Product Overview: Visual Studio IntelliCode
Visual Studio IntelliCode is an AI-powered tool integrated into Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, designed to enhance software development by providing context-aware code completions and other AI-assisted features. Here’s a detailed look at what IntelliCode does and its key features:
AI-Assisted Code Development
IntelliCode leverages artificial intelligence to predict and suggest the most relevant code completions based on the developer’s current code context. This is achieved by analyzing patterns from thousands of highly rated, open-source projects on GitHub, allowing IntelliCode to provide dynamic and context-aware suggestions rather than simple alphabetical lists.
Key Features
Context-Aware Code Autocompletions
IntelliCode offers AI-assisted IntelliSense that suggests the most likely correct API or method for the developer to use. These suggestions are prioritized at the top of the completion list, marked with a star icon, to help developers quickly find the most relevant options.
Whole-Line Autocompletions
For languages like C# in Visual Studio 2022 and higher, as well as Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript in Visual Studio Code, IntelliCode can predict entire lines of code based on the current code context. These predictions appear as gray text inline, similar to email autocompletion, making it easier for developers to complete their code efficiently.
API Usage Examples
IntelliCode provides access to real-world examples of how other developers have used specific APIs. This feature, available for languages like Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript, allows developers to see practical implementations from public open-source repositories on GitHub, helping them understand and use APIs more effectively.
Local Model Execution
The AI model that powers IntelliCode runs locally on the developer’s machine, ensuring that the feature is available even in offline or air-gapped environments.
Supported Languages
IntelliCode supports a range of programming languages, including C# in Visual Studio, and Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Java, and SQL in Visual Studio Code.
Functionality
- Enhanced Productivity: By providing context-aware code completions and whole-line predictions, IntelliCode significantly boosts developer productivity and efficiency.
- Improved Code Quality: The tool helps developers write better code by suggesting the most relevant and commonly used APIs and methods, reducing the likelihood of errors.
- Real-World Examples: Access to real-world API usage examples from GitHub repositories helps developers learn from best practices and implement code more effectively.
- Offline Capability: The local execution of the AI model ensures that IntelliCode remains functional even without an internet connection.
Integration
IntelliCode is seamlessly integrated into both Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code. For Visual Studio, it is included by default in most workloads and can be managed through the Visual Studio installer. For Visual Studio Code, it is available as an extension that can be installed from the Extensions marketplace.
In summary, Visual Studio IntelliCode is a powerful AI-driven tool that enhances the coding experience by providing intelligent code completions, whole-line predictions, and real-world API examples, all designed to make developers more productive and efficient.