Slash (/) commands in SourceCraft Code Assistant

Warning

This feature is only available in Visual Studio Code.

Create custom / commands to automate repetitive tasks and extend the Code Assistant's functionality using simple Markdown files.

Enter / in the chat to see all available commands or create your own by adding a Markdown file to .codeassistant/commands/ or ~/.codeassistant/commands/.

Advantages:

  • Workflow automation: turn complex multi-step processes into single commands.
  • Command standardization: share commands with your colleagues for consistent practices.
  • Context preservation: include project-specific context into each command.
  • Quick access: search and auto-suggest for instant command detection.

Tip

Use quick Code Assistant actions using pre-configured commands: AI code review with current branch, AI code review with main branch, Commit description, Code refactoring, Test generation.

Creating custom commands

Custom commands extend Code Assistant's functionality by adding Markdown files to specific directories:

  • Project-specific commands are located in .codeassistant/commands/ in your workspace directory.
  • Global commands are located in ~/.codeassistant/commands/ in your home directory.

The file name becomes the command name. For example:

  • review.md → /review
  • test-api.md → /test-api
  • deploy-check.md → /deploy-check

Note

When creating commands via the user interface, command names are processed automatically:

  • They are converted to lower case.
  • Spaces are replaced with hyphens.
  • Special characters, except hyphens, are removed.
  • Multiple sequential hyphens are replaced with a single one.
  • Hyphens at the beginning and end are removed.

For example, My Cool Command! changes to my-cool-command.

Basic command format

Create a simple command by adding a Markdown file:

# review.md
Please check this code for:
* Performance issues
* Security vulnerabilities
* Code style violations
* Potential errors

Advanced command with metadata

Add metadata for extended functionality:

---
description: Comprehensive code review with emphasis on security and performance
argument-hint: <file or directory for check>
---
# Security-prioritized code review
Please perform a thorough security review of the selected code:
1. Authentication and authorization:
    * Check access control for correctness.
    * Make sure tokens are checked.
    * Check permissions.

2. Input validation:
    * Identify potential injection points.
    * Check data cleanup for correctness.
    * Check data type validation.

3. Security best practices:
    * Search for secrets in code.
    * Check communication security.
    * Check error processing for information leaks.

Metadata fields:

  • description: Displayed in the command menu to help users understand the purpose of the command.
  • argument-hint: Optionally, offers a hint on what arguments the command is expecting to get. For more information, see Argument hints.

Using slash (/) commands

Enter / in the chat to see a menu of all available commands. The menu presents custom workflow commands, mode-switching commands, and built-in commands – all in the same interface.

Start entering text to filter commands. For example, if you enter /sam you will see sample-command-name.

You can view command descriptions in the menu.

Project commands override global commands of the same name.

Argument hints

Argument hints provide instant help for slash commands by showing what information you need to provide as the command is awaiting additional input.

As soon as you type / to open the command menu, commands that are waiting for arguments will display a hint. This hint indicates what type of argument is expected.

For example:

  • /mode <mode_slug>: The <mode_slug> hint indicates that you need to provide the mode name, e.g., code or debug.
  • /api-endpoint <endpoint-name> <http-method> indicates that you need to provide both the endpoint name and HTTP method.

After you select the command, it will be inserted into the chat input field with a space.

Note

The hint will not go into the chat. It is just a visual guide to help you figure out what to enter next. As a next step, you need to manually enter the argument after the command.

Adding argument hints to custom commands

You can add argument hints to your custom commands using the argument-hint field in command metadata:

---
description: Create a new best-practice REST API endpoint
argument-hint: <endpoint_name> <HTTP_method>
---

In the command menu, it will be displayed as /api-endpoint <endpoint-name> <http-method>.

Recommendations

Command names:

  • Use descriptive, action-oriented names.
  • Keep the names concise but clear.
  • Use hyphens for multi-word commands.
  • Avoid general names, such as help or test.

Command contents:

  • Start by giving a clear direction.
  • Use structured formats (lists, sections).
  • Include specific requirements.
  • Reference general project conventions.
  • Keep commands focused on a single task.

Organization:

  • Group related commands into subdirectories.
  • Use consistent naming templates.
  • Document complex commands.
  • Control your command versions.
  • Share commands in the project repository.
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