The emergence of generative AI has ushered in a wave of new innovations and AI tools, revolutionizing various fields. From AI-generated images to AI-assisted coding, the possibilities are vast and constantly expanding. In this article, we will delve into the realm of AI coding tools specifically designed to aid software development. These tools offer capabilities such as code generation, bug fixing, code explanation, unit testing, and more. Let’s explore some of the noteworthy options available:
GitHub Copilot X
When it comes to AI coding tools, GitHub Copilot X is a highly recommended choice. Powered by the advanced GPT-4 model, it surpasses its predecessor, OpenAI Codex, and stands as one of the finest general-purpose AI models available. GitHub Copilot X serves as your invaluable AI companion, seamlessly integrating with your workflow. It provides contextual suggestions, code fixes, code translation, and even personalized answers to documentation queries. With compatibility across popular IDEs like VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, and more, Copilot X supports a wide range of programming languages, including C, C++, C#, Go, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Scala, TypeScript, and many others. Microsoft’s research highlights that Copilot X enhances developer productivity, with 74% reporting an increased focus on fulfilling work and 88% experiencing higher levels of productivity. Moreover, repetitive coding tasks can be accomplished up to 96% faster with Copilot X’s assistance.
CodeGPT
If you extensively use the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) editor, CodeGPT is a remarkable third-party extension developed by Daniel San. By integrating your own API key, you can leverage the power of ChatGPT models, including GPT-4, directly within CodeGPT. This extension proves to be a valuable AI coding tool, allowing you to seek instant coding-related answers, generate code, explain functions, identify issues and solutions, refactor code, and document your work. Additionally, CodeGPT supports 16 programming languages and allows integration with API keys from other AI services such as Cohere, Anthropic, AI21 Labs, HuggingFace, and more. If you don’t have access to Copilot X, CodeGPT is definitely worth exploring.
Codey and Studio Bot by Google
Google has also entered the AI coding assistant arena with two offerings: Codey and Studio Bot. Codey is an AI assistant available on Google Colab, providing inline code suggestions, code generation, autocompletion, debugging, and more. While initially limited to users in the United States, Codey offers a “Generate” button for Python code in Colab notebooks. Notably, Codey is built on Google’s PaLM 2 model. Studio Bot, on the other hand, caters to Android developers and can be used within Android Studio. As an experimental technology, Studio Bot is gradually being rolled out to developers outside the US. Currently, it supports code generation, test case creation, and API updates for enhanced compliance. Both Codey and Studio Bot aim to assist developers with their coding tasks and hold promise for future advancements.
Replit Ghostwriter
Replit introduces its AI coding tool, Ghostwriter, supported by its proprietary large language model. Trained on publicly available code and fine-tuned by Replit, Ghostwriter offers a comprehensive suite of features. These include code completion, code generation, transformation, enhancement, explanation, chat, debugging, and more. Ghostwriter takes project context into account, providing relevant responses and even automatically detecting issues in your code with suggested fixes. With support for 16 programming languages, such as Bash, C, C#, C++, CSS, Go, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby, and others, Ghostwriter facilitates entry into unfamiliar codebases, frameworks, APIs, and languages. However, it’s important to note that Replit Ghostwriter is not free and requires a subscription to their Pro plan, priced at $20 per month. Alongside AI coding assistance, the Pro plan offers a fast workspace, generous resource limits, unlimited private Repls, SSH access, and more. Overall, Replit Ghostwriter serves as an excellent AI-powered tool for programming, with the added benefit of running your code in an online IDE simultaneously.
Amazon CodeWhisperer
Amazon’s contribution to the AI coding landscape is the powerful large language model, Amazon CodeWhisperer. Trained on billions of lines of code, CodeWhisperer specializes in generating inline code suggestions, much like Copilot X. By simply writing a comment, CodeWhisperer can generate complete functions based on your existing code. Additionally, it offers code security features, scanning and analyzing your code to identify vulnerabilities and loopholes, enabling immediate remediation. CodeWhisperer is compatible with several IDEs, including VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and supports multiple programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, C#, and more. An enticing aspect is that CodeWhisperer is available for free, with unlimited code suggestions. This makes it an attractive option for developers seeking comprehensive AI coding assistance. Be sure to explore Amazon CodeWhisperer for a rewarding coding experience.
As the field of AI continues to evolve, AI coding tools have become indispensable for developers. Each of the aforementioned tools brings unique features and advantages, catering to different preferences and requirements. Whether you seek code generation, debugging assistance, documentation support, or other coding-related tasks, these AI tools provide valuable assistance and aim to enhance your productivity. Embrace the power of AI and embark on a journey of seamless coding with these remarkable tools.
GPT Engineer
GPT Engineer is an open-source project that has gained significant traction among developers in 2023. Considered one of the best AI coding tools, it has rapidly amassed 11K stars on GitHub within a few days. This project focuses specifically on building the entire codebase for your project, distinguishing it from other tools like Auto-GPT.
To use GPT Engineer, you simply inform the AI agent about what you want to build. The agent then asks you a series of clarifying questions before commencing the code generation process. Unlike its counterparts, GPT Engineer boasts a high success rate, allowing developers to construct complete codebases successfully. It is important to note that an OpenAI API, preferably the GPT-4 API, is required to utilize GPT Engineer. If you’re a coder, I encourage you to give GPT Engineer a try and see if it fits your needs.
7.ChatGPT 4
While ChatGPT is primarily a versatile AI chatbot, it excels at coding tasks as well. Powered by the robust GPT-4 model, ChatGPT serves as the backbone for several AI coding assistants, including Copilot X and CodeGPT. By subscribing to ChatGPT Plus ($20 per month), you gain access to the powerful GPT-4 model, enabling you to leverage ChatGPT for coding purposes.
One of the key highlights of ChatGPT 4 is its prowess in generating code. In the HumanEval Python coding tasks, GPT-4 achieved an impressive 67% accuracy with zero-shot prompting, setting a new record for language models. By providing expert-level prompts to ChatGPT, you can expect even better code generation. Personally, I find ChatGPT to be an exceptional tool for coding-related queries as it excels in explaining, generating, and fixing code. If you’re a developer, regardless of your expertise level, I highly recommend trying out ChatGPT 4 for all your coding needs.
8. Google Bard
Google Bard, another powerful AI chatbot, has made significant strides in coding capabilities with recent updates. Built on the PaLM 2 model, Google Bard exhibits proficiency in various programming languages, supporting over 20 languages including C, C++, Python, C#, and JavaScript.
Notably, Google Bard also enables code translation across different programming languages. Through a technique known as Implicit Code Execution, Bard can execute code in the background, accurately displaying the output. Google claims that this technique has enhanced Bard’s accuracy by 30% in computation-based prompts. Furthermore, you can conveniently export the code directly into Google Colab for testing purposes. In summary, Google Bard stands as one of the finest AI coding tools available, and I encourage you to take advantage of its capabilities.
In conclusion, AI-powered coding tools like GPT Engineer, ChatGPT 4, and Google Bard have transformed the coding landscape, making it easier and more efficient for developers to write code. Whether you’re an experienced programmer or a beginner, these tools can greatly enhance your coding experience and productivity.