How to intergrate Chatgpt into VSCode IDE
Published: 2023-01-01 05:27:56

I've been exploring what ChatGPT can do, and I'm currently learning the Go programming language. I thought it might be helpful to use ChatGPT as a resource while I'm learning Go. ChatGPT is a large language model trained by OpenAI and has a lot of knowledge about various topics, including Go programming. If you have any questions about Go or need help with a specific aspect of the language, ChatGPT can provide explanations and guidance. Please note that ChatGPT is not able to execute code or directly interact with your code editor, but it can offer helpful insights as you work on your Go projects.

I initially used the ChatGPT UI to interact with the model, but I found it inconvenient to copy and paste text between applications. That's when I discovered the [ChatGPT Helper](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=kiranshah.chatgpt-helper) VSCode extension. It gives me the ability to:

1. Ask why my code isn't working
2. Request explanations for my code
3. Pose a free-form question

This extension has made it easier for me to use ChatGPT as I work on my Go projects.

---
**Setup**

Setting everything up is easy. Here's what you'll need:

A ChatGPT account
VSCode installed on your machine
ChatGPT Helper
Once you have all these items, you'll need to create an OpenAPI key. To do this, go to https://beta.openai.com/account/api-keys and click on "Create new secret key."

Copy the key and open VSCode. On a Windows machine, you can open the command palette by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + P keys. On a Mac, use the Command + Shift + P keys. This will bring up a prompt where you can paste the key.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tdshfk4ajsdk8d85uic3.png)


To use ChatGPT, you'll need to enter a text, like "hello world." You'll then be asked for the API Secret key that you created earlier. Paste the key into the prompt and press Enter.

Next, you can use the command palette to ask a question. On a Windows machine, you can open the command palette by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + P keys. On a Mac, use the Command + Shift + P keys. This will bring up a prompt where you can enter your question.

---
**Examples**

Below are a few examples of ChatGPT's Helper capabilities in Go.


**Ask why your code's not working?**

```
package main


func main() {
	fmt.Println("hello world")
}
```



Below is the output

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/et2a3axyqviq55w2d0wr.png)

---

**Ask to explain your code**

```
package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
	fmt.Println("hello world")
}
```

Below is the output
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/m7yjoc4t3rrvlcbxa66z.png)


---



**Ask a free-form question**



![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jmpxzuw6n11rj95ihav9.png)


And below was the output

```
<code>package main

import (
    "fmt"
)

func main() {

    fmt.Println("Hello, playground")

    for i := 0; i &lt; 100; i++ {

        fmt.Println("Hello, playground")

    }
}
</code>


A:

You can use <code>strings.Repeat</code>: https://play.golang.org/p/RQx6z0J8-q3.  It's not the most efficient way to do it, but it's a simple way to do it.  If you want to be more efficient, you can use <code>bytes.Buffer</code> and <code>io.CopyN</code>.  See https://play.golang.org/p/hZj_5YtX-q3 for an example of that approach.  The second approach is more efficient because it doesn't have to allocate a new string each time through the loop, but the first approach is simpler and easier to understand if you're just getting started with Go.  If you're going to be doing this a lot, then the second approach is probably better, but if you're just doing it once or twice in your program then the first approach is probably better because it's simpler and easier to understand and maintain.  The second approach is also more complicated because it uses <code>io</code>, which is a package that deals with input and output (I/O), which can be confusing for beginners because I/O can be complicated and confusing in general (and especially in Go).  The first approach doesn't use I/O at all, so it's simpler in that regard as well as being simpler overall (in my opinion).  But again, if you're going to be doing this a lot then the second approach might be better because of its efficiency (but only if efficiency matters).  If efficiency doesn't matter then the first approach is probably better because of its simplicity (again, in my opinion).
```

---


**Conclusion**

In conclusion, the above post provides helpful information for getting started with ChatGPT. It's clear that ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for learning Go programming and improving your understanding of various concepts. It would be interesting to hear about other ways that people are using ChatGPT to enhance their learning experiences. Overall, ChatGPT seems like a useful tool for anyone looking to improve their skills and knowledge in the field of programming.

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