An extension to ChatGPT Desktop App for MacOS
The GitHub Copilot extension in Visual Studio Code (VSC) provides a great pair-programming experience. This is especially true when using Jupyter notebooks and Python or R code blocks to generate short scripts (in code cells). This form of coding is great for research and teaching tasks.
The GitHub Copilot extension now also allows for the choice between OpenAI and Anthropic models, with Google models to follow soon. The GitHub Copilot extension opens in the right sidebar and allows us to chat with our favorite large language model (LLM). The image of the right sidebar in VSC below shows the GPT 4o model as the currently selected LLM.
The ChatGPT Desktop App for MacOS can now also integrate with VSC (and other programming interfaces such as the Terminal XCode. This negates the need to go back and forth between the ChatGPT Desktop App and the coding environment.
The integration requires the installation of an extension which can be downloaded from the OpenAI instruction page HERE. Once the required file is downloaded it must be installed as an extension in VSC. To do this, simply hold down the command and the shift keys and hit the P key. This opens the Command Palette in VSC. Start typing Extensions: Install from VSIX… and make command selection. Navigate to the downloaded file and install it.
When opening the ChatGPT Desktop App on a Mac, a new selection button will appear at the bottom of the page.
Clicking on this button will allows for the selection of code editors or terminal apps to integrate into your chat.
Now the ChatGPT Desktop App will be aware of the code being written in VSC, making for a better experience.
