Visual Studio Code 1.98 Introduces Enhanced Graphics Handling for GitHub Copilot

The latest release of Visual Studio Code, version 1.98, brings significant enhancements to GitHub Copilot, including the ability to interact with graphics. This update introduces a preview feature called Copilot Vision, allowing developers to ask questions about screenshots directly within the development environment.

This February update has been designed to improve the user experience with GitHub Copilot by facilitating interactions that incorporate visual elements. With Copilot Vision, developers can attach graphics when seeking assistance. For instance, if a debugging error occurs, a developer can share a screenshot of the issue and query GitHub Copilot for a potential solution. Additionally, developers can attach UI mockups and request appropriate HTML and CSS code to implement the designs.

Currently, this feature supports the advanced language model OpenAI GPT-4o, with plans to integrate support for other models, such as Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Google Gemini 2.0 Flash, in the near future. The supported graphic formats include JPEG/JPG, PNG, GIF, and WEBP.

Another notable enhancement in this release is the addition of a Collapsed Mode for the Next Edit Suggestions feature, allowing for a more discreet display of coding suggestions. In this mode, a suggestion indicator appears on the left side of the interface, and developers can navigate to view the suggestion by pressing the Tab key. This feature aims to streamline the coding process while maintaining focus on the code itself.

Developers can activate the Collapsed Mode via the editor settings or the NES Indicator menu. By default, this mode is turned off, enabling customization based on user preferences.

Furthermore, the update expands the language model selection capabilities for GitHub Copilot, which previously allowed model changes for chat and edits. Now, this flexibility extends to inline suggestions, providing developers with a wider array of options. The latest models included in this update are OpenAI GPT-4.5 and Anthropic Claude 3.7 Sonnet, both available in preview mode.

In addition to these features, the Terminal-Shell suggestions offered through IntelliSense have undergone improvements for Bash, zsh, fish, and PowerShell. The Visual Studio Code team has refined command-line parsing and enhanced file and folder completion, ensuring more accurate suggestions when users are working in the terminal. This enhancement can be activated through the integrated terminal settings.

For further details regarding Visual Studio Code 1.98 and its features, users can refer to the official announcement. Additionally, an update for Python integration within Visual Studio Code has been released, bringing changes that improve Python shell integration and hover functionality in notebooks and Python files.