Using GitHub Copilot with Elm

[perty]

I tried using GitHub CoPilot for writing a simple Elm application.

I used Vite and deployed it on Vercel.

The experience was quite pleasant. It managed well the task of writing Elm code and connect to JavaScript ports. My focus shifted more to telling it want I want rather than using energy on how things are done.

It is a simple Markdown editor that shows the result as you type. It stores the thing in local storage and you can download it.

The inital prompt was:

---

Create a basic markdown editor in Elm with the following features:

• Create model for markdown with default text “type markdown here”
• A text area where users can write markdown
• Show a live preview of the markdown text as I type
• Support for basic markdown syntax like headers, bold, italics
• The markdown text and resulting HTML should be saved in the model.

---

If you’d like to know more, here is the repository: https://github.com/perty/elm-vite-test

[Laurent]

I use Codeium, which is free for individual users and it’s been a nice experience so far for autocompletion at least (never tried full prompt-coding).

[paulh]

I’ve not used Codeium, might give it a try.

The comparison chart with Copilot is wrong though, there is ‘in IDE chat and search’ for Copilot, the chart says otherwise. It’s one of the things I really like about Copilot, if I’m not sure about something, I can ask - made StackOverflow redundant for me.

I also find it really useful for boilerplate stuff, like if you’re creating a ToString function for an Enum type, Copilot will understand and complete the code block once you’ve started it.

I’m not a fan of AI in general, but bit the bullet with Copilot. Sometime in the not too distant future Copilot and friends may make a lot of devs redundant.

If Copilot can create

@perty

https://github.com/perty/elm-vite-test

from

@perty

Create a basic markdown editor in Elm with the following features:

• Create model for markdown with default text “type markdown here”
• A text area where users can write markdown
• Show a live preview of the markdown text as I type
• Support for basic markdown syntax like headers, bold, italics
• The markdown text and resulting HTML should be saved in the model.

who needs to learn Elm?

[hrnxm]

I’m getting “unknown language” in VS Code while trying Codeium Command option. Do you only use chat for Elm, or?

[perty]

In case of Copilot, I use for completion, fix errors and chat.

[perty]

@paulh

who needs to learn Elm?

He, he, you still need to know Elm. There is still the risk that AI writes the wrong code, although it nailed it this time, at every iteration.

I have also tried AI for Java and JavaScript and it works well but I am more confident when using it for Elm as the compiler catches a lot.

[paulh]

@perty

There is still the risk that AI writes the wrong code

I know, I always double check what it provides

@perty

although it nailed it this time, at every iteration.

Exactly my point, and it’s still a whipper snapper that we’re training. I’m 53, and I’m willing to bet that in my lifetime the overall demand for devs will reduce as a result of AI…

[perty]

And those devs still in demand, will be those that know how to work with AI.

[Laurent]

If I remember correctly, after I installed the Codeium plugin for VS Code, on the right of the bottom status bar “Codeium” was written in orange to signal something. When clicking on it a popup appeared and asked something like “do you want to enable Codium for Elm (experimental)?”. I chose “yes” and it works not too bad since. For JS/TS and CSS or even markdown it works really well.

[hrnxm]

I missed that. Thank you!
Codeium Command was still throwing the same error, but autocompletion/suggestions worked.

[Laurent]

@perty Really impressive markdown editor result by the way

[perty]

Thank you very much, you’re too kind.