Content

Jocys.com Visual Studio AI Companion

About Help Version Updates & Fixes
About
Visual Studio AI Companion • Standalone / Portable Application • 1.1.18 (2023-09-25)    

Download Visual Studio Extension from Visual Studio Marketplace or install by using Visual Studio Extension Manager.

AI Companion analyzes your project files and works alongside you to streamline development and boost productivity. It can be installed as a Visual Studio extension or run as a standalone application.
This is free and open-source project for people who have an OpenAI API (GPT-3/4, Davinci...) subscription. Digitally Signed.
If you have questions or something doesn't work as expected, please write to info@jocys.com

Jocys.com
Screenshots
Visual StudioCode DocumentOptionsTemplatesHistorical Events

Jocys.com
Help

Introduction

This is a free and open-source project for people who have an OpenAI API (GPT-3/4, Davinci...) subscription, also run Open AI on their local machine (GPT4All), as well as those who run AI on-premises or on Azure Cloud.

The AI Companion is a tool that analyzes your project files and works alongside you to streamline development and boost productivity. It can be installed as a Visual Studio extension or run as a standalone application. It's like a Swiss Army Knife of AI for developers.

Why use API-based tools over web ChatGPT?

Data submitted via the OpenAI API is not used to train or improve its models, unless customers explicitly decide to share their data. Web Chat is limited to 4K tokens, while AI models on API can process data 4-8 times larger.

How can I access GPT-4?

help.openai.com/en/articles/7102672-how-can-i-access-gpt-4

After adding credit to your balance on your OpenAI Account ► Billing ► Overview page, open “Options” tab in Jocys.com Visual Studio AI Companion and click on “Refresh” button. After that, “gpt-4” should appear in “AI Model” drop-down list.

System requirements

Microsoft .NET 6.0 dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet

Why was this extension created?

Existing tools like GitHub CoPilot have limitations when it comes to interacting with AI. I wanted to create an app that could handle common tasks with more in-depth AI guidance and information. This tool does not replace GitHub CoPilot, but rather offers new features. My goal was to create a tool that would assist AI in responding to inquiries about an entire project or in revamping a Visual Studio solution using a different framework. Right now, you have the ability to request a project rewrite, as the extension can send an entire project or solution. However, there are some necessary updates that need to be made in order to save the outcomes.

Limitations

You can ask questions about an entire solution or project using the "Code - Smart Search" template. However, the size of the solution or project is limited by the maximum amount of tokens the AI can process. People who have access to the GPT-4 API can upload projects or solutions for AI analysis, up to sizes of 96KB (about 3 bytes per token). These limitations could potentially be removed if AI is hosted on-premises.

CONTENT

Introduction

Why use API-based tools over web ChatGPT?

How can I access GPT-4?

System requirements

Why was this extension created?

Limitations

How it works

Data safety concerns

Where to get API Organization ID and API Key?

Screenshots

Visual Studio extension
Standalone application
Application options

Templates

Tasks

Code - Smart Search
Code - Document
Code - Fix Selected Issue
Code - Fix Debug Exception
Custom - Historical Events
Translate - English to Klingon

How-to examples

Grammar - Detail - Professional
Code - Fix Selected Error

How it works

This application (or extension) allows you to create advanced prompt templates and include data from various sources such as the Clipboard, Selection, Active Document, Selected Documents, Active Project, Selected Project, Solution, Selected Error, Exception with relevant code files, or Chat History. You can execute this template with just one button press, and the data will be sent to your preferred AI model for results at api.openai.com.

Data safety concerns

OpenAI will not use the data submitted by customers via the OpenAI API to train or improve its models, unless customers explicitly decide to share their data for this purpose. Customers have the option to opt-in to share data. Please note that this data policy does not apply to OpenAI's Non-API consumer services like ChatGPT or DALL·E. More information can be found at openai.com/policies/api-data-usage-policies.

Where to get API Organization ID and API Key?

platform.openai.com/account/org-settings

SCREENSHOTS

Visual Studio extension

Open extension in Visual Studio.

 

Standalone application

Quickly access tasks from the notification icon in the tray.

