Reynald Adolphe from Visual Studio Code explains how to build a Custom Chat Mode in VS Code, allowing developers to enhance their AI-powered coding environment with features like codebase analysis and GitHub integration.

Creating a Custom Chat Mode in VS Code for Smarter AI Assistance

Presented by: Reynald Adolphe

This tutorial video dives into building a Custom Chat Mode for Visual Studio Code (VS Code), leveraging several built-in and extension tools that enable a more intelligent and project-aware AI assistant.

Key Topics Covered

  • Custom Chat Modes: Learn how to tailor chat interactions within VS Code using features like codebase, search, fetch commands, and GitHub repository integration.
  • Smart AI Assistant: Configure your environment so the AI assistant can understand your project context and offer more useful, personalized help.
  • Specialized Modes: See walkthroughs for Research Mode, SQL Optimizer Mode, and Blog Mode, each designed for different coding or content creation scenarios.

Chapter Overview

  • 00:00 Intro – Overview of what custom chat modes are and why they matter.
  • 00:25 The Docs – Using documentation and codebase tools within chat.
  • 02:08 Research Mode – Setting up research-focused interactions, gathering and referencing project info.
  • 05:30 SQL Optimizer Mode – Optimizing SQL queries directly through chat by leveraging project context.
  • 07:20 Blog Mode – Using chat to assist in content creation and documentation.
  • 09:38 Wrap – Summary and tips for further customization.

Tools and Integrations

  • VS Code Extensions: Enhance chat with extensions for codebase navigation and data fetching.
  • GitHub Repo Integration: Use your repository as context so the AI understands your active project.
  • Search & Fetch: Customize chat to access code, documentation, or online resources as needed.

Takeaways

  • Learn to set up customized AI chat experience in VS Code for advanced coding support.
  • Explore different modes tailored to your needs (research, optimization, documentation).

For more information and to try these features, check Visual Studio Code’s extension marketplace and associated documentation.