Amazon Q Developer Features & Overview

Amazon Q Developer brings an AI coding stack to your editor and terminal. You ask for a feature, fix, or upgrade. The assistant plans steps, searches your project, writes diffs, and explains tradeoffs before you commit. The CLI runs a reason-and-act loop with visible commands and results, so changes stay auditable. Teams use the same flow to add tests, modernize libraries, and improve security without slowing delivery.

Core Features

• IDE chat with project awareness: Ask for an implementation, refactor, or test right on selected code. Q fetches related files, references APIs, and returns edits as reviewable diffs. You keep control while the assistant accelerates the path from request to change.

• Contextual completions across languages: Accept inline suggestions that match nearby patterns and frameworks. The model stays in sync with open files and recent edits. Partial accept lets you keep naming, signatures, and formatting consistent with team conventions.

• Repo-wide reasoning with @workspace: Point Q at the whole project to trace data flows and dependencies. It summarizes modules, maps call chains, and answers architecture questions. New contributors ramp faster because they see how code fits together before touching lines.

• Agent in the terminal (CLI): Run a task-planning loop that edits files, executes commands, and opens branches or pull requests. Every step appears in the console with captured output. You track progress, correct course quickly, and keep a clean history.

• Unit test generation: Request tests from a function, spec, or diff. Q scaffolds fixtures, mocks external calls, and writes assertions that target behavior rather than lines. You raise coverage while keeping reviews focused on intent.

• Code transformation and upgrades: Modernize frameworks and libraries with guided edits. Commands transform syntax, replace deprecated calls, and leave notes for reviewers. Large changes move forward with fewer manual touch points.

• Security scanning as you code: Detect risky patterns during editing. Q flags issues, explains impact, and proposes precise fixes as diffs. You maintain safer code without handing work to a separate scan cycle.

• Docs and diagram generation: Produce or update READMEs, summarize modules, and render data-flow or architecture diagrams. Documentation lands close to the code changes, which improves handoffs and keeps onboarding fresh.

• Cloud dev options that feel local: Start in Cloud Shell Editor or Cloud Workstations with a ready setup. Move to your desktop IDE and keep the same chat, actions, and CLI. You avoid machine drift while testing at real scale.

• Admin and compliance controls: Configure SSO, set quotas, and review usage. Enterprise plans add higher limits and security features that satisfy larger deployments. Teams standardize policy without losing day-to-day speed.

Supported Platforms / Integrations

• Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse preview
• macOS, Windows, Linux terminals with the CLI agent
• AWS Cloud Shell Editor and Cloud Workstations
• Git workflows and pull requests initiated from agent sessions

Use Cases & Applications

• Founders shipping MVP features with tested, reviewable diffs
• Product teams iterating across large repos without constant context switching
• Platform teams performing upgrades and framework migrations
• New hires ramping quickly using @workspace answers and generated docs

Pricing

• Free: $0 per user with monthly limits
• Pro: $19 per user per month with higher limits and customizations

Why You’d Love It

• Moves from request to reviewed change inside your editor and CLI
• Combines tests, docs, and security fixes in the same flow
• Works on or off AWS with broad IDE coverage

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Code-aware chat, completions, and repo indexing in a single workflow
• Terminal agent that plans steps and shows every action
• Built-in tests, docs, and security scans that speed reviews

Cons

• Free tier limits can cap long sessions
• Large migrations still benefit from human oversight

Conclusion Amazon Q Developer shortens the distance between an idea and merged code. You plan work in chat, apply precise diffs, raise coverage, document intent, and push changes from the IDE or terminal. Teams gain faster delivery with clear reviews and a process that scales from quick fixes to wide upgrades.