Production-ready Aider setup with semantic commit messages, watch mode, auto-testing, and architect patterns for thoughtful LLM-assisted development
A production-ready Aider configuration that enforces thoughtful development practices with semantic commit messages, automatic testing/linting, and architect mode for complex changes.
Sets up Aider with best practices for professional software development:
When a user wants to set up this Aider configuration:
1. **Create `.aider.conf.yml` in the project root** with the following content:
```yaml
attribute-commit-message-author: true
watch-files: true
read:
- CONVENTIONS.md
commit-prompt: |
You are an expert software engineer that generates clear Git commit messages based on the provided diffs.
Review the provided context and diffs which are about to be committed to a git repo.
Review the diffs carefully.
Generate a commit message for those changes.
The commit message should be structured as follows:
<type>[optional scope]: <description>
[optional body]
[optional footer(s)]
Use these for <type>: fix, feat, build, chore, ci, docs, style, refactor, perf, test
Ensure the <description>:
- Starts with the appropriate prefix.
- Is in the imperative mood (e.g., "Add feature" not "Added feature" or "Adding feature").
- Does not exceed 72 characters.
Ensure that you write a meaningful <body> for bigger changes.
Reply only with the commit message, without any additional text or explanations.
model: sonnet
architect: true
editor-model: sonnet
lint-cmd: make format
auto-lint: true
test-cmd: make test
auto-test: true
```
2. **Adapt the quality commands** to match the project's tooling:
- If the project uses `npm run format` instead of `make format`, update `lint-cmd`
- If the project uses `npm test` instead of `make test`, update `test-cmd`
- If no automated formatting/testing exists, remove those sections
3. **Create `CONVENTIONS.md`** if it doesn't exist:
- Document project-specific coding standards
- Include architecture patterns
- List naming conventions
- Define testing requirements
4. **Explain the configuration** to the user:
- **attribute-commit-message-author**: Adds "Co-Authored-By" attribution in commits
- **watch-files**: Aider monitors file changes automatically
- **read**: Aider references `CONVENTIONS.md` without editing it
- **commit-prompt**: Enforces Conventional Commits format
- **architect: true**: Uses Sonnet for architectural planning
- **auto-lint/auto-test**: Runs quality checks before commits
This configuration enforces the following structure:
```
<type>[optional scope]: <description>
[optional body]
[optional footer(s)]
```
**Types:**
**Description rules:**
After setup, start Aider in watch mode:
```bash
aider
```
Aider will:
1. Load `CONVENTIONS.md` for context
2. Monitor file changes automatically
3. Run `make format` before commits
4. Run `make test` before commits
5. Generate semantic commit messages
6. Use architect mode for complex changes
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# Download SKILL.md from killerskills.ai/api/skills/thoughtful-aider-configuration/raw