Gemini Code

A zero dependency AI coding assistant that lives in your terminal. One Python file gives you file editing, shell commands, and Gemini powered code help. Just set your API key and go.

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Gemini Code - Project Story

Inspiration

Modern AI coding tools are bloated with dependencies and complex setups. We wanted a powerful coding assistant that's just one Python file—drop it anywhere and start coding.

What it does

A terminal-based AI coding assistant in ~500 lines with zero dependencies:

  • Read, write, and edit files
  • Search code with glob/grep
  • Execute shell commands
  • Markdown-formatted responses
  • Works with OpenRouter & Google AI Studio

How we built it

Pure Python standard library only: urllib.request for HTTP, json for parsing, subprocess for shell, and ANSI codes for terminal styling. One file, no installs.

Challenges we ran into

  • Building HTTP clients and terminal UI without third-party libraries
  • Supporting multiple AI providers with different API formats
  • Managing conversation context within token limits

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • 494 lines replacing tools with dozens of dependencies
  • Setup in seconds: export API_KEY=... && python geminicode.py
  • Clean, auditable, hackable codebase

What we learned

Python's standard library is powerful enough for production tools. Constraints force elegant solutions. Simple tool interfaces beat bloated ones.

What's next for Gemini Code

  • Session persistence
  • Vim/Neovim integration

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