Source repo: sdsc-summer-institute-2025 | Branch: main | Last synced: 2026-04-24 10:27:17.425 UTC

Python Development with AI Code Assistants

This guide provides a brief overview of setting up AI code assistants for Python development, focusing on VS Code with GitHub Copilot and the Gemini CLI.

1. VS Code + GitHub Copilot

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular free code editor.

• Official VS Code Documentation

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that provides autocompletion-style suggestions as you code.

• Official GitHub Copilot Documentation
• Academic Discount: GitHub Copilot Pro is available for free to students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open-source repositories. You can apply for this through the GitHub Student Developer Pack.
  • GitHub Education

2. Gemini CLI

The Gemini CLI is an open-source AI agent that allows users to access the Gemini AI model directly from their terminal, assisting with various software engineering tasks.

• Official Gemini CLI Documentation
• Usage with Personal Google Account: When logged in with a personal Google account, you can use the gemini-2.5-flash model with a limit of 60 requests per minute (RPM) and 1,000 requests per day (RPD).

Note: You cannot use these AI assistants directly on Expanse. Instead, develop locally, push your changes to GitHub, and then pull them from Expanse.