In June 2023, I reviewed Amazon CodeWhisperer, Google Bard, and GitHub Copilot. CodeWhisperer lacked a chat window and code explanations, but it could generate code and do security reviews. The current version, Amazon Q Developer, has added a chat window and several new features. It supports multiple programming languages and integrates with various IDEs and Amazon Console.
Amazon Q Developer competes directly with GitHub Copilot, JetBrains AI, and Tabnine. It offers features like unit testing, code optimization, vulnerability scanning, and code suggestions. It is trained on high-quality AWS content and supports conversations about AWS capabilities.
Installation of Amazon Q Developer varies based on the environment, but authentication is required. The authentication process can be confusing, involving multiple steps between the IDE and the web browser. Once installed, users can customize the code generation using their own code base for Python, Java, JavaScript, and TypeScript.
The CLI version of Amazon Q Developer supports multiple shells and terminal emulators on macOS. It can autocomplete commands, translate commands from natural language to CLI, and provide guidance on command line tasks. However, it currently lacks Windows CLI support.
Overall, I find Amazon Q Developer useful for experienced programmers, offering a productivity boost and vulnerability scanning. However, novices are advised to develop their coding skills before relying on AI code generators. Amazon Q Developer’s customization options and integration with AWS make it a valuable tool for developers working with AWS applications. The pricing includes a free basic version with limited features and a Pro tier for $19 per month.
Article Source
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3715664/amazon-q-developer-review-code-completions-code-chat-and-aws-skills.amp.html