askdotmd

LLM chat directly in VS Code. No browser needed.

Features

• Send entire file or selected text to an LLM
• Response inserted at cursor or replaces selection
• Supports Claude, OpenAI, and LM Studio (local)
• Configure API keys and models in VS Code settings

Prerequisites

• VS Code
• API Keys: Obtain keys from Anthropic for Claude or OpenAI for GPT models.
• LM Studio: For local LLM use, ensure LM Studio is running on http://localhost:1234.
• Node.js: Required for building from source.

Installation

From VSIX

1. Download the .vsix file from the latest release.
2. Open VS Code, go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X).
3. Click ... > Install from VSIX and select the downloaded file.

Build from Source

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/gdifiore/askdotmd.git.
2. Install dependencies: npm ci.
3. Build the extension: npm run webpack.
4. Package the extension: npm run package.
5. Install the generated .vsix file as above.

Configuration

API keys are stored in VS Code's encrypted SecretStorage, not in settings.json.

Set a key via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

• Ask.md: Set API Key — choose a provider and enter the key
• Ask.md: Clear API Key — remove a stored key

On first request to a provider, you will be prompted for the key if none is stored.

Other settings (Command Palette → Preferences: Open Settings):

• askdotmd.defaultModel: Default LLM (claude, openai, or lmstudio).
• askdotmd.claudeModel / askdotmd.openaiModel / askdotmd.lmstudioModel: Model name.
• askdotmd.lmstudioApiUrl: LM Studio endpoint (default http://localhost:1234/v1/chat/completions).
• askdotmd.maxTokens: Max tokens per response (default 4096).
• askdotmd.temperature: Sampling temperature (default 0.7).
• askdotmd.showContextInfo: Prepend filename/language/lines to request (default true).

Usage

1. Open a file in VS Code
2. Add a request in a comment (e.g., // Generate a sorting function)
3. Trigger the command:
   • No selection: Sends entire file, inserts response at cursor
   • With selection: Sends only selection, replaces with response

Access the command:

• Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P): askdotmd: Send Request
• Default keybinding: Ctrl+Shift+L (Mac: Cmd+Shift+L)

Select your LLM when prompted (Claude, OpenAI, or LM Studio).

Demo

Streamable Link

Limitations

• Requests should be in comments; automatic extraction not yet implemented
• Large files may exceed token limits (select specific sections instead)
• Subject to your LLM provider's rate limits and quotas