Utilizing CodeGeeX as a GitHub Copilot different

When GitHub Copilot was launched to the general public in June 2022, builders worldwide had been over the moon, primarily as a result of they’d been ready for this because the preview was launched in 2021. The wait was price it, as Copilot fulfilled the objective of serving to builders code quicker whereas lowering work. It was virtually excellent, apart from one factor – Copilot isn’t free.

Whereas the paywall isn’t a deal breaker for most individuals, it has led to many individuals looking for a substitute for Copilot. That’s the place CodeGeeX is available in. On this article, we’ll dive into CodeGeeX and see why it will possibly function a helpful alternative for Copilot.

To leap forward:

What’s CodeGeeX?

In keeping with its official docs, “CodeGeeX is a large-scale multilingual code technology mannequin with 13 billion parameters pre-trained on a big code corpus of greater than 20 programming languages”. Merely put, CodeGeeX is a code technology software powered by synthetic intelligence that helps you write code quicker.

CodeGeeX does this by taking your feedback and producing code that matches with them or suggesting the subsequent line of code for you based mostly in your earlier traces of code.

In contrast to Copilot, which is powered by OpenAI Codex, CodeGeeX trains its AI on a cluster of Ascend 910 AI processors (arguably the world’s strongest AI processor) to energy their software program. The Ascend 910 AI processors are identified to be so highly effective that when mixed with Mindspore, they’re twice as highly effective as different AI coaching playing cards, reminiscent of Tensorflow.

The Ascend 910 AI processors are protected by the HUAWEI Trademark Coverage, however CodeGeeX makes use of the Apache License 2.0 license to guard its copyright. The Apache license is a free and open supply software program (FOSS) licensing settlement from the Apache Software program Basis.

By way of efficiency and ease of use, CodeGeeX is on par with GitHub Copilot. It even has a couple of distinctive options that make it a incredible different, and we’ll have a look at them under.

The CodeGeeX code technology software is among the most unimaginable issues to occur to builders this 12 months. It permits customers to generate blocks of code by simply inputting what they need as feedback. CodeGeeX reads the feedback after which generates the code customers need, line by line.

CodeGeeX’s generated code is ready to be edited, so you probably have particular modifications, you may straight edit it. The code technology software additionally has a Candidate function that permits it to generate a number of variations of the identical line of code, after which you may select which one you want:

Right here’s an instance. Let’s say we need to create a JavaScript guessing recreation with the code generator. All we have now to do is enter the next feedback:

// Create a quantity guessing recreation to generate a quantity between the vary of 1 and a couple of.
// The sport ought to immediate customers for his or her username.
// Set vary as perform parameter and immediate the participant to foretell the generated quantity between the given vary.
// At an accurate guess, the participant a degree and transfer them to stage 2 by rising the vary restrict worth by 1
// At a unsuitable guess, the participant loses a degree, and the sport ends

Then, we have now to write down the primary phrase of the perform or title the perform no matter we wish, and the generator will handle the remainder, identical to within the video under:

Right here’s the code that was generated by CodeGeeX’s code technology software utilizing the feedback we inputted:

perform ilegal_number(vary) {
    vary = vary || 2;

    var username = immediate('What's your title?');

    for (var i = 1; i <= vary; i++) {
        if (i === vary) {
            return i;
        }

        if (i > vary) {
            alert('Your quantity have to be decrease than'+ vary);
            break;
        }

        var guess = immediate('Guess'+ i + ': ');

        if (guess === null) {
            alert('You must enter the quantity');
            break;
        }

        if (guess === 'exit') {
            alert('Thanks for enjoying!');
            return null;
        }

        if (guess === i) {
            alert('You guessed it!');
            alert('You scored:'+ (i * 2));
            break;
        }
    }

    alert('You tried too many occasions, attempt once more!');
    alert('You scored:'+ (i * 2));

    return null;
}

The CodeGeeX code translation software is a incredible software for each developer. Because the title suggests, it interprets your code from the language you wrote it in into one other language of your selection.

