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VS Code v1.92: Pick Your Browser, Use OpenAI's GPT-4o AI Model

A highlight of the latest release of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code open-source-based code editor is the ability to pick your default browser for opening links, along with access to a new, advanced AI model.

"A new setting workbench.externalBrowser enables you to configure which browser to use for opening links," the dev team said in announcing the July 2024 update that advances VS Code to version 1.92. "By default, the operating system standard browser is used. You can configure this setting on a per-workspace level and is also Settings Sync enabled.

"Specify the full path to the browser executable as the settings value. Alternatively, to ensure correct functioning across devices, you can also use browser aliases, such as edge, chrome, or firefox."

Here's the new functionality in animated action:

Choosing Default Browser in Animated Action
[Click on image for larger view.] Choosing Default Browser in Animated Action (source: Microsoft).

Another highlight of the release is the upgrade of the GitHub Copilot Chat feature to use OpenAI's GPT-4o model, which significantly improves the quality and speed of code suggestions and explanations. "Our experiments show that GPT-4o significantly enhances Copilot's coding capabilities, providing faster, more accurate, and higher-quality code and explanations directly in your editor," the team said. "This was evident during the rollout, as developers increasingly used the Copilot Chat view and incorporated more of its code suggestions."

Also, GitHub Copilot now has a feature that allows it to return code that matches publicly available code on GitHub.com. This feature, available to users with an organization or personal subscription, shows details about detected code matches in code completions. It's being gradually rolled out to Chat users, and once enabled, they will see a "View matches" link in Copilot Chat responses, which opens an editor to display the matching code references.

Here's a summary of other highlights in the release, with links pointing to specific information:

  • Revert PRs - Easily create a revert PR for a merged PR: New features for the GitHub Pull Requests extension include:
    • Revert pull requests by using the Revert button in the pull request description of merged PRs
    • PRs whose branch has been deleted can now be viewed in the Pull Requests view.
    • The Open Pull Request on GitHub.com action shows even when you have multiple PRs checked out.
  • Extension updates - More easily configure auto updating of extensions: The update improves control over extension updates, allowing users to enable or disable auto-updates for all extensions at once or individually. There is also a new prompt requiring user consent when updating an extension with no executable code to one that includes code, enhancing security and user awareness.
  • Override profiles - Override an existing profile with the Profiles Editor: The Profiles Editor has been enhanced to allow users to override an existing profile, including the default profile, by simply creating a new profile with the same name. The Profiles Editor is available as an experimental option, accessible via the workbench.experimental.enableNewProfilesUI setting.
  • Paste files in CSS - Quickly add CSS file references with paste or drag and drop: Now, when you need to reference an image or other files in your CSS, you can simply drag and drop the file or paste it into the editor, and Visual Studio Code will automatically generate the url() reference, streamlining the workflow for web developers.
  • Move Panel to top - Position the Panel section at the top of the workbench: Users can now reposition the Panel, which contains views like the terminal, Output panel, and Debug Console, to the top of the workbench. This complements the existing options to position the panel at the left, right, or bottom, offering more flexibility in customizing the workbench layout.

    • Read the voluminous announcement for information on:

    • VS Code-native IntelliSense for PowerShell
    • TypeScript 5.6 support
    • Proposed APIs
    • Improvements in the VS Code web site
    • Engineering enhancements and notable general fixes

    About the Author

    David Ramel is an editor and writer for Converge360.

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