The service transparently connects you, the IDE user, to different large language models. The session highlights how JetBrains' AI Assistant in IntelliJ IDEA can significantly improve code quality and development efficiency. By integrating advanced AI models with IntelliJ's robust features, JetBrains aims to provide a seamless and productive coding experience. Anton encourages developers to explore and experiment with the AI Assistant, reinforcing its role as a powerful tool in the modern developer's toolkit.

AI Assistant Overview

• The AI Assistant in IntelliJ IDEA is designed to help developers understand and improve their code.
• It leverages large language models (LLMs) to provide contextual assistance based on the code, its structure, and its configuration.
• The AI Assistant can help with tasks like code explanations, naming refactoring, and generating unit tests.

Key Features Demonstrated

• Code Explanation: Anton demonstrates how the AI Assistant can analyze and explain complex algorithms. For example, it explains the "gift wrapping algorithm" (convex hull algorithm) used in a legacy codebase.
• Refactoring and Naming: The AI Assistant can suggest refactorings and better variable names. It integrates deeply with IntelliJ to understand dependencies, usages, and the project structure.
• Unit Test Generation: The AI Assistant can generate unit tests for existing code. While simple tests are generated by default, Anton shows how to use input data to create more comprehensive tests.
• In-Line Code Generation: Using the AI Assistant, developers can generate code snippets directly within the editor, tweaking prompts to get the desired output.

Chat and Custom Prompts

• Users can interact with the AI Assistant via a chat interface, providing detailed prompts to refine AI-generated code.
• Anton adds custom prompts, like "add logging," to show how users can create reusable queries for frequent tasks.

Code Conversion

• The AI Assistant can help convert code from one language to another. For example, it successfully converts a Java class to Kotlin while retaining documentation and generating idiomatic Kotlin code.

Commit Messages

• The AI Assistant can generate commit messages, summarizing the changes made in a commit. This helps in maintaining clear and descriptive version control history.

Practical Uses and Questions

• Anton addresses various practical scenarios, such as integrating database support and deploying applications, showing how to effectively use the AI Assistant for comprehensive development needs.
• He also handles audience questions about custom prompts, context management, and security considerations.

Key Takeaways

• The AI Assistant in IntelliJ IDEA enhances developer productivity by offering intelligent code suggestions and contextual code generation.
• It integrates deeply with existing IDE features, leveraging project context to provide accurate and relevant assistance.
• The tool is designed to complement developer workflows without replacing the need for developer expertise and judgment.
• Users can customize prompts and extend the AI's functionality to meet specific project needs.