JetBrains has released Rider 2023.3, the latest version of their cross-platform .NET IDE. This release contains an AI Assistant, support for .NET 8 SDK and an extended list of C# 12 and F# 8 features. There are also improvements regarding debugging, running multiple projects, UI/UX and Unity.
AI Assistant, now out of technical preview, includes context-aware AI chat, multiline code completion, in-editor code and documentation generation, unit test creation, a Diff view for suggested refactorings, and the option to create a personalised prompt library. These updates contribute to a more intelligent and efficient development experience. Rider users can access the AI Assistant by subscribing to JetBrains AI.
Rider 2023.3 introduces official support for the .NET 8 SDK, featuring updated project templates and the capability to create, run, and debug projects for the new SDK. The release introduces new C# 12 language features such as base constructors, interceptors, and alias directives. It also adds support for F# 8 language features, including abbreviated lambda expressions, nested record updates, static interface member elements, let bindings and more. Other enhancements cover support for @ variables, Identity API endpoints, and the introduction of a cross-platform hot reload feature.
In Rider 2023.3, the “Run Multiple Projects” feature appeared. This enables the creation of personalised multi-launch configurations to manage solution dependencies. This configuration simplifies the controlled initiation of multiple projects, integrating diverse run configurations and additional tasks like solution building and publishing. The new multi-launch configuration automatically becomes the default option in the toolbar selector, offering an easy way for execution or debugging as needed.
Run Multiple Projects (Source: JetBrains blog)
Another feature, type dependency diagrams in JetBrains Rider, visually illustrate codebase interactions for improved project design comprehension and debugging clarity. Specifically applicable to C# and Visual Basic projects, this tool enables the visual study of type dependencies by incorporating various types from different projects or assemblies into the diagram, facilitating the examination of diverse dependencies.
Type dependency diagrams (Source: JetBrains blog)
Additionally, Rider 2023.3 provides predictive debugging. This feature anticipates potential code issues without execution. The update also introduces a “Modules view”, enabling inspection of dynamic link libraries (DLLs) and executables used by the application.
In the comments on the official release article, a community member asked if there are any plans to add predictive debugging for Unity projects. Sasha Ivanova, a marketing content writer in .NET tools at JetBrains, replied that the team does not have any immediate plans for it, but they can include it in their plans if there is enough demand.
This release also contains changes related to UI/UX, Unity and a new security inspection feature designed to make published vulnerabilities more apparent. Other features can be checked on the official JetBrains website. The entire changelog of this release is available on YouTrack.