Introducing code2: The AI-Powered CLI That Supercharges Your Development Workflow

TL;DR

• Install with pip install code2
• Configure via environment variables (Uses free models by default!)
• Create dynamic AI-powered workflows in minutes
• Full Python API + plugin system for customization

This is how this article was created in a minute:

code2 prompt new blog
code2 prompt blog render
code2 prompt blog send wholefile
code2 prompt blog send wholefile > ~/src/blog/content/posts/2025-04-06-code2-ai-assisted-code-cli.md

This is the prompt I typed as the first command asked me to:

Write a blog article in markdown about our new code2 software based on the documentation you see here
{{read('/home/jpic/src/cli2/docs/code2.rst')}}

Like it? read on!

Why code2?

Tired of juggling AI tools and scripting hacks? Meet code2 - the CLI that bridges natural language prompts with real-world development tasks through a powerful AI-assisted pipeline.

Key Features:

• 🚀 Prompt Engineering CLI
• 🤖 LiteLLM Integration (Supports any LLM provider)
• 🧩 Extensible Plugin System
• ⚡ Response Caching (Reduce API costs)
• 🔧 Jinja2 Templating in Prompts

Getting Started

Installation

pip install code2
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_key_here  # For default free tier

Your First AI-Powered Workflow

1. Create a new prompt:

   code2 prompt new hello
   

   (This opens your $EDITOR - enter “create a hello world in python”)

2. Generate code:

   code2 prompt hello send wholefile > hello.py
   

3. Iterate with context-awareness:

   code2 prompt hello edit  # Add: "Update to print sys args {{read('hello.py')}}"
   code2 prompt hello send wholefile > hello.py
   

Watch as code2 intelligently modifies your script while maintaining context!

Advanced Usage

Python API

from code2.model import Model
from code2.prompt import Prompt

async def main():
    model = Model.get('architect')
    prompt = Prompt('hello')
    result = await model.process(prompt, 'wholefile')
    # Write result to file...

asyncio.run(main())

Workflows (Alpha)

code2 cmd pytest -vv tests/test_models.py  # AI fixes failing tests automatically!

Plugin Types

1. Workflows - Add new CLI commands
2. Parsers - Custom input/output handlers
3. Jinja2 - Extend template capabilities
4. Backends - Support custom LLM APIs

code2: the AI hacking assistant where YOU are the hero!

Why Choose code2 Over XYZ Tool?

After extensive experience with aider-chat and similar tools, we built code2 to address key pain points:

• True Plugin System - Extend in ANY direction
• CLI-First Philosophy - Works with your existing shell workflow
• Transparent Operations - No surprise commits/file modifications
• 12Factor-App Compliant - Configuration through environment variables
• Air-Gapped Friendly - Custom backend support out-of-the-box

Troubleshooting Made Simple

DEBUG=1 code2 prompt hello send  # See detailed execution flow

Join the Revolution

Whether you’re:

• Automating repetitive tasks
• Prototyping complex systems
• Creating smart dev tools
• Building AI-powered CI/CD pipelines

code2 adapts to YOUR workflow. Install today and experience the future of development tooling!

pip install code2

Read The Friendly Documentation

Supercharge your terminal. Command smarter, not harder. 💻🚀