Explain Method Plugin for IntelliJ IDEA

This PyCharm plugin allows you to explain Python methods in plain English using ChatGPT. It provides a concise summary of the method and identifies external references, making it easier to understand and document your code.

Features

• Method Explanation: Get a plain English explanation of the selected Python method.
• External References: Identify and display external references used in the method.
• Code Compression: Compact the method for a more concise overview.

Installation

1. Clone the repository.
2. Open the project in IntelliJ IDEA.
3. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: in the resources/META-INF/user_data.json file you need to add your OpenAI API key. You can get one here. The key must be added between the quotes in the api_key field.
4. Run the runIde Gradle task, or Run Plugin from the Run menu.

Usage

1. When you run the project a PyCharm VM IDE will run as well.
2. Create a new Python Project or open an existing one.
3. Select the method you want to explain.
4. The selected method is based on where the start of selection begins. If there is no selection, it will use the method found at the caret.
5. Right-click and choose Explain This Method! from the editor popup menu.
6. The explanation will be displayed in a popup.
7. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Please wait for the popup to appear; in the meantime, you can continue working on your project. It will take a few seconds for the popup to appear in the middle of the screen.

Configuration

Besides the API key, which can be configured in the resources/META-INF/user_data.json file, there are no other.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the ChatGPT API for providing natural language processing capabilities.

Contact

If you have any questions or issues, feel free to open an issue.