AI coding assistant Kite has announced the release of an AI-driven code completion feature for JavaScript. Its goal in creating this feature is to reduce the need for developers to write repetitive boilerplate code. Previously the company only offered this capability for Python code.
This new JavaScript code completion ability is based on a deep learning model that was trained on 22 million open-source JavaScript files. This extensive training also ensures that it works with libraries and frameworks, such as React, Vue, Angular, and Node.js.
Most IDEs and editors have code completion capabilities, but they are often restricted to predicting only single variable names, classes, or functions. Kite’s new capability can predict multiple lines of code at once.
According to Kite, this new capability is able to provide completions at a level that other editors cannot. For example, typing user. into an editor using Kite will prompt suggestions like createdAt = moment(user and createdAt = moment(, while VS Code only provides suggestions like map, moment, user, and users. Kite uses AI-based filters to reduce noise on suggestions.
In addition to eliminating the need to write boilerplate code, Kite believes its solution will help developers keep up with “an ever-changing set of code patterns and APIs.” For example, if a developer is struggling to remember a specific API or design pattern, Kite will be able to surface that knowledge.
“Kite can help you ship software faster today. And we’re just getting started. We believe that machine learning can automate away the tedious parts of writing code, and there’s so much more to do. We’re continually exploring ways ML can unlock productivity gains for developers, and we hope that you will join us,” Daniel Hung, head of product for Kite, wrote in a post.
