Visual Studio Code 1.97 brings Copilot Edits and movable palette

Contents

Microsoft has released Visual Studio Code 1.97. The first release of the year, labeled January, traditionally follows the November release. This version of the source code editor brings new features for GitHub Copilot suggestions, allows the command palette to be moved and changes the handling of trusted extensions.

AI updates for GitHub Copilot

In the new VS Code version, Copilot Edits has left the preview phase and is now generally available. This function of the AI assistant GitHub Copilot specializes in code changes and allows you to adjust multiple files within a workspace from the Copilot chat. A new setting chat.editing.autoAcceptDelay ensures that code changes are automatically accepted by Copilot after a specified timeout period.

The preview feature Copilot Next Edit Suggestions (NES) is also included. It makes suggestions for future changes that developers are likely to make and also includes the location of anticipated changes. The suggestions for future changes adapt dynamically when developers change a variable, for example.

Command palette can now be moved

Both the command palette for quick input and other quick inputs can now be moved. Previously, they were fixed at the top of the window. They can now be dragged and dropped to the desired location, whereby they can be fixed in the middle and at the top if you move them to this position. The desired view remains in place even after a reload. The predefined positions "top" or "centered" are available for selection in the Customize layout picker for the Quick input position.

Dealing with trusted extensions

When developers install an extension from a publisher for the first time, they will find a dialog that queries its trustworthiness – this is intended to increase security. If an extension pack or an extension including extensions is installed, the publisher's statement of trustworthiness applies to all corresponding extensions.

The publishers of currently installed extensions are automatically considered trustworthy when VS Code is updated to version 1.97. With the command Extensions: Manage publishers of trusted extensions, however, this can be adjusted.

Please note that when installing an extension via CLI(code-insiders --install-extension pub.name), its publisher is not added to the list of trusted publishers.

These and other new features in Visual Studio Code are summarized in the announcement article.

Python in VS Code: February update is ready

The official extensions for Python programming in Visual Code –, i.e. for Python, Pylance and Jupyter –, have also received an update. In contrast to the source code editor, these are each named after the current month and once again have some additional features on board.

Following feedback from the community, Microsoft has decided to enable debugging without configuration. This is now available in the Python Debugger Extension, an optional addition to the Python Extension. When triggering a test discovery from the Test Explorer UI, a running test discovery call can now be stopped. The Cancel Test Refresh button, which replaces the Refresh button during the discovery, is used for this purpose.

As Microsoft points out, these are the latest versions of the Python extensions with support for the Python 3.8 language version released in 2019. The current version is Python 3.13.

Information on the current features for Python in VS Code can be found in a separate blog entry.

(mai)