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First Session

This guide walks you through your first kicode session, from launching the app to completing tasks with AI assistance.

Starting kicode

Navigate to your project directory and launch kicode:

Terminal window
cd ~/my-project
kicode

You’ll see the welcome message and prompt:

kicode v0.1.0
Model: x-ai/grok-code-fast-1
Type your message or 'exit' to quit.


you:

Basic Interaction

Type natural language requests and kicode will respond. The AI can:

  • Answer questions about your code
  • Read files to understand context
  • Write new files when needed
  • Edit existing files with search-replace
  • Execute commands (with safety checks)
  • Search your codebase using grep and glob

Example Session

you: What files are in this project?


ai: I'll search for files in the current directory.


[tool: glob_search] pattern: "**/*"


Found 12 files:
src/main.rs
src/lib.rs
src/config.rs
...


you: Show me the main function


ai: I'll read the main.rs file.


[tool: read_file] path: "src/main.rs"


   1 | fn main() {
   2 |     println!("Hello, world!");
   3 | }


The main function is simple - it just prints "Hello, world!" to the console.

Common Tasks

Reading Code

Ask kicode to read and explain code:

you: What does the Config struct look like?

kicode will find and display the relevant code, then explain it.

Making Edits

Request changes to your code:

you: Add error handling to the main function

kicode will:

  1. Read the current file
  2. Propose changes using search-replace
  3. Apply the edit
  4. Show you the result

Running Commands

Execute shell commands through kicode:

you: Run the tests


ai: I'll run the test suite for you.


[tool: shell] command: "cargo test"


running 5 tests
test config::tests::test_load ... ok
...


All 5 tests passed!

Searching Code

Find patterns across your codebase:

you: Find all TODO comments


ai: I'll search for TODO comments.


[tool: grep] pattern: "TODO"


Found 3 matches:
src/main.rs:15: // TODO: Add error handling
src/lib.rs:42: // TODO: Implement caching
src/config.rs:8: // TODO: Support env vars

Conversation Context

kicode maintains context throughout your session. You can reference previous messages:

you: Show me the config file


ai: [reads and displays config.rs]


you: Add a new field called "timeout" with type u64


ai: [edits config.rs to add the timeout field]


you: Now update the Default implementation to include it


ai: [edits the Default impl, knowing which file you meant]

Exiting

To end your session:

you: exit

Or press Ctrl+C.

Tips for Effective Use

  1. Be specific

    Instead of “fix the bug”, try “fix the null pointer in parse_config when the file is empty”

  2. Provide context

    “In the auth module, add rate limiting” is better than just “add rate limiting”

  3. Iterate

    Start with a simple request, then refine. “Add a function” → “Make it async” → “Add error handling”

  4. Review changes

    kicode shows you what it changed. Review the output before moving on.

  5. Use for exploration

    Ask “how does X work?” to understand unfamiliar code before modifying it.

Slash Commands

kicode provides built-in slash commands for quick actions. Type / to see an interactive menu:

>> /
  ▸ /model - Change AI model
    /clear - Clear conversation history
    /help - Show help
    /exit - Exit the program

Use arrow keys to navigate and Enter to select. You can also type to filter commands.

CommandDescription
/modelChange AI model with interactive selection
/clearClear conversation history
/helpShow available commands
/exitExit kicode

Switching Models

Change models anytime using the /model command:

>> /model

This opens an interactive selection menu. Use arrow keys to navigate, type to filter, and Enter to select.

You can also specify a model when starting kicode:

Terminal window
# Start with a specific model
kicode --model anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet


# Or set an environment variable
export KICODE_MODEL="openai/gpt-4-turbo"
kicode

What’s Next?

Now that you know the basics: