At the recent Universe conference, GitHub unveiled several exciting new products, including the Spark project, designed to enable developers to create applications entirely using AI. Additionally, the Copilot service is receiving significant updates, including multi-model support.
For the first time, GitHub is bringing Copilot to Apple’s Xcode environment, which is now available in public preview. This integration allows developers working within Apple’s IDE to utilize Copilot for code completion. While the initial focus is enhancing code completion, features like Copilot Chat are expected to be integrated over time.
Copilot supports Apple’s primary programming languages, Swift and Objective-C, making this a natural extension of its capabilities. It will provide multi-line suggestions and allow users to block suggestions that match public code.
“This marks a significant milestone in our mission to make Copilot an essential tool for developers across various platforms,” GitHub stated in their announcement. “Apple developers can now benefit from intelligent coding assistance seamlessly integrated into their preferred IDE.”
All paying users of Copilot—whether on individual, business, or enterprise plans—can access this public beta by installing the Copilot extension for Xcode.
Previously, while Copilot did not natively support Xcode, some projects like the CopilotForXcode extension had already utilized GitHub’s APIs to offer code completion features in Xcode.
Among the new capabilities introduced are:
- Copilot Chat in Visual Studio Code, which allows users to edit multiple files simultaneously to address complex issues.
- A new code review feature provides developers with quick feedback on their code.
- Customize Copilot Chat with instructions regarding preferred tools and organizational knowledge.
Additionally, Copilot Extensions, which integrate tools from companies like Atlassian, Docker, Sentry, and Stack Overflow into Copilot, are currently in preview but will be generally available in early 2025. At that time, users will also have the option to create private extensions tailored to their organization’s specific tools.
These updates reflect GitHub's commitment to enhancing developer experience and expanding the functionality of its AI-driven tools across diverse platforms.