Amazon Q is a CLI tool that provides helpful suggestions and recommendations during development. I’ve used many CLI tools in the past, but none compare to what Amazon’s Q CLI tools have to offer.
The best part about Amazon Q is that it’s free (for the base plan), and by default adds the ability to autocorrect commands.
It performs several different actions that are typically used by an engineer in your typical day-to-day.
I mostly use the tool for its auto-correcting and suggestions. Without them, remembering the terminal commands adds an unnecessary load to my brain that I’m unable to accept. Here are some other things the tool can do for you and why I recommend you install it.
A Gen AI Built-in To Amazon Q
What’s cool about Q is that it has a high-performance generative AI built-in for code completion, suggestions, and more.
It is like Github’s copilot but as a CLI tool with specific knowledge of AWS. You can ask Q all sorts of questions, for example: “How can I store files from my application in S3?” Q will be able to respond with step-by-step instructions analyzing your code.
Here is a list of some of my favorite commands:
- How can I improve this block of code?
- Analyze and determine performance improvements
- Build out React Boilerplate for this component
There are many more, if you’re interested I think I’ll create a separate blog post on developer-friendly questions that can be asked to improve your code quality.
For more info on Amazon Q’s Gen AI see here: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazonq/latest/qdeveloper-ug/what-is.html
Autocomplete Heaven
Q is great at generative AI, but my biggest use case for it is CLI commands! Working with the terminal can be tricky, sometimes it requires that we read into some documentation to make our commands work other times it stems from memory.
However, Q simplifies that. Any library, or tool you use that requires the use of CLI commands gets loaded onto Q. Q then keeps records of these commands for each library and will auto-suggest the commands to you as they are being written out.
I use it all the time as a safety check for Git. Sometimes using Git commands can be tricky, especially in the case of needing to rebase or review commits. Q provides a pretty UI that shimmers and lets you auto-complete commands as they are written all with the tap of the tab key on your keyboard.
Fast, Fast, and… Fast!
Amazon Q is fast, it provides high performance as suggestions and in its Generative AI. The high useability of Q means that developing and getting things done is faster and more productive.
There is less occupancy of space in your brain because as a result of the analysis done by Q, thinking about commands is heavily reduced.
I think you’ll find Q an extremely necessary and desired tool for your needs that can provide great value.
I have actively used Q, for a long time before it was Q, before they absorbed Fig. It remains to be the tool I keep using each day and I hope it becomes the one you use it as well.
If you’re interested in other tools you can use to help you be more productive try checking out my other posts here: https://draginto.com/tools/.
Happy Coding!
