Aider API Server

A FastAPI-based API server that provides an interface to run Aider commands via HTTP requests. This server allows you to send files and instructions to Aider and receive structured responses.

Features

Structured JSON responses with stdout/stderr separation
Send multiple files in a single request
Configure Aider options (auto-commits, dirty-commits, dry-run)
Temporary file handling for safety
Docker support
API documentation with Swagger UI

Installation

TypeScript Version

The API server is also available as a TypeScript implementation that provides the same functionality as the Python version.

TypeScript Setup

First follow the Python steps as we need the venv for the latest Aider
Install Node.js dependencies:

npm install

Build the TypeScript code:

npm run build

Run the server:

npm start

The TypeScript version supports the same command line arguments and API functionality as the Python version.

Python Version Setup with venv

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/aider-api
cd aider-api

Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use: venv\Scripts\activate

Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Make sure we have the latest aider

venv/bin/python -m pip install --upgrade aider-chat

Run the server

python3 aider_api.py [--host HOST] [--port PORT]

The server can be configured with the following command line arguments:

--host: Host to listen on (default: 127.0.0.1)
--port: Port to listen on (default: 8000)

Docker Setup

Build and run using Docker:

docker build -t aider-api .
docker run -p 8000:8000 aider-api

Or use Docker Compose:

docker-compose up

Usage

Interactive Chat Demo

The repository includes a chat.py script that provides an interactive command-line interface to the API:

python3 chat.py [--port PORT] [files ...]

Options:

--port: Port number where the API server is running (default: 8000)
files: Optional list of files to edit in the chat session

The chat script allows you to:

Interactively send messages to the API
Edit multiple files in a session
See stdout/stderr output clearly separated
Get error messages in a user-friendly format

API Usage

The server runs on http://localhost:8000 by default.

API Endpoints

POST /run-aider

Send a POST request with JSON payload containing:

message: The instruction for Aider
files: Dictionary of filename to file content
auto_commits: (optional) Enable/disable auto commits (default: true)
dirty_commits: (optional) Enable/disable dirty commits (default: true)
dry_run: (optional) Enable/disable dry run mode (default: false)

Example Usage

Using curl:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/run-aider \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "message": "add a docstring to this function",
    "files": {
      "example.py": "def hello():\n    print(\"Hello, World!\")"
    }
  }'

curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/run-aider \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "message": "/help"
  }'

Using Python requests:

import requests

response = requests.post(
    "http://localhost:8000/run-aider",
    json={
        "message": "add a docstring to this function",
        "files": {
            "example.py": "def hello():\n    print(\"Hello, World!\")"
        }
    },
)

# The response is now a JSON object with the following structure:
response_json = response.json()
print("STDOUT:", response_json["raw-stdout"])
print("STDERR:", response_json["raw-stderr"])
if "error" in response_json:
    print("ERROR:", response_json["error"])

Using JavaScript fetch:

fetch("http://localhost:8000/run-aider", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    message: "add a docstring to this function",
    files: {
      "example.py": 'def hello():\n    print("Hello, World!")',
    },
  }),
})
  .then((response) => response.json())
  .then((data) => {
    console.log("STDOUT:", data["raw-stdout"]);
    console.log("STDERR:", data["raw-stderr"]);
    if (data.error) {
      console.log("ERROR:", data.error);
    }
  });

Development

Running Tests

pytest tests/

API Documentation

The API documentation is available at:

Swagger UI: http://localhost:8000/docs
ReDoc: http://localhost:8000/redoc

Configuration

The server is configured through command line arguments when starting:

python3 aider_api.py [--host HOST] [--port PORT]

Arguments:

--host: Host to listen on (default: 127.0.0.1)
--port: Port to listen on (default: 8000)

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Commit your changes
Push to the branch
Create a Pull Request

License

MIT License

tluyben/aider-api