Katie Savage outlines the new GitHub Copilot features in Visual Studio 17.14 Preview 3, providing developers with a detailed look at recent advancements in AI integration and coding assistance.

GitHub Copilot Highlights in Visual Studio 17.14 Preview 3

Author: Katie Savage

Visual Studio 17.14 Preview 3 introduces several new features and improvements for GitHub Copilot, enhancing the experience of AI-assisted development within Visual Studio. Below are the key updates in this release.

What’s New in Visual Studio 17.14 Preview 3

  • Preview Version Availability:

Guided Walkthrough for Getting Started

If you’re new to GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio, the new guided walkthrough streamlines the onboarding process:

  • Access the walkthrough from the GitHub Copilot badge dropdown by selecting GitHub Copilot Walkthrough.
  • The walkthrough opens in a new tab in the workspace and covers five steps:
    1. How to get Copilot for free
    2. Introduction to AI-powered code completions
    3. Using Copilot Chat
    4. Providing Copilot with specific project context
    5. Leveraging Copilot Edits’ multi-file editing

After completing the steps, users are ready to start and experiment with Copilot’s features. Video demonstration.

Improved Model Access and Code Mapping

  • Model Selection:
    • Users can now access the latest models (e.g., Claude 3.7) directly within Visual Studio without adjusting separate settings. Models can be enabled from github.com through the Visual Studio interface.
    • When selecting a model in Copilot Chat, you’ll be prompted to authorize your choice.
    • Model approval demo
  • Code Mapping Enhancements:
    • Copilot’s ability to insert code suggestions accurately within your codebase has improved thanks to updates in “Code Mapping.”
    • Code mapping video example

Next Edit Suggestions & Adaptive Paste

Next Edit Suggestions

  • Copilot now provides context-aware suggestions for code edits based on your prior changes, facilitating a smoother editing experience.
  • See Next Edit Suggestions demo

Adaptive Paste

  • When pasting code into Visual Studio, Copilot can automatically adjust the code to match the context of your existing project, reducing the need for manual tweaks.
  • Adaptive paste also supports:
    • Minor error corrections
    • Code styling and formatting
    • Human and code language translation
    • Fill-in-the-blank and pattern continuation tasks
  • Adaptive paste example

Learn More and Stay Connected

Community Resources

  • Visit the Visual Studio Hub for release notes, videos, and community interaction.
  • Share feedback and suggestions via the Developer Community, helping shape the future direction of Visual Studio.

Your feedback is appreciated and essential to improving developer tools and experiences in Visual Studio’s evolving Copilot integration.

This post appeared first on “Microsoft DevBlog”. Read the entire article here