing mode:
- 🎨 Open Visual Editor (Recommended) - Edit templates in a friendly UI
- 📄 Edit Files Directly - Open template files in your editor
- 📁 Open .askbob Folder - Browse all customizations

Edit Folder Actions (Files/Folders):

Press Ctrl+Shift+P → "Bob AI: Edit Folder Action Templates"
Or right-click any folder → "Bob AI: Actions" → "Bob AI: Edit Folder Action Templates"
Same visual editor with support for {{type}} and {{path}} variables

Visual Editor Features:

✨ Edit any template with live preview
➕ Create new custom templates with intuitive form interface
🎯 Auto-selection of newly created templates
🔄 Reset to default anytime
🗑️ Delete custom templates
💾 Auto-saves and reloads instantly
✅ HTML5 validation for template filenames

Creating New Templates:

When you click "➕ Create New Template", you'll see an intuitive form with:

Filename field - Auto-validates (lowercase, letters, numbers, hyphens only)
Label field - Display name with emoji support
Kind selector - Choose template category (Quick Fix, Refactor, etc.)
Prompt editor - Large text area with variable hints
Variable documentation - Built-in hints for {{code}}, {{type}}, {{path}}
Instant feedback - Template appears in list immediately after creation

No popup dialogs or browser prompts - everything works seamlessly in the webview!

Your customizations are stored in:

.askbob/quick-actions/    # Quick Actions (code selections)
.askbob/folder-actions/   # Folder Actions (files/folders)

All customizations are automatically git-ignored by default. Perfect for personal preferences!

Template Variables:

Quick Actions (Code Selections):

{{code}} - Selected code reference (e.g., @file.js#L10-15)

Folder Actions (Files/Folders):

{{type}} - "module" (folders) or "file" (files)
{{path}} - Relative path to the resource

Learn more: See 📘 User Guide • 🏗️ Architecture • 📚 All Docs

📦 Installation

Option 1: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

Install from VS Code Marketplace

Or search "Bob AI CLI" in VS Code Extensions panel.

Option 2: From Source

git clone https://github.com/sayurbox/ask-bob-ai.git
cd ask-bob-ai
npm install -g @vscode/vsce
vsce package
# Install .vsix in VS Code Extensions panel

Requirements for Clipboard Image Support

Linux Users Only:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install xclip

# Fedora/RHEL
sudo yum install xclip

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S xclip

macOS & Windows: No additional requirements (built-in clipboard support)

🎨 Code Reference Format

Bob uses clean references that AI loves:

@src/components/Button.tsx#L15-42

Single line: @src/utils/helper.js#L42 Multi-line: @src/components/Header.tsx#L15-28

Copy, paste, send. Works everywhere. ✅

🤝 Compatible With

AI CLI	Status
Claude Code	✅ Fully Supported
Gemini CLI	✅ Fully Supported
Custom CLIs	✅ Supported
Any Terminal	✅ Fallback mode

💡 Pro Tips

Tip 1: Multi-file Context

# Build context across files
1. Select code in file1.js → Ctrl+K F (copy)
2. Select code in file2.js → Ctrl+K F (copy)
3. Paste both in terminal with your prompt
4. AI now sees the full picture!

Tip 2: Custom Templates

Use the Visual Editor to create your own quick actions:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P → "Bob AI: Edit Quick Action Prompts"
2. Choose "🎨 Open Visual Editor"
3. Click "➕ Create New Template"
4. Fill in the form:
   - Filename: convert-typescript (auto-validated)
   - Label: 🔄 Convert to TypeScript
   - Prompt: Convert this code to TypeScript: {{code}}
5. Click "✅ Create Template" - it auto-selects and is ready to use!
6. Use it instantly in Quick Actions with Ctrl+K A!

Tip 3: Tech Spec Workflow

# Plan before you code
1. Right-click → "Bob AI: Add Feature"
2. Answer questions (feature name, requirements, etc.)
3. Get tech spec in /research/research-{feature}.md
4. Right-click .md → "Bob AI: Execute Plan"
5. Watch Bob implement it!

Tip 4: Folder Operations for Quick Understanding

# Quickly understand unfamiliar modules
1. Right-click any folder → "Bob AI: Folder Operations"
2. Choose "📖 Explain module"
3. Get instant overview of architecture & purpose
4. Use "📂 List files" to see the file structure first

🔧 Development

# Clone & open
git clone https://github.com/sayurbox/ask-bob-ai.git
cd ask-bob-ai

# Test (press F5 in VS Code)
# Or package and install
vsce package

Architecture: Pure JavaScript • Zero dependencies • Modular design • Lightning fast

🎯 Roadmap

✅ Done:

🚧 Coming Soon:

Context builder (code + images + prompts) (Phase 3)
Multi-file references
Response preview in editor
Claude Code skills integration

🐛 Issues?

Open an issue with:

Your OS & VS Code version
Steps to reproduce
What you expected vs what happened

We'll fix it! 💪

📜 License

MIT - Go wild! 🎉

Made with ❤️ for devs who love AI

Press Ctrl+K A and let Bob do the work

⭐ Star • 🐛 Issues • 💡 Ideas • 📦 Marketplace

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 15 Commits
.claude		.claude
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
docs		docs
resources		resources
src		src
templates		templates
.gitignore		.gitignore
.vscodeignore		.vscodeignore
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
check-node-modules.js		check-node-modules.js
edit-prompt-visual-editor-preview.png		edit-prompt-visual-editor-preview.png
extension-manifest.json.deleted		extension-manifest.json.deleted
icon.png		icon.png
icon.svg		icon.svg
package-extension.js		package-extension.js
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
yarn.lock		yarn.lock

License

sayurbox/ask-bob-ai

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