The code translation software solely helps eight languages:

• Python
• Go
• Java
• JavaScript
• C++
• C#
• PHP
• TypeScript

To make use of the code translation software, choose the language you need to write in, write the code or paste it within the enter area, and choose the language you need it to be translated into. Then click on Translate.

To try it out, let’s use the guessing recreation we generated earlier and translate it from JavaScript to C#:

Right here’s the generated code:

utilizing System;
class IlegalNumber {
    static int ilegal_number(int vary) {
        vary = vary == 0? 2 : vary;
        string username = Console.ReadLine("What's your title?");
        int i;
        for (i = 1; i <= vary; i++) {
            if (i == vary) {
                return i;
            }
            if (i > vary) {
                Console.WriteLine("Your quantity have to be decrease than " + vary);
                break;
            }
            string guess = Console.ReadLine("Guess " + i + ": ");
            if (guess == null) {
                Console.WriteLine("You must enter the quantity");
                break;
            }
            if (guess == "exit") {
                Console.WriteLine("Thanks for enjoying!");
                return null;
            }
            if (guess == i.ToString()) {
                Console.WriteLine("You guessed it!");
                Console.WriteLine("You scored: " + (i * 2));
                break;
            }
        }
        Console.WriteLine("You tried too many occasions, attempt once more!");
        Console.WriteLine("You scored: " + (i * 2));
        return null;
    }
    public static void Predominant() {
        Console.WriteLine("Welcome " + username);
        Console.WriteLine("1 - 2147483647");
        Console.WriteLine(ilegal_number(0) == null? "exit" : ilegal_number(1));
    }
}

As you may see, CodeGeex can translate all of your code snippets into a distinct language with a excessive degree of accuracy.

CodeGeeX VS code extension

CodeGeeX additionally has a VS code extension that, in contrast to Github Copilot, is free. The GitHub Copilot VS code extension is technically free, however solely to verified college students, academics, and maintainers of well-liked open supply repositories on GitHub. In any other case, you’ll must pay a month-to-month subscription of ten {dollars} or a yearly subscription of 100 {dollars}.

The CodeGeeX VS code extension doesn’t require any of these circumstances. All you must do is go to the VS code extension retailer and obtain the CodeGeeX extension.

The CodeGeeX extension has three modes.

Stealth mode

This mode works in the identical means because the code technology software. It seems to be at your earlier code or code feedback and generates the subsequent line of code for you. The very best a part of that is that it doesn’t intrude along with your code. It solely suggests code if it’s been 3 seconds because you final typed, and the recommended code is within the type of a placeholder that’s solely applied whenever you press the tab key.

Right here’s an instance:

Within the image above, the header file <stdio.h> is generated by CodeGeeX, nevertheless it’s solely there as a placeholder till I press the tab key. Moreover, the CodeGeeX extension solely generates one line at a time, so it’s straightforward to edit.

Interactive mode

The Interactive mode of the CodeGeeX extension additionally has a component of the code technology software. To entry this mode, press Management+Enter, and your VS code will cut up into two panes. One pane shall be the place you write your regular codes, whereas the opposite pane will counsel code snippets for you:

Immediate mode

Immediate mode is extra superior than the opposite CodeGeeX modes, and it offers you entry to options like code clarification, code summarization, and even generates code for you with a selected coding fashion.

To make use of Immediate mode, you must spotlight the code you need to be defined and press ALT+T to set off the Immediate mode. In case you select an evidence, it’ll then generate a line-by-line clarification for the highlighted code:

In case you’d prefer to learn extra on the CodeGeeX VS code extension, right here’s a information for you.

Conclusion

Given the options that CodeGeeX has, coupled with the truth that it’s free, we will all agree that CodeGeeX can certainly stand as an acceptable different to GitHub Copilot. It’s straightforward to make use of, there’s loads of assist, and the AI is wise sufficient to behave as an acceptable assistant to your coding. So should you’re nonetheless debating whether or not to make use of it, give it a go. It received’t price you a factor.