Gemini Code Assist: a free AI-assisted programming VS Code plugin from Google

General Introduction

Gemini Code Assist is an AI-assisted coding tool for programmers developed by Google and provided as an extension plug-in for Visual Studio Code (VS Code for short). It is based on Google's latest Gemini 2.0 model and is designed to improve developers' programming efficiency through intelligent code completion, code generation and contextual understanding. The tool supports global developers to use free of charge, providing up to 180 K per month of code completion quota, applicable to a variety of programming languages, especially in the public domain language support excellence. Individual developers and teams can integrate it into VS Code in a few easy steps and enjoy an efficient coding experience.

Function List

• Intelligent Code Completion: Real-time code suggestions based on context and free 180 K replenishment credits per month.
• Extremely long context support: A context window supporting 128K tokens, suitable for working with large code files.
• multilingual compatibility: Coverage of all programming languages in the public domain, such as Python, JavaScript, C++, and more.
• AI-driven code generation: Generate code snippets through natural language input to improve development efficiency.
• Integration with Google Cloud Services: Optimize the cloud development experience by incorporating Google Cloud tools.
• Real-time error alerts: Detect potential problems at coding time and provide suggestions for fixes.

Using Help

Installation process

Gemini Code Assist is a VS Code extension with a straightforward installation process for all developers. Here are the detailed steps:

1. Preparing the environment
   • Make sure you have the latest version of Visual Studio Code installed (recommended to download it from the official website).
   • A Gmail account is required to sign in and activate the extension (no credit card required).
   • If you need to incorporate Google Cloud features, you need to create a Google Cloud project in advance and enable the relevant APIs (optional).
2. Open VS Code Extended Marketplace
   • Launch VS Code and click on the "Extensions" icon (shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+X) in the left hand activity bar.
   • Type "Gemini Code Assist" in the search bar or go directly to the web site. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Google.geminicodeassistThe
3. Installation of extensions
   • Find "Gemini Code Assist" (published by Google) in the search results and click the "Install" button.
   • When the installation is complete, the button will change to the "Manage" gear icon, indicating that the installation was successful.
4. login verification
   • The first time you use it, VS Code pops up a prompt asking you to sign in with your Gmail account to activate the extension.
   • Click on "Sign in with Google" and follow the instructions to complete the authorization.
5. Checking the installation status
   • After the installation is complete, restart VS Code.
   • You can see that Gemini Code Assist is enabled in the status bar or in the extension settings.

How to use

Once installed, Gemini Code Assist will automatically fit into your coding process and requires no additional configuration to get started. Below are detailed instructions for the main features:

1. Code Intelligent Completion

• procedure::
  • Open any code file in VS Code (Python, JavaScript, etc. are supported).
  • Start typing code, and Gemini Code Assist will display real-time completion suggestions based on the context (e.g., automatically completing function definitions after typing "def").
  • Use the "Tab" or "Enter" keys to accept suggestions, or use the arrow keys to select other options.
• Featured Functions::
  • Supports long contextual completions, e.g. after entering part of the code in a large project, the completions will refer to other modules in the file.
  • 180,000 free visits per month, after which you will have to wait for the next month's refresh (no paid upgrade option available at this time).
• Usage Scenarios: Write repetitive code, fast-completion function calls or class definitions.

2. AI-driven code generation

• procedure::
  • Enter a natural language comment in the code file, e.g., "# Create a function that calculates a Fibonacci series".
  • Gemini Code Assist automatically generates the corresponding code (e.g., recursive or iterative implementations in Python).
  • Check the generated code and adjust it as needed or use it directly.
• Featured Functions::
  • Supports multi-line code generation for rapid prototyping.
  • Different styles of code can be generated by adjusting the content of comments (e.g. "use loops instead of recursion").
• Usage Scenarios: Quickly implement algorithms, generate sample code, or learn the syntax of a new language.

3. Development with Google Cloud

• procedure::
  • Open the project file associated with Google Cloud in VS Code.
  • Use the "Google Cloud Tools" option in the extension (you need to install the Google Cloud Code extension and configure the project in advance).
  • When entering code related to cloud services, Gemini provides complementary suggestions for the Google Cloud API.
• Featured Functions::
  • Optimize code writing for cloud functions, BigQuery queries, etc.
  • Provides template code suggestions for cloud service deployment.
• Usage Scenarios: Develop Google Cloud apps or debug cloud scripts.

4. Real-time error alerts

• procedure::
  • When writing code, the extension displays a red wavy line next to the line of code if there is a syntax error or potential logic problem.
  • Hover over the error for detailed tips and suggestions on how to fix it.
  • Click on the "Quick Fix" option to apply the suggested changes.
• Featured Functions::
  • Not just syntax checking, but also recognizing logical errors in the context (e.g., undefined variables).
  • A variety of restoration options are available.
• Usage Scenarios: Debugging code, reducing manual checking time.

Example of operation flow

Suppose you want to write a Python function to compute the list average:

1. Create a new file in VS Code average.pyThe
2. importation # Functions to compute the mean of a listThe Gemini Code Assist will be generated when you return to the program:

   def calculate_average(numbers): return sum(numbers) / len(numbers)
   return sum(numbers) / len(numbers)

3. Enter the test code print(calculate_average([1, 2, 3]))The extension automatically completes the print function parameters.
4. If the input is incorrect (e.g. numer rather than numbers), the extension will indicate that the variable is undefined and suggest a correction.
5. Run the code and output the results 2.0, to complete the task.

caveat

• network requirement: Some features require networking to call Gemini 2.0 models.
• Privacy: Code data is only used for real-time processing and is not stored permanently.
• Update Frequency: Check regularly for extension updates for new features or performance optimizations.

With the above steps and features, you can easily get started with Gemini Code Assist and use it as a handy assistant in your daily coding.