Visual Studio Code's Reynald Adolphe explores building a budgeting app using Agent Mode, Copilot Vision, custom agents, and MCP server integration, showcasing VS Code's AI-enhanced developer features.

Building Finance Apps in VS Code with Agent Mode, Copilot Vision, and MCP

Author: Visual Studio Code (featuring Reynald Adolphe)

Overview

This tutorial demonstrates how to transform a basic spreadsheet into a finance and budgeting application using Visual Studio Code's innovative Agent Mode, Copilot Vision, MCP integration, and custom agents. The workflow incorporates rapid prototyping, model management, and real-time collaboration, showing each step from initial setup to code deployment and GitHub issue integration.

Video Chapters and Key Concepts

• 00:00 Intro: Introduction to the tutorial and goals.
• 00:30 Getting Started with Agent Mode: How to initialize Agent Mode for accelerated app development.
• 01:38 Demo - Copilot Vision and Ask Mode: Utilizing Copilot Vision and Ask Mode to interpret and process data, including spreadsheet input.
• 04:55 Debugging with Agent Mode and Copilot Vision: Debugging strategies using AI-powered tools to catch and resolve errors quickly.
• 07:35 Document with Comments: Streamlining code documentation using automated tools.
• 08:40 Chat Participants: Collaborate with multiple agents directly within VS Code.
• 10:20 Custom Agents: Creating and integrating custom agents tailored to specific development needs.
• 14:45 Source Control: Integrating source control management seamlessly within the app development process.
• 16:15 Add a MCP Server: Adding and configuring an MCP (Multi-Cloud Proxy) server for model management.
• 19:30 Simple Browser: Testing application functionalities with a built-in browser.
• 20:35 Manage Models: Strategies for organizing and switching between AI models in your workflow.

Features Highlighted

• Agent Mode: Drives app building by coordinating various Copilot and custom agents.
• Copilot Vision: Offers visual data interpretation, automating input understanding and guidance.
• Custom Agents & BYOK: Enables developer flexibility through Build-Your-Own-Key and agent extensibility.
• MCP Integration: Centralizes model management and helps customize your AI stack.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Boosts teamwork with multiple agents and streamlined chat management.
• Source Control & GitHub: Easily tie code changes to GitHub issues for end-to-end workflow traceability.

Resources

• VS Code Agent Mode Documentation
• Chat Participants Guide
• Visual Studio Code on GitHub

Conclusion

This session provides a step-by-step walkthrough of leveraging advanced AI features in Visual Studio Code to accelerate modern app development. Whether starting from raw data or integrating custom AI agents, viewers can replicate the techniques to streamline their own workflow, from code inception to live deployments and issue tracking.

About the Speaker: Reynald Adolphe demonstrates how developers can use cutting-edge VS Code tools to go from idea to production faster and with greater flexibility.