Aider Configuration

Configure Aider AI pair programming assistant for optimal AI-assisted coding workflows.

Overview

This skill helps you set up and customize Aider's behavior through its `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file. Aider is an AI pair programming tool that works with your git repository to make code changes, commit them, and help with development tasks.

Configuration Locations

Aider searches for configuration files in this order:

1. `--config` command line argument

2. `.aider.conf.yml` in git repository root

3. `.aider.conf.yml` in current working directory

4. `.aider.conf.yml` in home directory

Instructions

When configuring Aider, follow these steps:

1. Determine Configuration Needs

Ask the user which aspects they want to configure:

2. Create or Update Configuration File

Based on user needs, create or modify `.aider.conf.yml` with appropriate settings:

**Model Configuration:**

**API Settings:**

**Git Integration:**

**Output Preferences:**

**Quality Control:**

**Workflow Options:**

3. Security Considerations

**IMPORTANT:**

4. Validate Configuration

After creating the configuration:

1. Test with `aider --verbose` to see loaded settings

2. Use `aider --show-prompts` to verify prompt configuration

3. Check `aider --show-repo-map` to validate file detection

5. Common Configurations

**Minimal Setup (Claude Sonnet):**

```yaml

sonnet: true

auto-commits: true

dark-mode: true

```

**Development with Linting:**

```yaml

model: gpt-4o

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

show-diffs: true

```

**Conservative Git Workflow:**

```yaml

model: claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620

auto-commits: false

dirty-commits: false

commit: false

show-diffs: true

```

**Performance Optimized:**

```yaml

4o: true

cache-prompts: true

map-tokens: 2048

stream: true

weak-model: gpt-4o-mini

```

Examples

**Example 1: First-time setup**

```

User: "Set up Aider with Claude Sonnet and automatic commits"

Create .aider.conf.yml:

---

sonnet: true

auto-commits: true

attribute-author: true

dark-mode: true

pretty: true

```

**Example 2: Custom API endpoint**

```

User: "Configure Aider to use my self-hosted OpenAI-compatible API"

Create .aider.conf.yml:

---

model: my-custom-model

openai-api-base: https://api.mycompany.com/v1

model-settings-file: .aider.model.settings.yml

verify-ssl: true

```

**Example 3: Strict quality control**

```

User: "Set up Aider with Python linting and testing before each commit"

Create .aider.conf.yml:

---

4o: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --select=E,F,W"

auto-test: true

test-cmd: pytest tests/

auto-commits: true

show-diffs: true

```

Notes

Constraints