Coding support for dyslexic developers, packaged as a VS Code extension.
Generic screen readers and dyslexia tools can't read code well: they stumble
over camelCase, skip operators, and drown you in raw compiler jargon.
DysLexCode understands code structure — it splits identifiers, speaks
operators as words, and turns error messages into short plain sentences.
Features (MVP)
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
DysLexCode: Apply Readability Profile |
One-command presets for font, line height, letter spacing, theme (Comfortable Spacing / OpenDyslexic / Low Contrast Light) |
DysLexCode: Reset Readability Profile |
Restores your original editor settings exactly |
DysLexCode: Read Selection Aloud |
Reads selected code (or the current line) with OS TTS — identifiers are split (getUserName → "get User Name") and operators spoken as words (=> → "arrow") |
DysLexCode: Stop Reading |
Stops speech |
DysLexCode: Explain Errors in Plain Language |
Sends diagnostics on the current line to a local LLM (Ollama, default) or Claude API and shows a short plain-language explanation, with optional read-aloud |
Settings
dyslexcode.tts.rate— speech rate in wpm (default 180)dyslexcode.tts.voice— TTS voice (macOSsay -vname)dyslexcode.llm.provider—ollama(default, fully local) /claude/offdyslexcode.llm.ollamaUrl,dyslexcode.llm.ollamaModel— local Ollama endpoint & modeldyslexcode.llm.claudeModel— Claude model (defaultclaude-opus-4-8)dyslexcode.llm.language— explanation language (en/ja)
Claude API key
The key is never stored in settings. It is read from the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
environment variable at runtime. Launch VS Code with the key injected, e.g.:
op run --env-file=.env -- code .
Development
npm install
npm run compile
# then F5 in VS Code (Run Extension)
Roadmap
- Readability profiles + settings UI
- Code read-aloud with identifier decomposition + OS TTS
- Diagnostics simplification via Ollama / Claude
- Confusable-identifier detection (e.g.
lvsI,rnvsm) - Onboarding: 3 questions → recommended profile
- Localization (package.nls.ja.json)
- Marketplace publish
License
MIT