Amazon Web Services (AWS) has officially launched Amazon Q Developer, a tool that transforms how developers interact with AWS services. Last year, during its preview, I experienced firsthand how this generative artificial intelligence-powered assistant, trained on 17 years of AWS expertise, revolutionized my workflow by assisting with application development, best practice research, troubleshooting, and error resolution.
Today marks the general availability of Amazon Q Developer, and we’re excited to showcase updates and provide a glimpse of new functionalities.
Enhanced Knowledge of AWS Account Resources (Preview)
A standout feature now in preview mode allows you to manage and understand your cloud resources more effectively. You can use natural language prompts to list and describe your AWS resources, streamlining navigation within the AWS Management Console and collating information from documentation sources.
For instance, if I request, “List all of my Lambda functions,” Amazon Q Developer swiftly returns a list of my AWS Lambda functions along with deep links for easy navigation.
Try this prompt: List all of my Lambda functions.
You can also access resources across different AWS Regions without the hassle of navigating through the console.
Try this prompt: List my Lambda functions in the Singapore Region.
Moreover, this feature can generate AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) commands for immediate changes. For example, I can instruct Amazon Q Developer to adjust the timeout settings for my Lambda function.
Try this prompt: Change the timeout for Lambda function <NAME of AWS LAMBDA FUNCTION> in the Singapore Region to 10 seconds.
I appreciate how this capability minimizes the time and effort required to gather account information and generate AWS CLI commands, allowing me to concentrate on managing my AWS resources efficiently.
Cost Understanding with Amazon Q Developer (Preview)
To make the most of cloud spending, understanding costs is crucial. Amazon Q Developer now lets you ask cost-related questions in natural language, retrieving and analyzing data from AWS Cost Explorer.
For example, I can ask, “What were the top three highest-cost services in Q1?”
Try this prompt: What were the top three highest-cost services in Q1?
You can verify this data by visualizing it in the AWS Cost Explorer. Another useful prompt might be, “List services in my account which increased the most from February to March.” This feature simplifies gaining insights into your cloud expenditures.
Amazon Q Extensions for IDEs
In this update, we introduced the Amazon Q integrated development environment (IDE) extension for Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs. You’ll find two available extensions in the IDE marketplaces: (1) Amazon Q and (2) AWS Toolkit.
For new users, after installing the Amazon Q extension, you will be prompted to sign in using AWS Builder ID or single sign-on. Existing users need to update the AWS Toolkit extension in their IDEs, which will automatically install the new Amazon Q extension if previous connections exist.
Visual Studio 2022 users can access Amazon Q Developer through the AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio 2022 extension.
Free Advanced Capabilities Access in IDE
With your AWS Builder ID, you can now access advanced features of Amazon Q Developer at no charge. This includes the Amazon Q Developer Agent for software development and code transformation.
The Amazon Q Developer Agent for software development assists you in creating code features. To activate this feature, simply enter /dev in the chat panel. My colleague, Jamie Lee, used this capability to generate an implementation plan for a new API in AWS Lambda, prompting:
Try this prompt: Add an API to list all support cases. Expose this API as a new Lambda function.
Amazon Q Developer then delivers an initial plan, which you can refine before accepting and inserting the code.
Additionally, the Developer Agent for code transformation aids in upgrading Java applications in IntelliJ or Visual Studio Code. Danilo’s insightful blog post on upgrading Java applications with Amazon Q Code Transformation can be found here, which is an excellent resource for those interested.
Improvements in Code Transformation Agent
The latest transformation plans offer specifics tailored to your applications, aiding in the upgrade process. Initiating the upgrade entails entering /transform in the Amazon Q Developer chat and supplying the relevant details.
In the first step, Amazon Q identifies necessary updates for the Java Development Kit (JDK) version, dependencies, and related code. Notably, it now includes upgrades for popular frameworks, like Spring Boot to version 3, as part of a serious tone.
For further insights, check out this related blog post that discusses additional features.
As we wrap up, I’m excited about how these enhancements will benefit developers by simplifying their workflows and improving their AWS experiences.
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