Changelog

🌟 VS Code extension now accessable for all account holders! 

- Autogenerated follow up questions with answers.

🐥 Deployed VS Code extension! Authentication now set up for those who signed up as early testers.

- Consise explanations for function of selected code.

At app.explain.dev, you can now select code from within the snippet and generate explanations. The explanation will be generated in a new text box with an arrow from the selection.

Explanation text, text boxes and arrows are now customizable in the right panel.

🐥 New graphic tutorial generator: Try the ExplainDev API and Create graphical tutorials at https://app.explain.dev/ . This tool allows you to enter your own code in a beautiful layout you can customize and share.

We've moved to a usage-based pricing model where all users can get 1000 credits for free and fall in love with getting explanations for code.

Increased context and accuracy when explaining a portion of code! 🎉 🎉
Select as little code as you please and receive an accurate description of what the code is doing as well as contextual follow up questions/answers.

Better code readability! Fragments of code are now styled using a monospace font.

Other changes:

• Option to close follow-up questions
• Increase to source code limit: you can now explain more code (up to 3000 characters instead of 2000).

Fixes:

• Dark mode compatible: ExplainDev can be used in dark mode with the Dark reader browser extension

Fixes:

• Follow-up questions improved: users should see less repeated follow-up questions and see more, new interesting ones.
• Prompt fixes on GitHub: GitHub’s keyboard shortcuts no longer impact keyevents inside the text box for user questions or prompts.

🌟 New feature: Write your own prompts!

Type in your own questions or prompt the AI for more context on the code in your browser.

• Faster explanations
• Unlimited follow up questions (feature now ON by default)
• Option in the pop-up to report a website without explain buttons

• Improved support for code in Jupyter Notebooks
• Display email address in the options window

🌟 New feature: Follow-up questions.

This customization option allows you to generate more follow-up questions for the code you want explained.

Users turn the feature on by going to the options pop up that is accessed through the ExplainDev icon at the top right corner of your Chrome browser. ExplainDev icon may be nested under the puzzle piece icon.

• Self-service access key recovery. Users can recover their password from the options window within the extension
• Onboarding: new users will see an onboarding right after the first time the login. The onboarding can be opened again by clicking the “Learn to use ExplainDev” button in the top-left corner
• Statistics: users can see how many code explanations and feedback responses they have submitted to the the platform
• Users can log out.

Fixes:

• Improved positioning of “Explain” button within code snippets
• Support for C++ code snippets on GitHub

Fix problems with height and positioning of the tooltip

🌟 New feature: Change complexity of explanations. 

This customization option changes how verbose explanations are and also changes the amount of technical language included in an explanation.

Options for customizing ExplainDev are now in the extension pop up. Options include:

• Language: English or Spanish.
• Level of explanations: Basic or Advanced.
• Add Explain button on code blocks: on or off.

• Fix positioning of tooltip when is explaining selected code
• Code Block detection on Postgresql

Feedback prompts simplified:

Users can now specify whether explanations are "Too Basic", "Just Right", or "Too Complicated". This replaces the "Helpful", "Unhelpful", or "wrong" and providves us with more actionable feedback.

🌟 New feature: Right-click to explain:

Users can now find an explain option in their right-click menu. This enables users to explain code that is outside of code-blocks or snippets.

Other changes:

• Loading spinner added to provide feedback to the user that an explanation is being generated.
• Arrow included under the explanation to point to the source of explanation.
• Improved explanation messages
• Explain button location moved left to avoid covering the copy button often placed in the top right corner of code snippets.

ExplainDev now works on more websites:

• Ruby docs.
• Apache docs

Support for language Elm

Explanations in prose instead of lists:

We've been doing some testing and found this new response more accurate than the list style we had. If you want your account reverted back to using lists - please email us 

Other fixes:

• Improved support for code snippets in languages like Scala, Rust, Python, SQL, C++
• Improved handling of errors

🌟 New feature: Explanations in Spanish

Bug fixes that improved stability

🌟 ExplainDev is born