🍕 aslice

Focus on just a slice of your code when working with AI.
Or take the whole pie when you need it.

aslice helps you create explicit, human-curated context for AI-assisted development by generating a single, inspectable context file from the files you choose.

No magic. No hidden state. Just context you can trust.

Why aslice?

AI tools are powerful — but they work best when the context is:

• intentional
• readable
• scoped
• honest about what’s missing

aslice lets you:

• group files into named slices
• tag them with simple channels (often colors)
• generate a single slice_context.md file for AI tools
• include a lightweight tree to orient both humans and models

You stay in control of what the AI sees.

Installation

npm install -g aslice

Recommended for most projects:

npm install -D aslice
# then run via npx
npx aslice init

Strongly recommended alias (much easier to type):

alias sli="aslice"

Add that to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc.

Quick Start

Initialize aslice in your project:

aslice init

This creates a slice.jsonc file (safe to edit by hand).

Add files to a slice:

aslice add core src/index.ts src/text.ts --channel green
aslice add core src/another.ts   # uses channel "default" if slice is new

Add a folder (dir-based slices)

Add an entire folder to a slice (directories are expanded at build time):

aslice add-dir core src/app --channel green

Directories are resolved using include/exclude rules at build time, so your context always reflects the current state of the codebase.

List slices or inspect a channel/slice:

aslice list
aslice list green
aslice list core

Generate the context file:

aslice build

This produces slice_context.md — ready to paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI tools.

slice.jsonc (Human-Editable)

aslice uses JSONC (JSON with comments) so you can understand and edit it comfortably.

{
  "settings": {
    "contextFile": "slice_context.md",

    // Paths to ignore everywhere
    "ignore": ["node_modules/**", "dist/**", ".git/**"],

    // Directory expansion rules (glob‑lite)
    "dirInclude": ["**/*.ts", "**/*.html", "**/*.css", "**/*.scss", "**/*.md"],
    "dirExclude": ["**/*.map", "**/*.min.*"],

    // Optional orientation tree
    "tree": {
      "roots": ["src"],
      "mode": "dirs-only",
      "maxDepth": 6,
      "maxEntries": 500
    }
  },

  "slices": [
    {
      "id": "core",
      "name": "Core",
      "channel": "default",
      "items": [
        { "kind": "file", "path": "src/index.ts" },
        { "kind": "dir", "path": "src/app" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Context Tree

aslice can generate a lightweight directory tree to help orient AI and humans.

Modes:

• dirs-only (default, token-efficient)
• dirs-and-files (more detail)

The tree is regenerated on each build to stay honest and deterministic.

Build Warnings

If a file is missing or unreadable:

• the build still succeeds
• a warning is printed in the CLI
• a warning block is added to slice_context.md

Missing files are treated as signals, not silent failures.

Directory Expansion (Glob‑Lite)

When a slice contains a directory, aslice expands it at build time using simple, predictable rules:

• dirInclude — which file types are allowed
• dirExclude — which patterns are filtered out
• ignore — global exclusions applied everywhere

This keeps slices:

• deterministic
• token‑efficient
• honest about what is included

No background watching or hidden state — every build re-evaluates the directory.

Commands

aslice init
aslice add <slice> <path...> [--channel <channel>]
aslice add-dir <slice> <path...> [--channel <channel>]
aslice remove <slice> <path...>
aslice list [slice|channel]
aslice build [slice|channel]
aslice doctor
aslice about
aslice --tips
aslice --version

Philosophy

aslice follows a simple rule:

If a human might debate the wording, it belongs in a file you can read.

There is no hidden state, no background syncing, and no AI-specific lock-in. Everything aslice generates is plain text and Git-friendly.

Future Path 🚀

v2 — Reverse Patch Mode (Git-based)

• Generate and apply diffs from AI suggestions
• aslice apply using git apply for safety
• Dry-run by default

v3 — Dependency & Import Graphs

• Optional import/dependency visualization
• Language-aware where possible

VS Code Integration

• GUI for managing slices and channels
• Color-based slice selection
• Build slices directly from the sidebar
• Add files or folders to slices from the Explorer

All future features will be:

• explicit
• inspectable
• reversible
• widely expected

License

MIT

Built as part of the Jiode ecosystem.
Tools for the future.

👉 https://jiode.one