Amazon CodeWhisperer is an AI coding companion app that generates full line of code and complete function code suggestions in the IDE to help you get more work done, faster. In this series of articles, we will introduce you to the relevant information of Amazon CodeWhisperer in detail, so stay tuned!
Amazon
CodeWhisperer
The source of this article is InfoQ, author: Zhang Junbao
In recent years, with the advancement of AI technology and the continuous improvement of infrastructure construction, AI application scenarios have been continuously enriched, and various AI products and tools have emerged in endlessly. Among them, AI programming tools for developers are also constantly iterating, and have attracted attention because they claim to "help developers write code." Currently, there are roughly two types of commonly used tools that can provide developers with programming suggestions: one is AI code completion tools; the other is generative AI tools.
The former AI code completion tool has a "new force" entering this year - Amazon Cloud Technology officially launched the real-time AI programming assistant Amazon CodeWhisperer , which is free for all developers to use.
Amazon CodeWhisperer usage test
We have comprehensively compiled feedback from developers in terms of usage thresholds, code suggestion capabilities (contextualization capabilities), security scanning, and whether it really has the ability to improve efficiency in actual combat.
Is it easy for developers to get started?
Amazon CodeWhisperer has a simple and clear official tutorial:
https://aws.amazon.com/cn/codewhisperer/resources/?trk=cndc-detail#Getting_started
Developers install the toolkit plug-in of Amazon Cloud Technology, register with their email address in the Amazon CodeWhisperer pop-up window, and log in with their Amazon Cloud Technology account to start functional testing. Some developers used the plugin function of Jetbrains to find the Amazon Cloud Technology Toolkit plug-in and click "install" to complete the installation. They all reported that the installation process was more convenient. Most developers can successfully log in through their original Amazon Cloud Technology account authorization.
Some developers use Goland's plug-in function to install, and they can also install it smoothly with one click. A few developers feel that the login entrance is a bit deep (if they miss the login pop-up window, users need to use config to configure login credentials). Overall, basically all developers can install and start using it smoothly.
How about code suggestion speed and usability?
Code suggestion capability is the core capability of AI programming tools and is widely concerned by developers. Most developers have specifically tested this capability.
Code suggestion ability test
In the existing code, enter a line of comments, "create a function,get response from openai", to test what feedback Amazon CodeWhisperer will give:
Test summary: Amazon CodeWhisperer can complete the writing of the entire function and can do the following:
Automatically generate method names, and the naming is more in line with the standards;
Can obtain referenced items based on context, and has strong contextual connection capabilities;
The context configuration file can be read. In this example, open_ai_key can be obtained correctly.
Contextual Ability Test
Test summary: Based on the context, Amazon CodeWhisperer's code suggestions use developer-defined functions.
Some developers said: "When I miss a bracket, forget to introduce a module, or use the wrong function parameter, it will immediately give the corresponding warning." [1] Most developers think that the Amazon CodeWhisperer editor The function is very practical . It not only provides corresponding completion options based on the variables, functions and class names used, but also prompts potential errors and problems. Some developers also said: "Amazon CodeWhisperer allows us to share code and edit it in real time , which can reduce the trouble of transferring files back and forth; the version control function provided allows me to easily create branches, merge changes, and roll back code, allowing the team to More flexibility and orderliness in the development process. ” [2]
Developers who participated in the test generally reported that the more accurate the developer's annotation description, the higher the quality of the code generated by Amazon CodeWhisperer. Overall, Amazon CodeWhisperer's ability and speed to give code suggestions basically meet developers' expectations, and it can also give code suggestions that fit the developer's development style based on the contact context.
The pop-up window has some blocking code
Can Security Scanning Improve Code Reliability?
Some developers hold a wait-and-see or "distrust" attitude towards AI programming tools. One reason may be that they are worried that code security cannot be guaranteed. Amazon CodeWhisperer's built-in security scanning function can help developers scan for hard-to-find vulnerabilities in Java, JavaScript, and Python programming languages. The security check function will not only detect the code written by the developer himself, but also detect the recommended code given by Amazon CodeWhisperer, striving to ensure the security and accuracy of the code to the greatest extent.
During the actual test, the Amazon CodeWhisperer security check function was simple and convenient to use. Modification suggestions can be given quickly, and the developer only needs to click to start detection. If the feedback after the security check is "nothing to show", it means that the security check passed successfully. Developers can use Amazon CodeWhisperer's security checks to ensure code quality at any time while writing code.
Test summary: Amazon CodeWhisperer prompts developers to change the flag setting here to "True".
Does it have the ability to improve efficiency in actual combat?
Feedback from developers has been almost unanimously positive. Some developers said: "There is a very practical function, which is syntax checking. When I write code, it will check syntax errors in real time and give me marks or prompts. In this way, I can find and correct errors in time to avoid compilation errors. Or there are troubles during runtime. Especially in large projects, this function is very important for the stability and consistency of the code." In fact, many developers are already using different AI programming tools, such as Amazon CodeWhisperer has helped Accenture Velocity The development effort of the team has been reduced by 30%.
"Everyone can be a developer"
Back to the opening question: Can AI programming tools exponentially increase efficiency? The answer is yes. Based on interviews with community developers, we found that the emergence of various AI development tools is further lowering the development threshold. Many non-IT developers can already learn quickly and try to use AI tools to develop simple but satisfying software for their own use. .
Under the general trend of "everyone is a developer", we can start by trying an AI programming tool and feel the power of AI to change programming!
[1] Source: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/629637178
[2] Source: https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/629624015
statement
The aforementioned Amazon CodeWhisperer can only be previewed in overseas regions of Amazon Cloud Technology. It is currently not available in the Amazon Cloud Technology China (Beijing) region or Amazon Cloud Technology China (Ningxia) region. The aforementioned third-party model is not provided or controlled by Amazon Cloud Technology. It is not a service that provides generative artificial intelligence services or deep synthesis services to the public in China, and cannot be used for this purpose. Amazon Cloud Technology China only recommends this service to help you understand the cutting-edge technology of the industry and develop overseas business.
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