Use VS Code Powered by Generative AI

Configure your VS Code app for use with the AI pair programmer, GitHub Copilot, and the generative AI prompt, Genie.

Before you begin:

You must have the VS Code app installed with the context VS Code Python 4.15.0 in your project.

With GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant, that can help you with autocomplete suggestions. It analyzes the context in which you are working to predict what you are trying to achieve and provide relevant code suggestions. By combining machine learning models, Copilot can suggest entire lines of code, generate function definitions, provide explanations of coding concepts, and even create documentation extracts.

Before you begin:

You need a subscription to GitHub Copilot.

  1. Open your app from your project’s The "Apps" page icon is a PC screen with a star in the middle. Apps page by clicking Open open external on the corresponding card.

    If you have just installed the app, you may have to wait for a few minutes for it to start up.

    Your app interface opens. You will see a pop-up prompting you to sign in to GitHub to use GitHub Copilot in VS Code.

    vs code github copilot

  2. Click Sign in to GitHub in the pop-up to allow the use of GitHub Copilot in the app.
    Several pop-up messages appear.

  3. Follow the prompts to authorize your GitHub account to connect to VS Code.
    Once logged in, you are ready to go.

  4. Start writing the code you want to use, or a natural language comment describing what you want the code to do, to receive suggestions from GitHub Copilot.

    • To accept a suggestion, press Tab.

    • To reject suggestions, press Esc.

    For more information on suggestions, see Seeing alternative suggestions in the official GitHub Copilot documentation.

With Genie

Genie is an AI-powered coding assistant that can learn from you to give you the best experience and optimizing your work. This extension includes an editor and conversational view, a feature to copy and insert suggested code into the editor, context menu commands to find bugs, add comments, ask explanation, customization options for OpenAI’s ChatGPT prompts, and much more.

Before you begin:

You need an OpenAI account.

  1. Open your app from your project’s The "Apps" page icon is a PC screen with a star in the middle. Apps page by clicking Open open external on the corresponding card.

    If you have just installed the app, you may have to wait for a few minutes for it to start up.

    Your app interface opens.

  2. Click Genie genie logo icon in the left-hand menu of your app.

    vs code genie

  3. You must try to use it in such a way that Genie asks for your OpenAI API key. Ask any coding question to display the pop-up message.

  4. Enter your OpenAI account API key and press Enter to validate.
    You can start using Genie.

For more information on how to use Genie, see their documentation on GitHub.