I Cannot Believe How Good This VS Code AI Coding Assistant Is!
TLDRIn this video, the creator explores an AI coding assistant named Cody, which offers context-aware assistance by understanding the entire codebase. Cody is showcased to enhance productivity by answering technical questions, writing code, and suggesting improvements. The video demonstrates Cody's capabilities, such as explaining code, generating unit tests, and customizing commands, all while integrating seamlessly with the development environment. The creator utilizes Cody to build a gamified to-do app, transforming mundane tasks into quests, and highlights the tool's potential in aiding app development.
Takeaways
- 🤖 The AI assistant Cody is context-aware and integrates with your entire codebase for more accurate assistance.
- 💡 Cody offers AI-powered chat support, allowing developers to ask technical questions about their codebase.
- 📝 Cody can explain code, describe repositories, generate unit tests, and suggest best practices for code improvement.
- 🎉 Cody provides a free tier with a generous rate limit, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
- 🔗 Cody supports integration with multiple IDEs, including Visual Studio Code, for a seamless development experience.
- 📊 The assistant can suggest features and improvements for a project based on the codebase structure and content.
- 🎮 Cody was used to brainstorm ideas for a gamified to-do app, demonstrating its capability to aid in app development.
- 🛠️ Cody can help implement changes to code files, such as adding components and fixing errors.
- 🎨 The assistant provides styling suggestions and can assist in improving the visual aspects of a project.
- 🔄 Cody can generate and recommend unit tests, contributing to the overall quality and reliability of the code.
- 📚 Documentation creation is made easier with Cody's help, allowing for better project understanding and maintenance.
Q & A
What is the main differentiator of Cody as an AI coding assistant compared to other similar tools?
-Cody's main differentiator is its heightened context awareness. It understands the entire codebase, which allows it to make recommendations and assist with tasks based on the specific context of the user's project.
What features does Cody offer for code assistance?
-Cody offers AI-powered chat for code, the ability to answer technical questions, write code directly in the IDE, and use the code graph for context and accuracy. It can explain code or entire repositories, generate unit tests, describe code smells for best practices, and allow users to define their own custom commands.
What is included in Cody's free tier?
-Cody's free tier includes a generous rate limit which is not commonly found in other similar services.
Which IDEs is Cody compatible with?
-Cody works with several IDEs, including Visual Studio Code (VSCode).
How does Cody help with understanding a new repository?
-Cody can analyze files such as the README to provide context and explain the purpose and features of the repository. It can also suggest improvements and best practices based on the code structure and content.
What kind of app does the user want to build with Cody's help?
-The user wants to build an elevated, gamified to-do app that transforms everyday tasks into exciting quests with a fantasy adventure theme.
How does Cody assist in implementing changes to a Next.js app?
-Cody provides code suggestions and can write code directly into the user's IDE. It helps by offering specific import statements, code implementations for components, and troubleshooting for any errors that arise during the development process.
What is the structure of the app that Cody suggests for the gamified to-do app?
-Cody suggests a structure that includes a homepage with a hero section, example quests, a call to action, a dashboard, quest details, and profile features. It also recommends gamification elements like dynamic quest data, quest status, retro pixel art theme, and animations.
How does Cody help with creating components for the app?
-Cody assists in creating components by providing the necessary module and CSS code. It also helps troubleshoot issues, such as adding interfaces and handling state management for the components.
What are some of the interactive features Cody helps implement for the to-do app?
-Cody helps implement features such as the ability to check off quests as completed directly from the quest card and adding new quests through an input field with appropriate styling and functionality.
What additional functionalities did the user want to add to the app and how did Cody assist?
-The user wanted to add the ability to complete quests and add padding between the input and button for better UI design. Cody provided code snippets and guidance on how to implement these features, including creating the necessary functions and updating the component's state to reflect the changes.
Outlines
🤖 Introduction to AI Coding Assistant Cody
The video begins with the host introducing an AI coding assistant named Cody. The main differentiator of Cody from other AI tools is its heightened context awareness. It is designed to understand the entire codebase, allowing it to provide more tailored assistance and recommendations. The video proceeds to showcase Cody's features, such as AI-powered chat for coding questions, custom and pre-built commands, code explanation, and best practice suggestions. The host also highlights the availability of a free tier with a generous rate limit, and the compatibility of Cody with various IDEs, specifically demonstrating its integration with Visual Studio Code (VS Code).
🛠️ Implementing Cody in a Project
In this segment, the host dives into the practical application of Cody by using it within a project. The host creates a new chat with Cody and explores its capabilities by asking questions about a specific repository. Cody demonstrates its ability to provide context-aware explanations and suggestions for codebases. The host then discusses an idea for a gamified to-do app and seeks Cody's assistance in building it. Cody offers suggestions on the tech stack and outlines features for the app, showcasing its utility in the initial stages of project development.
📝 Cody's Assistance in Coding
The host continues to work on the to-do app with Cody's help, focusing on implementing changes to the app's code. Cody provides code snippets and guidance on importing necessary modules and components. The host encounters some issues due to missing utility files but resolves them by creating the required folders and files. Cody assists in refining the quest card component, adding necessary functionality like marking quests as complete. The video showcases the iterative process of coding, with the host making adjustments and improvements based on Cody's suggestions.
🎨 Styling and Finalizing Features
The final paragraph sees the host focusing on the styling and final touches of the to-do app. With Cody's assistance, the host enhances the app's user interface by adding padding, adjusting text color, and refining the layout. The host also implements a feature to add new quests and styles the input section, improving the overall user experience. Cody's role in suggesting styles and providing quick fixes for the code is highlighted. The video concludes with the host expressing satisfaction with the progress made and mentions the general availability of Cody for others to try out.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AI assistant
💡Context awareness
💡Codebase
💡IDE integration
💡Autocomplete
💡Unit tests
💡Code smells
💡Custom commands
💡Gamified to-do app
💡Next.js
💡Quest Card
Highlights
Cody is a context-aware AI coding assistant that understands the entire codebase.
Cody can answer technical questions and write code directly in your IDE, using your code graph for context and accuracy.
AI-powered chat for your codes allows you to ask questions about your codebase and receive explanations.
Cody can generate unit tests, describe code smells for best practices, and let you define custom commands.
Cody offers a free tier with a generous rate limit.
Cody works with various IDEs, such as Visual Studio Code.
The AI assistant provides autocomplete suggestions similar to what developers are used to.
Cody can help you understand a new repository by analyzing files like the README.
Cody can assist in building an app, like a gamified to-do application, by providing suggestions on the tech stack and features.
Cody can help implement changes to your code, like modifying a page's TSX file.
The AI assistant can suggest improvements and fix errors in your code.
Cody can help create components, like a quest card for a gamified app.
Cody can assist in styling your components and pages, enhancing the visual appeal.
Cody can provide quick fixes for common coding issues, like missing imports or incorrect component usage.
The AI assistant can help implement functionality, such as marking quests as complete in a to-do app.
Cody can suggest and assist in adding new features, like an input for adding more quests.
Cody is available as of December 14th and can be accessed through Sourcegraph.