AI coding tools for Eclipse users

AI coding tools have been gaining a lot of attention lately, and Eclipse users are not left behind. There are two main categories of AI coding tools available for Eclipse developers: Copilot-style plugins and chat-based tools.

One popular plugin is Tabnine, which provides similar functionality to GitHub Copilot. Tabnine offers a free tier and the option to self-host, making it a versatile choice. To install Tabnine, you can use the Eclipse marketplace or the EquoIDE.

Another plugin to keep an eye on is eclipse.copilot, which may not yet support "ghost text" like GitHub Copilot but offers GitHub Copilot-style completions.

When it comes to chat-based tools, Eclipse users can benefit from ChatGPT. By providing the code you have and specifying what you want it to do, ChatGPT can generate effective code snippets. It can even create code from scratch, leveraging its domain knowledge and coding ability.

While the demos mentioned above use GPT-3.5, which is free, GPT-4 offers even more power. However, access to the GPT-4 API is currently limited to a waitlist. Alternatively, subscribing to ChatGPT Plus for $20 per month grants immediate access to GPT-4 within the web interface, allowing developers to use it for coding tasks without waiting.

For developers interested in prompt engineering, starting each chat session with "You are an expert Java programmer" can help set the right context for generating accurate code. Additionally, developers can ask the language model to keep answers brief or explain each step in detail.

To simplify the process and avoid repetition, the Equo ChatGPT plugin allows developers to create templates with best practices and automatically copy-pastes code into the chat window.

Overall, AI coding tools for Eclipse users offer exciting possibilities for enhancing productivity and code generation. Developers can experiment with these tools and stay up to date with the latest advancements in the field.