Top 3 AI Tools to Supercharge Your Software Development

Technology paves the way for innovation, making our lives easier and better. One such technology is Artificial Intelligence, AI, which has revolutionized almost everything, including software development. A Statista study suggests that the global AI market is expected to grow at 15.83%, leading to a market volume of USD 738.80 billion by 2030.

Whether you are a Java developer at a beginner level or an expert, you have a lot to tap into using AI-powered tools and enjoy a rewarding coding experience.

What Is an AI Coding Assistant?

In layman’s language, an AI Coding assistant is software that leverages Artificial Intelligence to create code snippets faster and more accurately. They could be extremely useful when handling complex projects, programs involving repetitive codes, or when you are relatively new to the coding process.

Next, what is the AI coding assistant capable of? Well, at its most basic, it can:

• Generate code snippets from given prompts and comments
• Auto-complete codes when a developer is writing them in real-time
• Integrates well into code editors, thus making coding easier
• Identifies bugs, security issues, or other vulnerabilities in the code
• Provides an option to comment that makes future references possible
• Translate from one coding language to another

Top 3 AI Coding Assistants to Supercharge Java Software Development

Tabnine

Tabnine, a popular AI code generator, is highly efficient in producing code snippets in Java, Python, C++, etc. Powered by deep learning algorithms, Tabnine excels in intelligently supporting users to complete their codes. It’s an open-source software used by tech giants like Google.

Pros

• Writes code faster and better
• Free for individual developers
• Provides relevant coding suggestions to users
• The code listing feature suggests fixes for potential errors
• The code refactoring feature increases readability and efficiency

Cons

• Doesn’t support code generation for all programming languages

Who Is Tabnine Best For?

Developers who work on complex projects and require language support and IDE integrations will find Tabnine very useful. Its features help significantly in quick code completion, increase the coding speed, and offer helpful code suggestions.

GitHub Co-Pilot

GitHub Co-pilot, another highly useful AI coding assistant, is extremely effective in supporting coding and code completions across various languages. These include Java, Python, Javascript, C++, and more. To help developers craft code efficiently, Copilot is driven by the OpenAI Codex language model that works on natural language text, gleaning insights from various coding pools. 

It makes the job of developers simpler. You just need to install the Copilot extension for the Visual Studio Code, log in with the GitHub account, and get started with the Copilot coding experience.

Pros

• Provides ample coding suggestions 
• Writes complete functions while coding
• Offers extensions for Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains
• Gels well with popular Integrated Development environments (IDEs)
• Generates useful comments for a better understanding of the code

Cons

• Concerns over the fair use of AI
• Cases of duplicate or irrelevant code reported.

Who Is Co-Pilot Best For?

Copilot is best for programmers who are tasked with tedious projects and wish to speed up their coding process. Additionally, the tool is best suited for new developers looking to learn the nuances of the coding cycle, hone their skills, and get a feel of the best practices.

ChatGPT

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is an amazing chatbot; however, it helps developers with coding tasks as well. Most developers use the GPT-4 model, which generates error-free and quick codes efficiently. At an exceptional 67% accuracy, it’s a proven language model by the HumanEval benchmark. 

Pros

• Generates code based on instructions
• Creates documentation for the code
• Helps with debugging and spotting errors or bugs
• Facilitates learning new languages
• Supports a variety of coding tasks

Cons

• Expensive as it is priced at $20 per month.

Who Is ChatGPT Best For?

ChatGPT or the GPT-4 model is suitable for a wide variety of developers. Both starters and experienced programmers can leverage the tool to learn new techniques and fine-tune their skills. Besides, its features of code generation and debugging make the entire coding cycle faster and more accurate.

Wrapping Up

AI offers vast potential to leverage for software development. Use the tools outlined in the article for a hassle-free coding journey.