JetBrains Enhances AI-Powered Coding Tools in Latest 2024.2 IDE Updates

It has been said that coding can sometimes feel like trying to explain quantum physics to a cat. If any dev tool maker understands this, it's JetBrains, which is no doubt why they’ve supercharged their AI Assistant in the 2024.2 updates for their suite of IDEs. The latest version introduces advanced and faster code completion for Java, Kotlin, and Python, alongside a smarter AI chat powered by GPT-4o.

The AI Assistant integrated into the JetBrains IDEs can generate code, suggest fixes, refactor functions, and even help you come up with cool names for your variables. It’s like having a genius coder living in your computer, minus the annoying habits. Plus, it’s integrated with GitLab, so it can help you manage your code repositories without breaking a sweat.

JetBrains has trained its own large language models to improve code completion for Java, Kotlin, and Python, but more languages are on the way, the company says. The AI chat is now smarter, multilingual, and can even understand complex questions, thanks to the GPT-4o upgrade. It also boasts new tricks like AI-assisted VCS conflict resolution and customizable prompts for documentation and unit tests.

The updated IDEs also come with a shiny new user interface designed to be easier on the eyes and the brain. The new UI reduces visual clutter, making it simpler to find what you need, while still keeping the old-school UI available. The Search Everywhere feature has been enhanced to let you preview the elements you’re hunting for, and the IDEs now auto-detect and use your system’s proxy settings, so you don’t have to fiddle with them yourself.

Each IDE in JetBrains’ lineup has received individual love and attention. For instance, IntelliJ IDEA 2024.2 Ultimate can now run Spring Data JPA methods directly for instant repository query verification. It also features advanced cron expression autocompletion and a souped-up HTTP Client using the GraalJS execution engine.

PyCharm 2024.2 has revamped its Jupyter notebooks and introduced new AI cells for quicker data analysis. It also improved support for Hugging Face models and added the ability to connect to Databricks clusters. PhpStorm now has command auto-completion for Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, and Composer, and GoLand supports the latest Go features and method refactoring.

CLion’s updates include new features with the ReSharper C++ language engine, remote development via SSH, and collaborative development tools. WebStorm now lets you run and debug TypeScript files directly and supports frameworks like Next.js.

DataGrip users will find that the AI Assistant can help improve SQL queries by attaching a database schema for context. Aqua adds Playwright support for Python and Java, while RubyMine supports Hotwire Stimulus and completion for Kamal configuration files.

Finally, Rider has introduced LLM-powered single-line code completion for various languages and support for .NET 9 Preview SDK and C# 13 features.

JetBrains’ 2024.2 updates are packed with features that make coding less of a hair-pulling experience and more of a smooth, brainy ride. These awesome updates will be available soon, the company says.

I know you know this, but JIC: Prague-based JetBrains makes a lineup of more than 30 intelligent software development tools, including the popular IntelliJ IDEA IDE for Java developers and PyCharm for Python devs. The company is also the creator of Kotlin, a popular cross-platform, statically typed, general-purpose high-level programming language with type inference. The company's tools are used by more than 11.4 million professionals and 88 of the Fortune Global Top 100 companies.

Posted by John K. Waters on August 6, 2024