Gemini Code Assist: Github Copilot's Alternative! The FREE AND BEST Alternative to Github Copilot.

When GitHub Co-pilot was initially unveiled, it sparked concerns among developers who feared that it might render their skills obsolete, prompting some to consider abandoning their computer science careers for other professions like plumbing. However, those fears proved to be unfounded. While Co-pilot was indeed revolutionary, it had its limitations, including lower context windows and the replication of copyrighted code. The integration of GPT-4 significantly improved its functionality and addressed many of these issues.

One of the most appealing features that drew users to Co-pilot was its seamless integration with Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). This was made possible by the strategic positioning of Microsoft, which is a major investor in OpenAI, the owner of GitHub, and the creator of VS Code, the most widely used code editor. This synergy allowed for an extremely smooth integration experience, giving Co-pilot a significant advantage. As a result, other IDEs hurried to develop their own AI assistants to retain their user bases but struggled to compete due to GitHub's extensive repository of code available for model training.

However, this dominance began to wane with the introduction of Google's language model Gemini 1.5 Pro, which boasts a 1 million token context window. In comparison, GPT-4 used by Co-pilot only supports a 128k context window, which is considerably smaller. Despite this advantage, Co-pilot remained competitive partly because Google hadn't yet launched a product that utilized the Gemini model for coding IDEs.

This changed recently with the announcement of Google’s Gemini Code Assist. According to Google's blog post, Gemini Code Assist is comparable to GitHub Co-pilot and is currently offered free for one user per project until the 11th of July, after which it will follow a pricing model similar to Co-pilot’s.

Gemini Code Assist provides numerous features analogous to those of GitHub Co-pilot. It can complete code as you write or generate entire code blocks or functions upon request. It is integrated with popular IDEs such as VS Code and JetBrains and supports over 20 programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, C, C++, Go, PHP, and SQL. Moreover, it includes a natural language chat functionality to help developers get answers to coding questions or guidance on best practices in real time within all supported IDEs.

One of its standout capabilities is performing large-scale changes across the entire codebase from a single prompt. This includes adding new features, updating cross-file dependencies, assisting with version upgrades, performing comprehensive code reviews, and more, all powered by the 1 million-token context window of the Gemini 1.5 model.

The user interface is intuitive. After installing the extension, users will see a chat window on the left and their code on the right. Users can ask Gemini to implement changes, use auto-completion features, or select chunks of code and request modifications.

Gemini Code Assist is poised to be a strong competitor to GitHub Co-pilot and is currently available for use. Instructions for installation can be found on their website, and it looks like it will only improve over time.

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Keywords

GitHub Co-pilot
Gemini Code Assist
GPT-4
Google Gemini 1.5 Pro
IDE Integration
Code Completion
Programming Languages
AI Coding Assistants

FAQ

Q: What was the main concern when GitHub Co-pilot was first introduced? A: The primary concern was that it would lead to job loss among developers and potentially make skills obtained through computer science degrees redundant.

Q: How did the integration of GPT-4 improve GitHub Co-pilot? A: The upgrade to GPT-4 addressed many issues such as lower context windows and the replication of copyrighted code, making Co-pilot more efficient and reliable.

Q: What advantage does Gemini 1.5 Pro have over GPT-4? A: Gemini 1.5 Pro supports a 1 million token context window, which is significantly larger than GPT-4's 128k context window.

Q: Which IDEs are supported by Gemini Code Assist? A: Gemini Code Assist supports popular IDEs such as VS Code and JetBrains.

Q: What programming languages does Gemini Code Assist support? A: It supports over 20 languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, C, C++, Go, PHP, and SQL.

Q: What are some key features of Gemini Code Assist? A: Key features include real-time code completion, generation of code blocks, natural language chat for coding questions, and executing large-scale changes across the codebase.

Q: Is Gemini Code Assist free to use? A: It is free for one user per project until the 11th of July, after which it will transition to a pricing model similar to GitHub Co-pilot.

Q: How can users get started with Gemini Code Assist? A: Users can visit the official website for installation instructions and detailed setup guidelines.