Visual Studio Code 1.99 brings new agent mode & Next Edit Suggestions generally available

Microsoft has rolled out Visual Studio Code version 1.99, introducing significant enhancements to its powerful code editor. Notably, the stable release now includes agent mode, expanding its capabilities with Model Context Protocol (MCP) server tools. This update brings built-in tools for web content fetching, symbol reference finding, and deep thinking within agent mode.

The update also makes the Next Edit Suggestions feature, first seen in version 1.97, generally available. This feature leverages GitHub Copilot to predict potential developer edits, offering a streamlined coding experience. Users will notice fewer distractions from diagnostics events during AI-driven edits.

Developers can now utilize their own API keys to access a broader range of language models in AI chat, and seamlessly switch between ask, edit, and agent modes within the unified chat interface. Workspace search has been enhanced with faster and more accurate remote workspace indexing, and notebook creation and editing has been simplified, supporting both edit and agent modes.

Version 1.99 of Visual Studio Code also includes various other improvements and bug fixes, continuing to refine the user experience.