Application options

Task and Template settings are saved in separate files for easy exchange and sharing.

TEMPLATES

TASKS

AI can provide you with the exact location of specific code features.

Code - Document

Code - Fix Selected Issue

Select Errors or Warnings reported by Visual Studio and ask AI to fix it.

Code - Fix Debug Exception

Ask AI to fix the exception by either copying and pasting the exception info as a message or clicking the [Send] button when Visual Studio throws it during debugging.

Custom - Historical Events

Translate - English to Klingon

HOW-TO EXAMPLES

Grammar - Detail - Professional. How to check spelling and grammar.

1. Click on the "Grammar - Detail – Professional" template icon on the toolbar. This template will be added to the [Tasks] tab.
2. Select the newly created "Grammar - Detail – Professional" task in the [Tasks] tab.
3. Enter the text you would like to check in the "message" field.
4. Click the [Send] button.
5. Wait for the AI's response to appear in the chat.

Code - Fix Selected Error. How to Fix Selected Error in Visual Studio.

1. Double-click on the error you would like to fix in the "Error List" panel.
2. Wait for the file with the error to open. It will become the active document.
3. Optional: Click on the "Code - Fix Selected Error" template icon on the toolbar.
4. Choose a task that has been cloned from the "Code - Fix Selected Error" template.
5. Select the "Active Document" as the attachment to send.
6. Check the "Selected Error" as the attachment to send.
7. Select "Replace" under Automation (VS) if you are brave enough to rely on AI for the correct solution.
8. Click the [Send] button.
9. Wait for the AI's response to appear in the chat. Active document will be fixed by AI.

Jocys.com
Version Updates & Fixes
Version Updates and Fixes

2023-09-25 v1.1.18

- Fixed: Crash when sending the message.
- Fixed: Incorrect service being called for instruct models.

2023-09-24 v1.1.16

- New: Option to toggle between user and system message instructions.
- Update: Minor user interface enhancements and theme update.

2023-09-17 v1.1.12

- New: Prompting feature that helps to customize the AI's output.

2023-09-07 v1.1.6

- Fixed: Task cloning, stop sending.
- New: Added support for streaming replies.
- New: Added service timeout option.
- New: Warning when API URL is insecure and not local.
- Update: Improved support for Azure OpenAI.
- Update: Improved support for GPT4All.

2023-08-31 v1.0.115

- Fix: Unable to hide template or task list panel.

2023-08-29 v1.0.114

- Fix: Unable to add new messages after using the Edit and Remove buttons.
- New: Added [Regenerate] button to the last user message.

2023-08-28 v1.0.112

- Fix: Loading of grid splitter settings.

2023-08-28 v1.0.111

- Fix: Reset value of AI Service dropdown box.
- Fix: Improved list navigation for smoother operation.
- Fix: TrayNotifyIcon visible after app shutdown.
- New: Zoom slider for chat window.
- Update: Resolved some UI and theme issues.

2023-08-23 v1.0.103

- New: "Enable Spell Check" option.
- Fix: AI Service dropdown box value reset.

2023-08-21 v1.0.101

- Fix: AI service setting in templates.
- Fix: Copy AI service value from template.
- Fix: Initial app start position.
- Fix: Dropdown box theme.

2023-08-20 v1.0.97

- Fix: Corrected dropdown box theme.
- Update: Information on About control.

2023-08-17 v1.0.95

- Fix: In message edit mode, following messages won't be deleted if sent using ENTER key.

2023-08-16 v1.0.94

- New: [Edit] button has been added. Edit chat message and delete any messages that follow it.
- Update: Grammar instruction template updated to make it easier to copy the corrected sentence.
- Update: Updated some default settings.

2023-08-14 v1.0.91

- New: Added support for multiple API services, including local machine, on-premise, or cloud.
- New: Option to send a message with ENTER. Use SHIFT+ENTER for a new line.
- Update: UI style updated.

2023-08-04 v1.0.82

- Fix: Remove duplicate option to attach chat logs.
- Fix: The visibility of the "Show Icon in Toolbar" checkbox.
- Fix: The URL for Markdown help is not opening.
- Fix: Default icon is missing when creating a new task.
- Update: UI style updated.

