In the latest release of Visual Studio Code, version 1.87, Microsoft introduces several innovative features, including voice dictation, multi-cursor inline suggestions, and smarter Python imports. Additionally, this update integrates GitHub Copilot-powered symbol renaming, enhancing the code editing experience for developers.

Released on February 28, Visual Studio Code 1.87 is now available for download on Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms from the Visual Studio website.

A standout feature of this release is voice dictation, enabling developers to speak directly into the editor. To utilize this functionality, users need to install the VS Code Speech extension, which facilitates speech-to-text capabilities. Moreover, developers can choose from 26 supported languages by configuring the accessibility.voice.speechLanguage setting.

Another notable addition is GitHub Copilot-powered renaming suggestions. When renaming a symbol within the editor, GitHub Copilot provides a list of potential new names based on the user’s code. This feature leverages AI assistance to streamline the renaming process, enhancing productivity.

Furthermore, Visual Studio Code 1.87 introduces support for multi-cursor inline completions, allowing users to preview and apply suggestions at both primary and secondary cursor positions. The Pylance extension receives an update, now including an “Add Imports” code action to seamlessly add missing imports. Pylance utilizes advanced heuristics to display top import options, prioritizing based on factors such as recent usage and symbols from the same module.

In addition to these enhancements, two new code actions are introduced: “Search for additional import matches,” which provides import options matching the missing import symbol, and “Change spelling,” offering import suggestions for typos in missing imports.

Finally, developers can now preview changes before applying code refactorings, thanks to the Refactor preview capability. Additionally, Sticky Scroll in the editor is enabled by default, ensuring smoother navigation within the codebase.

Visual Studio Code 1.87 builds upon the previous release, version 1.86, which introduced the “Hey Code” voice command to initiate sessions in GitHub Copilot Chat. With these new features, Microsoft continues to empower developers with tools to enhance their coding experience and productivity.