AI Dev Coach

AI Dev Coach is a Chrome extension that helps developers use AI tools without building bad habits.

It does not block AI. It coaches behavior in real time.

Why This Project Exists

AI can accelerate coding, but beginners can become dependent on copy-paste workflows before they build core engineering skills.

AI Dev Coach is designed to protect the learning loop:

• break down ambiguous problems
• explain attempts before requesting solutions
• debug with intent instead of skipping to answers
• use AI as a mentor, not a replacement for thinking

What You Get (Current MVP)

• Profile onboarding in popup (role, level, habit goal)
• First-run activation card with setup progress, trust facts, and one next best action
• Popup home actions for current prompt improvement, QA checklist, manual attempt logging, and opening a supported AI tab
• Prompt Builder with required fields (task, context, what you tried)
• In-page Quick Prompt Builder button beside AI chat composer (Build + Insert, Build + Send)
• Keyboard shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + O while focused in AI chat composer (browser-dependent)
• Background shortcut command Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + O to open Prompt Builder reliably
• Developer-focused role modes: Software Engineer, Solution Architect, Engineering Manager, Other Tech Role
• Profile level dropdown: Student, Junior, Middle, Senior
• Popup workspace readiness card that explains when Insert and Send are available
• In-page Live Coach bubble with realtime prompt score and habit snapshot
• 6 prompt templates: debugging, code review, system design, refactoring, performance optimization, learning
• Prompt quality engine v2 with shared scoring across popup and live monitor (clarity, context, specificity, risk guardrails)
• Prompt Linter with rule-based feedback for prompt length, technical context, failure signals, and sensitive data
• Real-time prompt quality scoring on AI chat websites (draft + submit paths)
• Sensitive data detection and local redaction for likely secrets before prompt submission
• Warning overlays in top-right for shortcut prompts and risky copy-paste behavior
• Quiet controls on warnings and live bubble (Snooze 1h, Less warnings, Turn off here)
• AI dependency tracking (ai requests, manual attempts, large pastes)
• Daily habit progress for improved prompts, manual attempts, and QA checks
• Prompt Improvement Engine that rewrites weak drafts into structured prompts with missing context kept as placeholders
• Focused Prompt Marketplace for developer and learning prompts, with Insert and Send disabled until the current workspace is actually ready
• Settings page for strict mode and warning thresholds
• First-run consent gate before any prompt or copied-content monitoring can be enabled
• Enterprise policy support via chrome.storage.managed, including supported-host allowlists and admin-locked coaching settings

Supported Platforms

• ChatGPT (chatgpt.com, chat.openai.com)
• Claude (claude.ai)
• Gemini (gemini.google.com)
• Grok (grok.com)
• DeepSeek (chat.deepseek.com)

Local Setup

1. Load the Extension

1. Clone this repository.
2. Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions.
3. Enable Developer mode.
4. Click Load unpacked.
5. Select the extension/ directory.

2. Run Production Validation Locally

node scripts/validate-extension.mjs
node scripts/test-managed-config.mjs
node scripts/test-platform-adapter.mjs
node scripts/test-prompt-quality-engine.mjs
node scripts/test-prompt-linter.mjs
node scripts/test-prompt-improvement-engine.mjs
node scripts/test-prompt-improvement-ui.mjs
find extension -type f -name '*.js' -print0 | xargs -0 -n1 node --check
python3 -m mkdocs build --strict

3. Documentation Format

• All documentation is Markdown under docs/.
• Docs site is built with MkDocs Material using mkdocs.yml.

CI/CD: Deploy Docs to GitHub Pages

This repository includes .github/workflows/deploy-docs.yml.

On push to staging with docs-related file changes, the workflow:

1. Installs mkdocs-material
2. Builds docs with mkdocs build --strict
3. Deploys automatically to GitHub Pages

This docs pipeline does not change extension version, tags, or releases.

One-Time GitHub Setup

1. Open repository Settings > Pages.
2. Set Source to GitHub Actions.
3. Push to staging or run the workflow manually.

Release Process

• Release preparation now lives in .github/workflows/prepare-release.yml.
• When extension code lands on main, it opens or updates a release PR like chore(release): cut vX.Y.Z instead of pushing directly to protected main.
• The repository should allow GitHub Actions to create pull requests. If that setting is ever disabled, the workflow can use REPO_ADMIN_TOKEN so release preparation still runs without manual rescue.
• After that release PR is approved and merged, .github/workflows/release.yml publishes the release:
  • reads the manifest version from main
  • creates the release tag vX.Y.Z if missing
  • generates friendly, plain-language release notes
  • packages the extension zip
  • creates or updates the GitHub Release
  • uploads and publishes the package to Chrome Web Store
• If Chrome Web Store reports that the item is already in review, the workflow keeps the GitHub release successful and marks the store publish as deferred instead of failing the whole run.
• Version bump is release-only on main. PRs into staging are guarded from release-version edits.

Chrome Web Store Secrets

Configure these repository secrets before a main release run:

• CWS_CLIENT_ID
• CWS_CLIENT_SECRET
• CWS_REFRESH_TOKEN
• CWS_PUBLISHER_ID
• CWS_EXTENSION_ID

Optional:

• CWS_PUBLISH_TARGET (default or trustedTesters)
• REPO_ADMIN_TOKEN (recommended for release PR creation, branch-protection automation, and weekly sync admin merge fallback)

The release workflow exchanges the refresh token for an access token using OAuth, then calls the Chrome Web Store API upload and publish endpoints.

Branching Strategy

• staging is the integration branch for pull requests.
• main is the stable release branch.
• Weekly automation syncs staging into main when updates exist.
• Branch protections enforce PR flow with 1 approval (admins can bypass for emergencies).

See docs/07-project/branching-strategy.md.

Repository Structure

extension/
vscode-extension/
docs/
.github/workflows/ci.yml
.github/workflows/deploy-docs.yml
.github/workflows/release.yml
.github/workflows/staging-version-guard.yml
.github/workflows/weekly-staging-to-main.yml
.github/workflows/apply-branch-protection.yml
mkdocs.yml

Product Roadmap

See docs/07-project/roadmap.md.

Prompt Builder details and wireframe: docs/08-product/prompt-builder-system.md

Privacy

• Analysis runs locally in browser content scripts
• No prompt or code is sent to external servers
• No remote analytics in MVP

License

MIT