Basic Usage

This section covers the fundamental aspects of using Kodely in your day-to-day development workflow. Learn how to interact with the chat interface, use different modes, and leverage Kodely's powerful tools.

The Chat Interface

The Kodely chat interface is your primary way of interacting with the AI assistant. It's designed to be intuitive and powerful, allowing you to have natural conversations while accomplishing complex coding tasks.

Interface Elements

• Chat Input: Where you type your questions and instructions
• Message History: Shows the conversation between you and Kodely
• Mode Selector: Allows you to switch between different AI personas
• Model Selector: Lets you choose which AI model to use
• Settings: Access to configuration options

Effective Prompting

To get the best results from Kodely, consider these prompting tips:

• Be specific: "Create a React component that displays a list of items from an API" is better than "Make a React component"
• Provide context: Mention relevant technologies, frameworks, or patterns you're using
• Break down complex tasks: For large tasks, start with planning and then implement step by step
• Use follow-up questions: If the response isn't quite what you need, ask clarifying questions

Code Selection

You can select code in your editor and then ask Kodely about it. This is useful for:

• Explaining what code does
• Debugging issues
• Refactoring suggestions
• Optimizing performance

Using Modes

Kodely offers different modes that optimize the AI for specific types of tasks. Each mode has a different personality, focus, and set of capabilities.

Available Modes

Switching Between Modes

To switch modes:

1. Click on the mode selector dropdown in the Kodely panel
2. Select the mode you want to use
3. The interface will update to reflect the new mode
4. Your conversation will continue in the new mode

How Tools Work

Kodely uses tools to interact with your development environment. These tools allow Kodely to perform actions beyond just generating text, making it a true autonomous agent.

Available Tools

Tool Permissions

For security reasons, Kodely will ask for your permission before performing certain actions:

• Creating or modifying files
• Running commands in your terminal
• Installing packages
• Making network requests

You can configure auto-approval settings for trusted actions in the Kodely settings.

Working with Files

Kodely can help you create, read, and modify files in your project.

Creating Files

To create a new file, simply ask Kodely to do so:

• "Create a new file called app.js"
• "Generate a React component in a new file called UserProfile.jsx"
• "Create a new CSS file for styling the navbar"

Reading Files

Kodely can read files to understand your codebase:

• "Show me the contents of utils.js"
• "What does the UserService class do?"
• "Find all functions related to authentication"

Modifying Files

Kodely can make changes to your existing files:

• "Add a new method to the UserService class"
• "Refactor this function to use async/await"
• "Fix the bug in the login function"

Running Commands

Kodely can run commands in your terminal to help with various tasks.

Common Use Cases

• Installing dependencies: "Install React and React Router"
• Running tests: "Run the tests for the authentication module"
• Starting servers: "Start the development server"
• Building projects: "Build the project for production"
• Git operations: "Commit my changes with a message about fixing the login bug"

Security Considerations

When running commands, keep these security considerations in mind:

• Always review commands before approving them
• Be cautious with commands that modify your system or repository
• Consider using auto-approval only for safe commands
• Kodely will never run destructive commands without explicit permission

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics of using Kodely, you can explore more advanced features:

• Learn about custom instructions and modes
• Explore advanced usage techniques
• Understand different model providers