feat(vscode): add image attachment path mode for MCP file path handling

[Brightlyviryaa]

Context

Add a configurable kilo-code.new.attachments.imageMode setting to control how attached images are sent to the CLI backend. When set to "path", images are saved as temp files and sent as file:// URLs instead of base64 data URLs. This enables smooth integration with MCP servers (like Z.AI image understanding) that expect file paths rather than raw image data.

Implementation

The implementation adds a new VS Code configuration setting attachments.imageMode with two values:

• "data" (default): current behavior, sends data: URLs
• "path": saves images to temp files (vscode.env.tempFilesStoragePath) and sends file:// URLs

Flow for path mode:

1. User pastes/drops an image
2. Webview sends saveImageToTemp message with base64 data
3. Extension saves to temp dir and responds with imageSaved containing file:// path
4. Image is attached to message using the file path

Key changes:

• KiloProvider.ts: handles saveImageToTemp and requestImageMode messages
• ImageModeContext.tsx: new context for reactive image mode state
• useImageAttachments.ts: conditionally sends to temp or reads as dataURL based on mode
• PromptInput.tsx: listens for imageSaved messages to handle async path responses

How to Test

1. Open VS Code with the extension in dev mode (bun run extension)
2. Paste a screenshot into the chat with default settings (should send base64)
3. Go to VS Code settings and set kilo-code.new.attachments.imageMode to "path"
4. Paste another screenshot — it should now be sent as a file:// path
5. Verify the behavior differs based on the setting

Get in Touch

Brightlyviryaa on Kilo Code Discord

[kilo-code-bot]

Code Review Summary

Status: No Issues Found | Recommendation: Merge

Files Reviewed (1 files)

• packages/kilo-vscode/src/KiloProvider.ts

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_{Reviewed by gpt-5.4-20260305 · 573,491 tokens}