🚀 Installation Guide

System Requirements

• VS Code: Version 1.85.0 or higher
• Cline Extension: Version 3.17.0 or higher
• Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, or Linux
• Memory: 4GB RAM recommended
• Storage: 50MB free space

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Download the Extension: Get the latest .vsix file from our download page
2. Open VS Code: Launch Visual Studio Code
3. Open Command Palette: Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS)
4. Install from VSIX: Type „Extensions: Install from VSIX“ and select it
5. Select File: Browse and select the downloaded .vsix file
6. Reload Window: Click „Reload Window“ when prompted

Verification

After installation, you should see:

• AI Context Optimizer icon in the VS Code sidebar
• Token counter in the status bar (when Cline is active)
• Extension listed in Extensions panel

🎯 Getting Started

First Launch

When you first activate AI Context Optimizer:

1. The extension automatically detects your Cline installation
2. It performs an initial scan of your workspace
3. Token monitoring begins immediately
4. You’ll see the optimization dashboard in the sidebar

Quick Setup

1. Configure Basic Settings

• Open Settings: File → Preferences → Settings
• Search for „AI Context Optimizer“
• Adjust token thresholds and notification preferences

2. Set Your Budget

• Click the AI Context Optimizer sidebar icon
• Navigate to „Budget Settings“
• Set daily/monthly spending limits
• Configure alert thresholds

3. Optimize Token Limits (Recommended)

• Run the auto-fix for token limits: Ctrl+Shift+P → „AI Context Optimizer: Fix Token Limits“
• Select affected models (usually all Anthropic models)
• Click „Apply Auto-Fix“
• Restart VS Code when prompted

⚙️ Features Guide

Token Monitoring Dashboard

The main dashboard provides real-time insights:

• Current Session: Tokens used in the current coding session
• Daily Usage: Total tokens consumed today
• Monthly Usage: Total tokens for the current month
• Cost Breakdown: Spending analysis by AI provider
• Optimization Score: Efficiency rating based on context selection

Smart Context Selection

AI Context Optimizer intelligently selects relevant files:

• Dependency Analysis: Includes files based on import/export relationships
• Relevance Scoring: AI algorithm determines file importance
• Exclusion Rules: Automatically excludes test files, node_modules, etc.
• Custom Rules: Add your own inclusion/exclusion patterns

Token Limit Auto-Fix

Revolutionary feature that fixes Cline’s artificial limitations:

• Detection: Automatically identifies incorrect token limits
• Backup: Creates safety backups before making changes
• Fix: Updates token limits to correct values (e.g., 8192 → 64000)
• Verification: Confirms successful application

Cost Analytics

Comprehensive cost tracking and analysis:

• Real-time Costs: Live cost calculation per request
• Provider Comparison: Compare costs across different AI providers
• Historical Trends: Track spending patterns over time
• Budget Alerts: Notifications when approaching limits

📈 Optimization Tips

Best Practices for Maximum Savings

1. Use Smart Context Selection

• Enable automatic context optimization in settings
• Review and refine custom exclusion rules
• Use project-specific configurations for different codebases

2. Optimize Your Queries

• Be specific in your requests to Cline
• Break large tasks into smaller, focused requests
• Use the „Start New Task“ feature for unrelated work

3. Monitor Usage Patterns

• Check daily reports to identify high-usage periods
• Adjust working patterns based on cost analysis
• Use budget alerts to stay within limits

4. Configure Provider Settings

• Compare costs between different AI providers
• Use appropriate models for different task types
• Configure fallback providers for cost optimization

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Extension Not Activating

Solution:

• Ensure Cline extension is installed and active
• Check VS Code version compatibility
• Restart VS Code and try again
• Check Output panel → „AI Context Optimizer“ for error messages

Token Counts Seem Incorrect

Solution:

• Different AI models use different tokenizers
• Verify you’ve selected the correct model in settings
• Check if token limit auto-fix has been applied
• Compare with provider’s official token count tools

Auto-Fix Not Working

Solution:

• Run VS Code as administrator (Windows) or with sudo (Linux/macOS)
• Ensure write permissions to extensions folder
• Check that Cline extension is up to date
• Manually verify the fix was applied by checking extension files

High Memory Usage

Solution:

• Reduce the number of files in context selection
• Increase exclusion patterns for large directories
• Restart VS Code to clear memory cache
• Check for other memory-intensive extensions

Getting Help

If you need additional support:

• Community Support: GitHub Discussions
• Bug Reports: GitHub Issues
• Email Support: support@aicontextoptimizer.com
• Documentation: This guide and inline help

🔌 API Reference

Available Commands

Core Commands

• aiContextOptimizer.optimizeContext – Manually trigger context optimization
• aiContextOptimizer.showDashboard – Open the main dashboard
• aiContextOptimizer.fixTokenLimits – Run token limit auto-fix
• aiContextOptimizer.generateReport – Create usage report

Configuration Commands

• aiContextOptimizer.openSettings – Open extension settings
• aiContextOptimizer.resetConfiguration – Reset to default settings
• aiContextOptimizer.exportSettings – Export current configuration
• aiContextOptimizer.importSettings – Import configuration

Configuration Options

Key settings that can be customized:

Token Management

• aiContextOptimizer.maxContextSize – Maximum tokens to send (default: 50000)
• aiContextOptimizer.warningThreshold – Alert when usage exceeds % (default: 80)
• aiContextOptimizer.autoOptimize – Enable automatic optimization (default: true)

File Selection

• aiContextOptimizer.includePatterns – File patterns to always include
• aiContextOptimizer.excludePatterns – File patterns to always exclude
• aiContextOptimizer.smartDetection – Use AI for file relevance (default: true)

Cost Tracking

• aiContextOptimizer.dailyBudget – Daily spending limit in USD
• aiContextOptimizer.monthlyBudget – Monthly spending limit in USD
• aiContextOptimizer.costAlerts – Enable budget notifications (default: true)