With Visual Studio 2022 17.10 Preview 3, GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat are combined into a single package for AI-powered code completions and explanations. Credit: Mattjeacock / Getty Images With the third preview of the planned Visual Studio 2022 17.10, Microsoft has “unified” the GitHub Copilot experience in the IDE, combining Copilot and Copilot Chat into a single extension. Introduced April 9, Visual Studio 2022 17.10 Preview 3 combines the features of GitHub Copilot and Copilot Chat into one package, eliminating the need to install two separate extensions and will provide a more integrated AI experience in the future, Microsoft said. Developers can activate a GitHub Copilot subscription at github.com. GitHub Copilot provides context-aware code completions, suggestions, and even entire code snippets, while GitHub Copilot Chat, available inline, answers the user’s questions about code including documentation, definitions, and error explanations. Copilot Chat also can help write methods, classes, and unit tests by converting prompts into code. And it can apply an optimization feature in Copilot to improve code quality, readability, and security, Microsoft said. GitHub Copilot offers an interactive experience throughout Visual Studio, through chat in a separate window and directly in code, Microsoft said. For developers using Visual Studio 2022 17.10, GitHub Copilot is included right out of the box as a recommended component. Visual Studio 2022 17.10 is due to be generally available in May. Visual Studio users can participate in a survey about the Copilot experience on SurveyMonkey or submit feature requests at visualstudio.com. Related content analysis Beyond the usual suspects: 5 fresh data science tools to try today The mid-month report includes quick tips for easier Python installation, a new VS Code-like IDE just for Python and R users, and five newer data science tools you won't want to miss. By Serdar Yegulalp Jul 12, 2024 2 mins Python Programming Languages Software Development analysis Generative AI won’t fix cloud migration You’ve probably heard how generative AI will solve all cloud migration problems. It’s not that simple. Generative AI could actually make it harder and more costly. By David Linthicum Jul 12, 2024 5 mins Generative AI Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing news HR professionals trust AI recommendations HireVue survey finds 73% of HR professionals trust AI to make candidate recommendations, while 75% of workers are opposed to AI making hiring decisions. By Paul Krill Jul 11, 2024 3 mins Technology Industry Careers how-to Safety off: Programming in Rust with `unsafe` What does it mean to write unsafe code in Rust, and what can you do (and not do) with the 'unsafe' keyword? The facts may surprise you. By Serdar Yegulalp Jul 11, 2024 8 mins Rust Programming Languages Software Development Resources Videos