Until recently, coding involved repetitive tasks, and required knowledge of many minute details. These aspects of coding detracted from the truly creative work that developers enjoy, and they slowed developers down.
Now, artificial intelligence technology promises to eliminate much of that repetitive work, and developers are no longer thrown off task by having to search the web for those minute details.
The technology works similarly to auto-complete in word processing but writing code instead of plain language and completing whole functions at a time.
AI Helps with Algorithms, Boilerplate Code
Among the latest offerings in AI-powered is Github's Copilot, an AI-powered pair programmer tool available to all developers for $10 a month or $100 per year.
The company claims Copilot can suggest complete methods, boilerplate code, whole unit tests, and even complex algorithms.
“With AI-powered coding technology like Copilot, developers can work as before, but with greater speed and satisfaction, so it’s really easy to introduce,” explains Oege De Moor, vice president of GitHub Next. “It does help to be explicit in your instructions to the AI.”
He explains that during the Copilot technical preview, GitHub heard from users that they were writing better and more precise explanations in code comments because the AI gives them better suggestions.
“Users also write more tests because Copilot encourages developers to focus on the creative part of crafting good tests,” De Moor explains. “So, these users feel they write better code, hand in hand with Copilot.”
He adds that it is, of course, important that users are made aware of the limitations of the technology.
Continue reading: https://www.informationweek.com/software/the-power-of-ai-coding-assistance
Now, artificial intelligence technology promises to eliminate much of that repetitive work, and developers are no longer thrown off task by having to search the web for those minute details.
The technology works similarly to auto-complete in word processing but writing code instead of plain language and completing whole functions at a time.
AI Helps with Algorithms, Boilerplate Code
Among the latest offerings in AI-powered is Github's Copilot, an AI-powered pair programmer tool available to all developers for $10 a month or $100 per year.
The company claims Copilot can suggest complete methods, boilerplate code, whole unit tests, and even complex algorithms.
“With AI-powered coding technology like Copilot, developers can work as before, but with greater speed and satisfaction, so it’s really easy to introduce,” explains Oege De Moor, vice president of GitHub Next. “It does help to be explicit in your instructions to the AI.”
He explains that during the Copilot technical preview, GitHub heard from users that they were writing better and more precise explanations in code comments because the AI gives them better suggestions.
“Users also write more tests because Copilot encourages developers to focus on the creative part of crafting good tests,” De Moor explains. “So, these users feel they write better code, hand in hand with Copilot.”
He adds that it is, of course, important that users are made aware of the limitations of the technology.
Continue reading: https://www.informationweek.com/software/the-power-of-ai-coding-assistance
