Microsoft has released a new version of Visual Studio Code (VSC). Among the many updates is a series of experiments that enhance the functionality of the GitHub Copilot code assistant.
Notable in version 1.93 is the ability to provide code generation instructions when using the tool for refactoring, generating unit tests, or deploying a functionality. Developers may want to use specific libraries or code patterns for these activities. This can now be done through the experimental setting ‘github.copilot.chat.experimental.codeGeneration.instructions’. This setting defines a set of instructions to be added to each GitHub Copilot request for code generation.
Another new experimental GitHub Copilot feature is automatically detecting chat participants in the Chat view. This allows developers to directly control the built-in chat participants in GitHub Copilot using plain language without first having to call the required participants via prompts and commands.
This functionality is being further developed so that GitHub Copilot Chat can automatically forward queries to the appropriate participant or chat command in the future.
Other GitHub Copilot VSC updates
In addition, Visual Studio Code 1.93 includes new GitHub Copilot features, such as using recent code files as inline chat context, using the current editor line as an inline chat prompt, starting a debugging process from Chat, and generating tests based on test coverage.
Other new GitHub Copilot features include improved test generation, renamed Code Actions for test creation and documentation, improved chat history, saving chat sessions for empty windows, adding context in Quick Chat, and more detailed negative feedback options.
In addition to AI-related improvements via GitHub Copilot, VSC 1.93 also includes updates that improve the overall operation of the code editor. These include a new Profiles editor, discovering and running Django unit tests from the Test Explorer, and improvements to JavaScript & TypeScript coding with IntelliSense on vscode.dev.
Finally, updates such as the notebook diff viewer, adjusting columns via keyboard, and easily hiding, folding, and moving the Source Control Graph in the VSC 1.93 update have also been added.
The August 2024 update to Microsoft VSC 1.93 is available now.
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