Aider Configuration

This skill configures Aider (AI pair programming tool) with optimized settings for professional development workflows using Claude 3.7 Sonnet.

What This Skill Does

Generates a `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file that sets up Aider with:

Instructions

When a user requests Aider configuration or asks to set up their Aider environment:

1. **Create the configuration file** at `.aider.conf.yml` in the project root with the following settings:

```yaml

Model Configuration

model: anthropic/claude-3-7-sonnet-latest

thinking-tokens: 16000

detect-urls: false

Cache Settings

cache-prompts: true

Output Settings

dark-mode: true

stream: true

Git Settings

auto-commits: true

dirty-commits: true

attribute-commit-message-author: true

attribute-commit-message-committer: false

commit: false

Editor and Linting

editor: nvim

auto-lint: true

vim: true

Other Settings

check-update: false

suggest-shell-commands: false

```

2. **Explain the key settings**:

- `model`: Uses Claude 3.7 Sonnet for best reasoning and code generation

- `thinking-tokens: 16000`: Extended thinking for complex problems

- `cache-prompts: true`: Reduces API costs by caching prompts

- `auto-commits: true`: Automatically commits LLM changes

- `auto-lint: true`: Runs linters after code changes

- `vim: true`: VI editing mode in terminal

- `dark-mode: true`: Colors optimized for dark terminals

3. **Optional customizations** the user may want:

- Add custom lint commands via `lint-cmd`

- Configure test commands with `test-cmd` and `auto-test`

- Adjust `map-tokens` for repository mapping

- Set `voice-language` for voice input

- Add specific files to always include with `file` or `read`

4. **Verify the configuration**:

- Ensure the file is created at the git root or current working directory

- Confirm proper YAML formatting

- Check that the user has an Anthropic API key configured

Usage Examples

**Example 1: Basic setup**

```

User: Set up Aider for me

Assistant: [Creates .aider.conf.yml with the configuration above]

```

**Example 2: Custom model**

```

User: Configure Aider but use DeepSeek R1 instead

Assistant: [Creates config with model: openrouter/deepseek/deepseek-r1]

```

**Example 3: Add test automation**

```

User: Add pytest auto-testing to my Aider config

Assistant: [Adds test-cmd: pytest and auto-test: true to config]

```

Important Notes