Aider Configuration

This skill provides a comprehensive configuration file for the Aider AI coding assistant with persistent settings optimized for development workflows.

What This Skill Does

Sets up a complete Aider configuration file (`.aider.conf.yml`) with best-practice settings for:

Instructions

When the user requests Aider configuration:

1. **Determine Placement**

- Ask if they want project-specific (`.aider.conf.yml` in project root) or global configuration (`~/.aider.conf.yml` in home directory)

- Default to project-specific if not specified

2. **Create Configuration File**

- Write the following content to the chosen location:

```yaml

Aider Configuration File

This file contains persistent settings for Aider AI coding assistant

Model Configuration

Uncomment and set your preferred model, or use --model flag

model: ollama/qwen2.5-coder:latest

model: gemini/gemini-2.0-flash-exp

model: openrouter/anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet

model: openai/gpt-4

Editor Model (for smaller edits) - uncomment if needed

editor-model: ollama/qwen2.5-coder:7b

editor-model: gemini/gemini-2.0-flash-exp

Git Integration

auto-commits: true

commit-prompt: true

dirty-commits: true

Code Editing Preferences

edit-format: diff

pretty: true

stream: true

File Management

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd: "ruff check"

Chat Settings

show-diffs: true

show-repo-map: true

show-model-warnings: true

Performance

map-tokens: 1024

env-file: .env

Voice Settings (optional)

voice-language: en

Cache Settings

cache-prompts: true

Test Command

test-cmd: "pytest"

Additional Settings

verbose: false

message-file: .aider.chat.history.md

```

3. **Customize Based on User Needs**

- If user specifies a preferred model, uncomment and set the appropriate model line

- If user uses a different linter (e.g., eslint, flake8), update `lint-cmd`

- If user uses a different test framework (e.g., jest, vitest), update `test-cmd`

- Ask about voice language preference if relevant

4. **Explain Key Settings**

- **auto-commits**: Automatically commits changes made by Aider

- **commit-prompt**: Prompts for commit messages

- **edit-format: diff**: Uses diff-based editing (efficient for large files)

- **auto-lint**: Automatically runs linter after edits

- **show-repo-map**: Shows repository structure to help Aider understand context

- **cache-prompts**: Caches prompts for faster performance

- **message-file**: Saves chat history to file

5. **Verify Setup**

- Confirm the file was created successfully

- Inform user that settings will take effect next time Aider is launched

- Mention that settings can be overridden via command-line flags

Examples

**Example 1: Project-specific configuration**

```

User: Set up Aider configuration for this project

Assistant: [Creates .aider.conf.yml in project root with default settings]

```

**Example 2: Custom model preference**

```

User: Configure Aider to use Claude 3.5 Sonnet via OpenRouter

Assistant: [Creates config file with model: openrouter/anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet uncommented]

```

**Example 3: JavaScript project customization**

```

User: Set up Aider config for my JavaScript project using ESLint and Jest

Assistant: [Creates config with lint-cmd: "eslint ." and test-cmd: "jest"]

```

Important Notes