Feature Request: API for adding/dropping files from another process

[trevorwhitney]

Here is my use case:

• In neovim, I search for all the implementations of a function using my LSP, and all of those references get added to the quickfix list. I would love to be able to send all the files in my quickfix list to my running aider instance in the terminal, to perform an operation over those files.
• I highlight a block of code, I'd love to be able to send that text selection to aider to ask questions about it or refactor it.

I know I can put comments in my code to give aider some of the context, but it still needs to traverse the repo map to find all reference/implementations, and doesn't always get it right. Being able to use my LSP to find references and send those files directly to aider feels like the best of both worlds between LSP and generative AI.

This case has come up a few times already:

• Feature Request: Support for IDE Companion #2066, and the solution appeared to be a whole new application called AiderDesk. This is heaver than I need, I don't mind staying in the terminal.
• Feature Request: Improved Integration with Editors and External Tools #3183, this is probably closer to what I'm thinking, but again moves interaction to the editor.

I don't mind using aider in the terminal exactly as it is today, I just wish I could provide a flag that spins up a server (or listens on a socket) and enables an API for adding files from another process.

[trevorwhitney]

I would be fine if this was added to --browser mode as well, since that already spins up a server. I'm also happy to help if the maintainers feel this is worthwhile?

[distributev]

Ideally 'aider' should expose an OpenAI chat completions compatible API - this would open the tool to be used from any IDE no matter if it is VSCode or Emacs or vim - https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference/chat

A 'mcp server' implementation would be good too - https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction

similar things were proposed here in the past - people tried to build their own API for aider

here is an example (there are others too)

https://github.com/lee88688/aider-composer/tree/master/server