Programmers, are you experiencing window switching errors? Google’s new Code Assist aims to help

When We last visited Gemini Code Assist in AprilThe product has been released in advance. Code support run using Gemini 1.5. It’s now been released and updated to what Google (we haven’t tried) says is more likely Gemini 2.0.

Today, Google is announcing Gemini Code Support toolswhich Ryan J. Salva, senior director, product management, and Prithpal Bhogill, group product manager, describe in today’s blog post as a “connected development ecosystem.”

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They also describe Code Assist tools as “a paradigm shift in how developers get the information they need to build and manage applications”.

Hmm… David’s first rule of tech marketing is that if a product manager loves the way you describe a benefit, don’t use it in your marketing copy. A corollary to David’s First Rule is that if your engineers like the way your product is described, so will your tech customers.

Product managers just like to call their products “paradigm shifts.”

To be fair, this product includes a combination of Innovative AI and Google, and we were experiencing model changes almost daily. The speed changes so much that it makes you dizzy. But this fact also means we can’t immediately dismiss Salva and Bhogill’s marketing as hyperbole.

So let’s explore what the Code Assist tool has to offer and you can evaluate whether today’s “paradigm shift” is hype or a game changer.

Gemini Code Assist is a code helper that works in your development environment, like VS Code or Jetbrains. While editing code, you can enter prompts and receive feedback from Code Assist.

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What Salva and Bhogill are announcing today is the integration of third-party tools into Code Assist so you can use those tools from your editing environment. The idea is that programmers won’t have to switch to a new window to use their tools — what they need is literally at the end of a keystroke.

Currently, Google is announcing the integration of the following tools in private preview:

• GitHub: Everyone’s favorite source code control resource
• GitLab: Like GitHub on steroids, for DevOps
• Google Docs: Access-controlled details based on your documents
• Sentry.io: Dynamic metrics and debugging tools
• Atlassian (Rovo): Interactive AI access to business knowledge
• Synchronous: Security management tool for secure code development

According to Danny Allan, CTO at Snyk: “By collaborating with Google Cloud to build a dedicated Gemini engine, we empower developers to use Gemini to code and Snyk to test and debug – – all in their IDE.”

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Allan talks about being inside interactive development environment (IDE) can help developers focus and stay focused while coding: “This integration ensures developers can keep their creative flow, leveraging AI to accelerate innovation while maintaining the highest security standards.”

Tools like those in the list above can help developers achieve that goal. That said, I have a hard time understanding why GitHub was included since almost every IDE integrates tightly with GitHub in the first place. Perhaps when Google expands the private preview, we’ll see what AI features apply to the GitHub integration.

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“Bringing secure, scalable applications to production requires more than just writing great code — developers need productivity, observability solutions,” said Salva and Bhogill. , security, database, etc”

Google is ensuring that this announcement is as much a partner business development pitch as it is a tool for developers. The company’s two product marketing experts point to benefits such as fostering direct connections with developers and expanding reach that provides “opportunities for growth and engagement.”

The dual benefit claim reflects that powerful external development tools within the IDE will improve programmer productivity. However, including those tools in the Google Code Assists service will “expand their reach and brand awareness within the developer community.”

Google also promised to “proactively collaborate on marketing with our partners to maximize visibility and tell a seamless story.”

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Price supports Gemini code starting at $19 per user per month for standard service when purchased for a full year.

The enterprise version starts at $45 per user per month when purchased for a full year. Enterprise edition provides codebase awareness for the entire codebase. To analyze the limitations of those versions, check my article.

The tool add-on for Gemini Code Assist is in private preview, but you can Click here to fill out the form and request access.

What do you think? Has Google achieved a “paradigm shift” with Gemini Code Support tools? Do you use Code Assist or any other AI when programming? Let us know in the comments section below.

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