JetBrains updates IDEs, improves AI assistant

JetBrains has unveiled the 2024.2 updates to its family of JetBrains IDEs and its JetBrains AI Assistant. The updates bring a new streamlined user interface to the IDEs, and improved code completion and chat to the JetBrains AI Assistant. JetBrains unveiled the 2024.2 updates on August 6.

The JetBrains AI Assistant 2024.2 offers faster and smarter code completion for Java, Kotlin, and Python, powered by JetBrains’ internally trained large language models (LLMs). Support for other languages is coming in the future, JetBrains said. The AI assistant’s chat also now is smarter, thanks to GPT-4o mini model support, and includes chat references for better context, the company said. New capabilities include in-terminal VCS (version control system) conflict resolution and customizable prompts for unit tests and documentation.

For the JetBrains family of IDEs, a new UI is now the default for all users. The more streamlined UI was created to reduce visual complexity, provide easy access to essential features, and progressively disclose complex functionality as needed. JetBrains’ classic UI is still available as a plugin. In addition, the Search Everywhere dialog now allows developers to preview codebase elements being searched. The JetBrains IDEs now will detect and use proxy settings configured on a developer’s machine by default.

JetBrains also introduced the following improvements to its IDEs, all listed as 2024.2 editions and all to be available soon:

• IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate lets developers run Spring Data JPA (Java persistence API) directly in the IDE for instant repository query verification. IntelliJ also simplifies management of cron expressions by providing inline descriptions and advanced auto-completion. The HTTP client is upgraded to use GraalJS execution engine. Also, support for Scala 3 has been improved.
• PyCharm offers revamped Jupyter notebooks and AI cells to help users iterate faster on data analysis workflows.
• Phpstorm lets developers view log files directly in the IDE and adds Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, and Composer command auto-completion to the terminal. Editing capabilities are offered from a floating toolbar.
• GoLand now includes IDE functionality such as “Add Method to Interface and All Its Implementations” refactoring, along with support for the latest Go language features. Performance improvements also are featured as are fixes for remote development and dev containers and enhanced support for Go frameworks.
• Rider supports gray-text, single-line suggestions that complete statements based on the context of the current file. This LLM-powered full-line code completion is available for C#, C++, JavaScript, TypeScript, and CSS.
• WebStorm introduces support for special path resolving for frameworks with file system-based routing such as Next.js.
• RubyMine brings Hotwire Stimulus support, completion for Kamal configuration files, and code insight for rate limiting and browser guards.
• Aqua introduces Playwright support for Python and Java and enhances locators’ auto-completion.
• DataGrip now offers JetBrains AI Assistant support, allowing developers to improve the quality of generated SQL queries by attaching a database scheme for context in the AI chat.
• CLion offers new features when the ReSharper C++ language engine is enabled, including remote development via SSH using JetBrains Gateway.