Code Completion: Enhancing Developer Productivity

Code completion is a feature that you may find in an integrated development environment (IDE) to help you quickly generate code as you work; it’s similar to the auto-complete feature you may use while texting on your smartphone. You can also use generative AI models like large language models (LLMs) to help you generate code. These tools can help you reduce the brain power required to write the code for a development project and allow you to reduce errors by auto-completing common pieces of code that you know will be error-free. 

Explore how code completion works, how you can benefit from this technology, and popular code completion tools that may help you on your next development project. 

What is code completion AI?

Code completion AI is a type of artificial intelligence you can use to generate code. If you are familiar with coding, then you probably understand that some parts of the process can be tedious and require precision rather than creativity. You can use AI code generation to help you speed up your productivity by auto-completing snippets of code, freeing up your brain power to complete more tasks that require creativity or problem-solving. 

Depending on the type of code completion you use, you can also prompt the AI model to suggest code improvements or spot potential errors in code. These models work using context from what you’ve previously written, predicting what code is most likely to come next or analyzing the documentation and community standards of the programming language you’re working in. 

How does AI code generation work?

AI code generation works by using natural language processing and large language models to learn programming languages. An LLM translates one human language into another in a similar way. Because many programming languages offer their entire codebase and documentation online, LLMs are able to use these materials to train and analyze how these languages work and identify the proper syntax to use while writing. You can enter a prompt into a trained model explaining the type of code you want, and the code completion AI can suggest a snippet to help you.  

Types of code completion

The types of code completion you can access will depend on the AI program you use for code generation. For example, you could have a basic code completion model that works similarly to autocorrect, analyzing what you’ve already written and suggesting the rest. Or, you could use more intelligent models that can analyze variables such as the codebase. Still yet, more powerful tools will have the ability to suggest entire code blocks. 

For a more complete understanding of the types of code completion you can use, you’ll want to look at the features of the AI code generation tool you’re considering. For example, IntelliJ IDEA from JetBrains allows seven types of code completion: 

• Basic completion: The model suggests basic code, like classes and fields, based on what it can read in the visible scope of the code or what you’ve written so far. 

• Type-matching completion: The model filters its suggestions to only those that fit within the current environment. 

• Statement completion: If you fill in the elements necessary for a statement of code, the model will fill in the syntax you need to move quickly to the next line. 

• Hippie completion: The model analyzes the visible scope of your code and suggests how you might complete it within the context, drawing from all open files. 

• Postfix code completion: The model helps you generate new statements from those you’ve already written based on a postfix. 

• Completion of tags and attributes: The model completes names and values for tags and attributes based on a schema you provide or the file content. 

• Machine-learning-assisted completion ranking: This model prioritizes suggestions based on what other users have decided to do in similar circumstances.

Benefits of code completion

Using code completion can help you reduce the time it takes you to code, code with fewer errors, and save your brain power for tasks that require more creative problem-solving. Some of the benefits of using code completion are: 

• Increasing productivity: Code completion helps you work faster because you can save snippets of code that you commonly use and automatically insert them as needed. Other types of code completion can help you save time in other ways. You can adapt the kinds of code completion you use to suit your workflow.

• Reducing errors: Not only will using code completion save you time on writing code, but it can also reduce the time you spend on correcting errors. By making sure your code snippets are exactly as they need to be, you can avoid a typo or other error that takes time to correct. 

• Learning programming languages: If you’re a beginner, code generation AI can help you learn skills as you code. It’s like taking an open-book test with a reference guide right next to you. 

Who uses code completion?

As a member of a development team, you can use code completion in a lot of different ways, like improving documentation systems, analyzing written code for possible bugs, creating automated testing, and, of course, generating code. If you’d like to be a member of a software development team using AI code generators, you might consider a career as a software developer, web developer, or data scientist. 

Software developers

Average annual base salary in the US (Glassdoor): $102,876 [1]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 17 percent [2] 

As a software developer, you will design and build software solutions to meet the needs of your client or customer. In this role, you may work with a team of other developers and professionals who focus in specialized fields, like programmers or quality assurance testers. Depending on the size of your team, you may concentrate on one aspect of development, or you may perform many duties between creating, designing, testing, and maintaining software. 

Web developers

Average annual base salary in the US (Glassdoor): $81,975 [3]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [4] 

As a web developer, many of your daily responsibilities may look similar to those of a software developer. You will be working with a team to design, create, test, and monitor websites for your clients or customers. Similar to a software development team, you may work on more or less areas of a project depending on how many professionals are involved. Many web developers specialize in either the front end of a website, which is concerned with design, or the back end, which deals with code and infrastructure. Developers who work on both sides are full-stack developers. 

Data scientists

Average annual base salary in the US (Glassdoor): $116,724 [5]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 36 percent [6]

As a data scientist, you will analyze data to gain insight to solve problems or help your company meet its goals. You will determine the best source for the data you need, collect and store the data, analyze the data, and create visualizations to present your findings. Many industries need data scientists, so you can specialize in fields that interest you. 

Explore AI and software development on Coursera

Code completion can help new developers gain confidence in coding and help seasoned developers work more efficiently with fewer errors. If you want to learn more about working with generative AI, consider the IBM Generative AI Fundamentals Specialization. You can also find programs on Coursera to help you prepare for a new career. For example, the IBM Full-Stack JavaScript Developer Professional Certificate can help you start your career as a software developer.