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GitLab Duo contextual awareness

Depending on which GitLab Duo feature you are using and where you are using it, different information is available to help GitLab Duo make decisions and offer suggestions.

Information can be available:

  • Always.
  • Based on your location (the context changes when you navigate).
  • When referenced explicitly. For example, you mention the information by URL, ID, or file path.

GitLab Duo Chat

The following context is available to GitLab Duo Chat.

Always available

  • GitLab documentation.
  • General programming knowledge, best practices, and language specifics.
  • Content in the file you're viewing or editing, including code before and after your cursor.
  • The /refactor, /fix, and /tests slash commands have access to the latest Repository X-Ray report.

Based on location

When you have any of these resources open, GitLab Duo knows about them.

  • Files (included with the /include command)
  • Code selected in a file
  • Issues (GitLab Duo Enterprise only)
  • Epics (GitLab Duo Enterprise only)
  • Other work item types (GitLab Duo Enterprise only)

In the IDEs, secrets and sensitive values that match known formats are redacted before they are sent to GitLab Duo Chat.

In the UI, when you're in a merge request, GitLab Duo also knows about:

  • The merge request itself (GitLab Duo Enterprise only).
  • Commits in the merge request (GitLab Duo Enterprise only).
  • The merge request pipeline's CI/CD jobs (GitLab Duo Enterprise only).

When referenced explicitly

All of the resources that are available based on your location are also available when you refer to them explicitly by their ID or URL.

Software development flow

The following context is available to the software development flow in GitLab Duo Agent Platform.

Always available

  • General programming knowledge, best practices, and language specifics.
  • Your entire project and all of its files that are tracked by Git.
  • The GitLab Search API, which is used to find related issues or merge requests.

Based on location

  • Files you have open in the IDE (close files if you do not want them used for context).

When referenced explicitly

  • Files
  • Epics
  • Issues
  • Merge requests
  • The merge request's pipelines

Code Suggestions

The following context is available to Code Suggestions.

Always available

  • General programming knowledge, best practices, and language specifics.
  • The name, extension, and content of the file you're viewing or editing, including content before and after your cursor.

Based on location

  • Files you have open in tabs in the IDE. Optional, but on by default.
    • These files provide GitLab Duo with information about the standards and practices in your project.
    • Close files if you do not want them used for context.
    • Code completion is aware of all supported languages.
    • Code generation is aware of files in these languages only: Go, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, Python, Ruby, Rust, TypeScript (.ts and .tsx files), Vue, and YAML.
  • Files imported in the file you're viewing or editing. Optional, and off by default.
    • These files provide GitLab Duo with information about the classes and methods in your file.
  • Code selected in your editor.
  • Repository X-Ray files.

Secrets and sensitive values that match known formats are redacted before they are used to generate code. This applies to files added by using /include.

Change what Code Suggestions uses for context

You can change whether or not Code Suggestions uses other files as context.

Using open files as context
Version history
  • Introduced in GitLab 17.1 with a flag named advanced_context_resolver. Disabled by default.
  • Introduced in GitLab 17.1 with a flag named code_suggestions_context. Disabled by default.
  • Introduced in GitLab Workflow for VS Code 4.20.0.
  • Introduced in GitLab Duo for JetBrains 2.7.0.
  • Added to the GitLab Neovim plugin on July 16, 2024.
  • Feature flags advanced_context_resolver and code_suggestions_context enabled on GitLab.com in GitLab 17.2.
  • Feature flags advanced_context_resolver and code_suggestions_context enabled on GitLab Self-Managed in GitLab 17.4.

The availability of this feature is controlled by a feature flag. For more information, see the history.

By default, Code Suggestions uses the open files in your IDE for context when making suggestions. However, you can turn this setting off.

Prerequisites:

  • GitLab 17.2 or later. Earlier GitLab versions that support Code Suggestions cannot weigh the content of open tabs more heavily than other files in your project.
  • A supported extension:
    • GitLab Workflow extension for VS Code 6.2.2 or later.
    • GitLab plugin for JetBrains IDEs 3.6.5 or later.
    • GitLab plugin for Neovim 1.1.0 or later.
    • GitLab extension for Visual Studio 0.51.0 or later.

To change open files being used as context:

Visual Studio Code
  1. On the top bar, go to Code > Settings > Extensions.
  2. Search for GitLab Workflow in the list, and select the gear icon.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. In your User settings, search for open tabs.
  5. Under GitLab › Duo Code Suggestions: Open Tabs Context, select or clear Use the contents of open tabs as context.
JetBrains IDEs
  1. Go to your IDE's top menu bar and select Settings.
  2. On the left sidebar, expand Tools, then select GitLab Duo.
  3. Below Additional languages, select or clear Send open tabs as context.
  4. Select Apply or Save.
Using imported files as context
Version history

The availability of this feature is controlled by a feature flag. For more information, see the history.

Use the imported files in your IDE to provide context about your code project. Imported file context is supported for JavaScript and TypeScript files, including .js, .jsx, .ts, .tsx, and .vue file types.