Aider

Aider - Token Efficient Configuration

Delegate coding tasks to Aider, the AI pair programmer that works in your editor/terminal with minimal token overhead.

When to Use

• User wants AI pair programming in the terminal
• Multi-file code edits with coherent context
• Refactoring across multiple files
• Natural language code modifications

Prerequisites (Token-Efficient)

• Aider installed: pip install aider-coding-assistant or pip install aider
• Auth configured: Set OPENAI_API_KEY or other supported provider
• Verify: aider --model should show available models
• Git repository recommended for full context

Token-Saving Modes

One-Shot Mode (RECOMMENDED - Saves 50-70% tokens)

aider --model gpt-4o-mini "Add logging to all API endpoints" --edit src/api.py

• Single command, single edit pass
• No conversation history overhead
• Best for: single-file changes, simple additions

Multi-Turn Mode (Only when needed)

aider --model gpt-4o-mini
# Then send prompts as needed

• Use only for complex multi-file refactoring
• Each turn adds token overhead

Key Token Optimization Tips

1. Use smaller models for simple tasks

   aider --model gpt-4o-mini "Fix indentation in utils.py"
   

2. Limit file scope

   aider --model gpt-4o-mini "Fix bug in calculate.py" --file calculate.py
   

3. Use --edit for specific files only

   aider "Refactor auth module" --edit auth.py main.py
   

4. Batch multiple small edits in one session rather than multiple single-edit sessions

5. Prefer aider --send with specific prompts over interactive conversation when possible

6. Use --model flag to select cost-effective model per task complexity

7. Cache successful edit patterns - repeatable changes can reuse successful prompts

Common Workflows (Token-Efficient)

Single File Edit (One-Shot)

aider --model gpt-4o-mini "Add type hints to calculate.py" --file calculate.py

Multi-File Refactoring (Minimal Turns)

aider --model gpt-4o-mini "Extract calculation logic to utils module" --edit utils.py calc.py

Bug Fix (One-Shot)

aider --model gpt-4o-mini "Fix null reference in user_service.py" --file user_service.py

Cost-Per-Task Guide