copy

aider/website/docs/usage/modes.md

@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ description: Using the code, architect, ask and help chat modes.
 Aider has a few different chat modes:
 
 - `code` - Aider will make changes to your code to satisfy your requests.
-- `architect` - Aider will first propose a solution, then ask if you want it to turn that proposal into edits to your files.
 - `ask` - Aider will answer questions about your code, but never edit it.
+- `architect` - Like code mode, aider will change your files. An architect model will propose changes and an editor model will translate that proposal into specific file edits.
 - `help` - Aider will answer questions about using aider, configuring, troubleshooting, etc.
 
 By default, aider starts in "code" mode. As you are talking, you can
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ Or you can switch between coding modes using these commands without arguments:
 Or you can launch aider in one of the modes with the `--chat-mode <mode>` switch.
 There is also a special shortcut `--architect` to launch in `--chat-mode architect`.
 
+The aider prompt will indicate the active mode:
+
+```
+> This is code mode.
+ask> This is ask mode.
+architect> This is architect mode.
+```
+
+
 ## Ask/code workflow
 
 A recommended workflow is to bounce back and forth between `/ask` and `/code` modes.
@@ -55,6 +64,9 @@ You can be very terse when you finally switch from ask to code mode.
 Saying something as simple as "go ahead" in code mode will
 have aider execute on the plan you've been discussing.
 
+Here's an example with two ask mode messages to agree on the plan, 
+followed by two terse code mode messages to edit the code.
+
 ````
 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 Aider v0.79.0
@@ -73,7 +85,7 @@ popular phrase to use for small demo programs.
 4. "I think, therefore I print."
 5. "01001000 01101001!" (Binary for "Hi!")
 
-> /code do 4
+> do 4
 
 hello.py
 >>>>>>> SEARCH
@@ -81,36 +93,50 @@ hello.py
 def main():
     print("I think, therefore I print.")
 <<<<<<< REPLACE
+
+> ALL CAPS!
+
+hello.py
+>>>>>>> SEARCH
+    print("I think, therefore I print.")
+=======
+    print("I THINK, THEREFORE I PRINT!")
+<<<<<<< REPLACE
+
 ````
 
 You can think of this ask/code workflow as a more fluid version of
-architect mode, but working just with the one main model the whole time.
+architect mode, but working just with one model the whole time.
 
 ## Architect mode and the editor model
 
 When you are in architect mode, aider sends your request to two models:
 
 1. First, it sends your request to the main active model.
-The main model is configured with `/model`, `--model` or the shortcut switches like `--sonnet`. 
-After the main model replies, aider will offer to edit the files based on the response.
+The main model is configured with `/model` or `--model`.
 
 2. To edit the files, aider sends a second LLM request asking for specific code editing instructions.
 This request goes to the "editor" model.
 Aider has built in defaults to select an editor model based on your main model.
-Or, you can choose an editor model yourself with `--editor-model <model>`.
+Or, you can choose a specific editor model with `--editor-model <model>`.
 
-Architect mode produces better results than code mode, but uses two LLM requests.
-This probably makes it slower and more expensive than using code mode.
+Certain LLMs aren't able to propose coding solutions *and*
+specify detailed file edits all in one go.
+Architect mode can produce better results than code mode
+by pairing these models
+with an editor model that is responsible for generating the file editing instructions.
+But this uses two LLM requests,
+which can take longer and increase costs.
 
 Architect mode is especially useful with OpenAI's o1 models, which are strong at
 reasoning but less capable at editing files.
 Pairing an o1 architect with an editor model like GPT-4o or Sonnet will
 give the best results.
 
-But architect mode is also quite helpful when you use GPT-4o or Sonnet
-at both the architect and the editor.
+But architect mode can also be helpful when you use the same model
+as both the architect and the editor.
 Allowing the model two requests to solve the problem and edit the files
-usually provides a better result.
+can sometimes provide better results.
 
 The editor model uses one of aider's edit formats to let the LLM
 edit source files.
@@ -137,9 +163,9 @@ for more details.
 
 #### /ask What is this repo?
 
-This is the source code to the popular django package.
+This is collection of python functions that compute various math functions.
 
-#### /help How do I use ollama?
+#### /help How do I use aider with ollama?
 
 Run `aider --model ollama/<ollama-model>`.
 See these docs for more info: https://aider.chat/docs/llms/ollama.html
@@ -168,8 +194,6 @@ builtin.
 This way you don't have to maintain a custom factorial implementation,
 and the builtin function is well optimized.
 
-> Edit the files? (Y)es/(N)o [Yes]: Yes
-
 ```python
 <<<<<<< SEARCH
 def factorial(n):