2023-07-31 v1.0.77

- Fix: Crash when no error is selected while fixing the selected error.
- Fix: Crash when no document is open while replacing the selection.

2023-07-16 v1.0.75

- Fix: Add missing title and markdown format templates.
- Update: Theme has been updated and more tooltips have been added.

2023-07-15 v1.0.73

- New: Option to use AI to auto-format your message with markdown.
- New: Option to use AI to auto-generate chat title.
- New: Button to re-generate chat title.
- New: Separated Visual Studio options for clarity.
- Fix: URLs open inside the message control instead of a new browser window.
- Fix: The scroll does not stay at the bottom when the message box is resized. 

2023-07-12 v1.0.67

- Fix: Template bar does not display button to access all templates.
- Fix: Code box expands outside of the message window.
- Fix: The scroll does not stay at the bottom when resizing.
- New: Stop button for cancelling prompt requests.

2023-07-11 v1.0.61

- Fix: HTML and markdown text weren't being displayed properly.
- New: Code is displayed in a code box now.
- New: A copy button has been added to each code block.

2023-07-09 v1.0.57

- Fix: Preview messages are excluded from the chat log now.
- Fix: Chat log markdown display.
- Update: The chat log is now submitted to the API correctly.
- Update: AI model in templates.
- Update: Improved instructions in the grammar template to ensure more consistent results.

2023-07-07 v1.0.52

- Fix: Error with the limit of reply tokens.
- Fix: AI models not refreshing in the select box when [Refresh] is clicked.
- Fix: Maximum height for the message and instructions text box.
- Fix: The scroll does not stay at the bottom when resizing.
- Fix: The HTML code display in the message box was sometimes incorrect.
- Fix: Settings not saving when exiting from Tray menu.

2023-07-05 v1.0.47

- Fix: The entire list refreshes when a task is removed or updated on the disk.
- Fix: Display XML elements within the message.
- Fix: App not restoring the last Task selection upon restart.

2023-07-02 v1.0.42

- Fix: Issue when attempting to paste an item with the same name.
- Fix: Corrected message output display.
- New: Now allows for attachment of multiple item types to AI with the same message.
- New: Added the option to send selected errors.
- New: Added the capability to send debugging exception errors.
- New: Feature to send relevant files/documents for exceptions.
- New: Show a warning when files are sent to the AI.
- New: Show a warning when files sent to the AI contains possible sensitive data.

2023-06-27 v1.0.35

- Fix: Send button opacity when a message is changed.
- Update: Reduce the amount of space that attachments and data occupy in the chat.

2023-06-26 v1.0.33

- Fix: AI response added to a different task.
- Fix: Use Macros Template property not copying to the Task.
- New: Clear all messages button.
- New: Scroll to the bottom button.

2023-06-25 v1.0.28

- New: Include macros for the Environment.
- New: Easily access tasks from the Tray Notification icon.
- Fix: Correct rendering of template list when switching tabs.
- Fix: Automatically enable macros if they are used.

2023-06-22 v1.0.26

- Fix: Send button opacity when a message is changed.

2023-06-22 v1.0.25

- Fix: Some Template properties not copying to the Task.
- New: Separate the AI instructions from the main message.
- Update: Updated all templates.

2023-06-21 v1.0.23

- New: Added an "Allow Only One Copy" option for standalone application.
- Update: The "Minimize On Close" option is now enabled by default.

2023-06-20 v1.0.22

- Fix: Changed how the chat log is sent to allow for better AI interpretation.
- Fix: Updated the API requests spinning indicator.
- New: Added feature to show the count of active API requests on the spinning indicator.
- New: Introduced ability to customize the base URL.
- New: Standalone program can now be restored, focused, or minimized to the tray by clicking on the notification icon.
- Update: Renamed AI creativity setting from "Normal" to "Balanced".

2023-06-18 v1.0.19

- New: Public release.

2023-04-11 v1.0.6

- New: Internal release.
 

Jocys.com