4.0 KiB
Kite Python Assistant for Visual Studio Code
Kite is an AI-powered programming assistant that helps you write Python code inside Visual Studio Code. The Kite Engine needs to be installed in order for the extension to work properly. The extension itself provides the frontend that interfaces with the Kite Engine, which performs all the code analysis and machine learning.
Features
Kite's goal is to help you write code faster by showing you the right information at the right time. At a high level, Kite provides you with:
- 🧠 Smart autocompletions powered by machine learning models trained on the entire open source code universe
- 👀 Function signatures that show you the official signature of a function you're currently using
- 🔍 Instant documentation for the symbol underneath your cursor
Requirements
- macOS 10.10+ or Windows 7+
- Visual Studio Code v1.28.0+
- Kite Engine
Installation
Installing the Kite Engine
macOS Instructions
- Download the installer and open the downloaded
.dmg
file. - Drag the Kite icon into the
Applications
folder. - Run
Kite.app
to start the Kite Engine.
Windows Instructions
- Download the installer and run the downloaded
.exe
file. - The installer should run the Kite Engine automatically after installation is complete.
Installing the Kite Assistant for Visual Studio Code
When running the Kite Engine for the first time, you'll be guided through a setup process which will allow you to install the VS Code extension. You can also install or uninstall the VS Code extension at any time using the Kite Engine's plugin manager.
Alternatively, you have 2 options to manually install the package:
- Search for "Kite" in VS Code's built-in extension marketplace and install from there.
- Run the command
code --install-extension kiteco.kite
in your terminal.
Usage
The following is a brief guide to using Kite in its default configuration.
Hover
Hover your mouse cursor over a symbol to view a short summary of what the symbol represents.
Documentation
Click on the Docs
link in the hover popup to open the documentation for the symbol inside the Copilot, Kite's standalone
reference tool.
Definitions
If a Def
link is available in the hover popup, clicking on it will jump to the definition of the symbol.
Autocompletions
Simply start typing in a saved Python file and Kite will automatically suggest completions for what you're typing. Kite's
autocompletions are all labeled with the ⟠
symbol.
Function Signatures
When you call a function, Kite will show you the arguments required to call it. Kite's function signatures are also all
labeled with the ⟠
symbol.
Note: If you have the Microsoft Python extension installed, Kite will not be able to show you information on function signatures.
Commands
Kite comes with sevaral commands that you can run from VS Code's command palette.
Command | Description |
---|---|
kite.open-copilot |
Open the Copilot |
kite.docs-at-cursor |
Show documentation of the symbol underneath your cursor in the Copilot |
kite.engine-settings |
Open the settings for the Kite Engine |
kite.help |
Open Kite's help website in the browser |
Contact Us
Feel free to contact us with bug reports, feature requests, or general comments at feedback@kite.com.
Happy coding!