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Aider connects a local Git working tree to a language model: you choose files and describe a change, Aider supplies those files plus a concise map of the repository, and the model returns edits in a format Aider can apply. Git then provides a record of the changes and tools to inspect or undo them. The model proposes the code; Aider’s edit and Git workflow handles how that proposal reaches your files.
How Aider turns a request into a code change
Aider is a terminal-based pair-programming application that works in a project directory. A typical change follows this sequence:
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- Select context: Start Aider in the project and name files on the command line or add them in chat. Aider’s usage guide recommends adding the files you want it to edit.
- Build repository context: Aider combines the selected files with a concise repository map of files and important symbols, such as key definitions and signatures.
- Ask the configured model: Aider sends the request and context to a supported hosted or local model. The model interprets the task and returns a proposed answer or edits.
- Interpret and apply edits: Aider uses an edit format suited to the model and task, then applies the returned changes to local files.
- Review the result in Git: Aider’s Git integration records changes and supports inspecting differences and undoing the last change.
This describes the documented workflow, not a guarantee that a proposed change is correct. Aider does not make model output inherently reliable; inspect the resulting code and test it as appropriate for your project.
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How Aider understands a codebase
There are two distinct sources of code context: files explicitly added to the chat and the repository map. The map gives the model a compact view of the wider project, including files and important symbols, so a request about one file can be considered alongside relevant modules and abstractions.
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Aider’s Repository map documentation puts it this way: “Aider sends a repo map to the LLM along with each change request from the user.” The map is a concise summary, not a complete semantic model of every file. Add the files that need editing; the map provides broader orientation rather than replacing that selection.
How the model’s response becomes an edit
The model does not simply write directly into a file as it generates text. It returns a response in an edit format that Aider can interpret; Aider’s edit machinery translates that response into local file changes. The format affects how much text the model must return and how precisely it can target a change.
| Edit approach | What the model returns | Practical trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-file | A complete updated file | Can be costly for a small change because the whole file must be returned. |
| Diff or search/replace | Targeted changes, such as search/replace blocks | Represents a narrower edit rather than rewriting the entire file. |
| Unified diff and other adapted formats | Changes expressed in formats documented for different models | Successful application depends on the model producing output Aider can interpret. |
Aider documents these approaches in its edit formats guide. Model and provider support changes over time, and a model that handles a particular format poorly may produce edits Aider cannot apply successfully. Choosing a supported model is therefore only part of setup; its ability to follow the chosen edit format matters too. See Aider’s model documentation for its current options.
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Modes determine whether a conversation is for editing, discussion, or a staged solution process. Aider documents Code, Ask, Architect, and Help modes in its chat modes guide.
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- Code: Makes requested code changes.
- Ask: Discusses the code and answers questions without editing files.
- Architect: Separates proposing a solution from producing concrete file edits. One model can describe the approach in plain language, and an editor model then translates it into edits.
- Help: Answers questions about Aider itself.
You can switch modes for a single message or change the active mode. Aider can also be configured through command-line switches, a YAML file, environment variables, or a .env file; configuration details are in the configuration guide.
How Aider uses Git—and what to review
Aider’s Git integration records edits with descriptive commit messages and offers commands to inspect differences and undo the last change. According to its Git documentation, Aider commits pre-existing uncommitted changes before editing. That means a project’s existing dirty state can be committed as part of the process; check your working tree before starting if you do not want that state committed.
After a change, use Aider’s diff and undo commands, and inspect the commit history to understand what changed. A commit is a record, not proof that the code is correct. Git knowledge is useful for understanding this workflow, but no special Aider-specific Git setup is established as a requirement.
What Aider does not establish for you
Aider coordinates context, model requests, edit-format handling, and Git changes. That does not mean it independently validates every change or executes arbitrary plans. The model proposes output; Aider applies edits it can interpret. Whether a change meets your project’s requirements remains something to verify.
Aider documents configurable linting and testing, but the available guidance cited here does not establish exactly how those hooks are invoked in every setup. Treat checks as project- and configuration-dependent rather than assuming every edit has been tested automatically.
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