Aider Configuration Template

A comprehensive `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file for the Aider AI coding assistant, optimized for Claude Sonnet integration with professional git workflows and terminal UI settings.

What This Skill Does

Provides a production-ready Aider configuration template covering:

Instructions

1. **Locate Configuration Placement**

- Place `.aider.conf.yml` in your home directory (`~/`) for global settings

- OR place at the root of your git repository for project-specific config

- Aider searches: git root → current directory → home directory

2. **Set Your Primary Model**

```yaml

# Main model configuration

model: anthropic.claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620-v1:0

```

- This template defaults to Claude Sonnet for balanced performance

- Alternative shortcuts: `sonnet: true`, `opus: true`, `haiku: true`

- For OpenAI: use `4o: true` or specify model directly

3. **Configure API Keys**

- **IMPORTANT**: Only OpenAI and Anthropic keys go in YAML

- For other providers, use `.env` file in git root:

```bash

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here

OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here

```

- Or use `--set-env` in config for API settings

4. **Customize Git Behavior**

```yaml

auto-commits: true # Auto-commit LLM changes

dirty-commits: true # Allow commits when repo is dirty

attribute-author: true # Show "aider" in git author

attribute-committer: true # Show "aider" in git committer

show-diffs: false # Set true to review diffs before commit

```

5. **Set Terminal UI Preferences**

```yaml

dark-mode: false # Set true for dark terminal

light-mode: false # Set true for light terminal

pretty: true # Colorized output

stream: true # Streaming responses

code-theme: default # Options: monokai, solarized-dark, solarized-light

fancy-input: true # History and completion

vim: false # Set true for VI editing mode

```

6. **Configure Repo Map (Context Window)**

```yaml

map-tokens: xxx # Token budget for repo map (0 to disable)

map-refresh: auto # Options: auto, always, files, manual

map-multiplier-no-files: 2 # Increase context when no files specified

```

7. **Enable Automatic Linting**

```yaml

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: flake8 --select=E,W"

- "javascript: eslint"

```

8. **Set Up Testing**

```yaml

test-cmd: pytest # Your test command

auto-test: false # Set true to run tests after changes

```

9. **Configure History Files**

```yaml

input-history-file: .aider.input.history

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

restore-chat-history: false # Set true to resume previous chats

```

10. **Usage Modes**

- **Interactive chat**: `aider` (default)

- **Single message**: `aider --message "Add error handling"`

- **Watch mode**: `aider --watch-files` (responds to code comments)

- **GUI mode**: `aider --gui` (browser interface)

11. **File Management**

```yaml

file:

- src/main.py

- tests/test_main.py

read:

- docs/API.md # Read-only context files

```

12. **Enable Prompt Caching (Cost Optimization)**

```yaml

cache-prompts: false # Set true to enable

cache-keepalive-pings: 0 # Number of 5min pings to keep cache warm

```

Key Configuration Sections

Model Selection

Git Integration

Terminal Customization

Advanced Features

Examples

Minimal Configuration

```yaml

model: anthropic.claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620-v1:0

auto-commits: true

dark-mode: true

pretty: true

```

Python Development

```yaml

model: sonnet

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

test-cmd: pytest

auto-test: false

code-theme: monokai

vim: true

```

Team Project

```yaml

model: 4o

git: true

dirty-commits: false # Require clean repo

show-diffs: true # Review before commit

attribute-commit-message-author: true

gitignore: true

map-tokens: 2048

```

Important Notes

Constraints

Related Files