I Tried Every AI Coding Assistant

Summary

The video script offers a detailed review of various AI coding tools, including Tab 9, Chat GPT, GitHub Copilot, Bard, Amazon Code Whisperer, Sourcegraph Cody, and Codium AI. The reviewer tests each tool's capabilities in code autocompletion, AI chat, generating comments, and creating test cases. GitHub Copilot emerges as a top choice for efficiency in coding, while Codium AI excels in test case generation and code improvement. The script provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each tool, guiding developers toward the most suitable options for their needs.

Takeaways

• 🤖 Tabnine is an AI coding assistant similar to GitHub Copilot that autocompletes code within IDEs like VS Code, but lacks multi-line support.
• 🧠 The AI chat feature in Tabnine provides correct information about the time complexity of functions but sometimes includes incorrect details.
• 🔍 Testing code with Tabnine reveals its ability to suggest fixes for logical errors and improve base case conditions.
• 📝 Tabnine struggles with generating accurate and useful comments for code, often providing generic or incomplete information.
• 🌟 GitHub Copilot excels in code autocompletion, offering efficient solutions for handling edge cases and improving code structure.
• 💬 Chat GPT, while useful for learning and providing context, may not be the best option for coding tasks due to potential context switching and occasional incorrect information.
• 📚 Bard, similar to Chat GPT, provides sourced information but may be slightly less accurate in coding tasks compared to Chat GPT.
• 🔍 Amazon CodeWhisper, Amazon's version of Copilot, lacks a chat feature and has some limitations in autocompleting and understanding code repositories.
• 📈 Sourcegraph Cody claims to understand entire code repositories but currently falls short in integrating with large codebases effectively.
• 🧪 Codium AI focuses on testing code and improving it, providing comprehensive test cases and suggestions for better code practices.
• 🏆 Among the AI coding tools discussed, GitHub Copilot, Chat GPT, and Codium AI stand out as part of an effective AI developer suite for improving coding efficiency and quality.

Q & A

What is the core functionality of Tab N?

Tab N is an AI-powered coding assistant that provides autocomplete code suggestions within an IDE, such as VS Code, and includes a chat feature for asking programming-related questions.

How does the AI chat feature of Tab N handle questions about code complexity?

The AI chat feature can correctly identify the time complexity of certain functions, such as factorial, as O(n). However, it may sometimes provide incorrect information, such as mistakenly stating that the time complexity is of N squared.

What issue did the user encounter with the factorial function provided by Tab N?

The factorial function provided by Tab N had an incorrect base case condition, which did not handle negative inputs properly. The correct base case should be when n is less than or equal to zero.

How does GitHub Copilot handle autocomplete for the factorial function?

GitHub Copilot can autocomplete the factorial function correctly, providing a functional code snippet that includes handling for negative numbers by returning 'not a number' if the input is less than zero.

What are the advantages of using Chat GPT as a coding tool?

Chat GPT is useful for learning and provides a lot of extra context, making it great for educational purposes. However, it may not be the best option for practical coding tasks due to the potential for context switching and the occasional provision of incorrect information without sourcing.

What is Bard, and how does it compare to Chat GPT?

Bard is another AI coding tool that, like Chat GPT, provides autocomplete and chat features. It cites sources for information, which can be helpful for further reading and verification. However, it may be slightly less accurate than Chat GPT in some cases.

How does Amazon CodeWhisper differ from GitHub Copilot?

Amazon CodeWhisper is Amazon's version of an AI coding assistant, similar to GitHub Copilot, but it lacks a chat feature. It provides code autocompletion but may not perform as well as Copilot in certain tasks, such as generating test cases.

What is Sourcegraph Cody's unique feature compared to other AI coding tools?

Sourcegraph Cody claims to understand the entire code repository and make suggestions based on it. However, in practice, it may struggle to integrate effectively with large codebases and provide accurate repository-specific insights.

What are the strengths of Codium AI as a coding tool?

Codium AI excels at generating comprehensive test suites and providing detailed code explanations and suggestions for improvement. It focuses on testing and enhancing code quality rather than trying to autocomplete every function.

Which AI coding tools did the user decide to continue using?

The user decided to continue using Chat GPT, Codium AI, and GitHub Copilot as their AI developer suite, as these tools best fit their needs for learning, efficient coding, and thorough testing.