Gatling AI Assistant for VS Code

Product Introduction

1. The Gatling AI Assistant for VS Code is an IDE-integrated tool designed to streamline the creation, analysis, and optimization of performance tests using Gatling frameworks. It enables developers to generate simulations in JavaScript, TypeScript, Scala, Java, or Kotlin directly within Visual Studio Code, eliminating context switching between tools.
2. Its core value lies in accelerating performance testing workflows through AI-powered code generation, real-time technical insights, and seamless integration with major large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Azure OpenAI, while maintaining developer control over data and model selection.

Main Features

1. The tool generates Gatling simulation code in five languages (JavaScript, TypeScript, Scala, Java, Kotlin) through natural language prompts, reducing manual coding errors and ensuring syntax compliance with Gatling’s latest APIs.
2. AI-powered code analysis provides line-by-line explanations of existing simulations, identifies performance bottlenecks, and suggests optimizations for throughput, latency, and error handling in load testing scenarios.
3. Developers retain full control via Bring Your Own LLM (BYO-LLM) support, allowing secure integration of preferred AI models without mandatory data sharing, coupled with local execution options for sensitive environments.

Problems Solved

1. It eliminates manual trial-and-error in scripting performance tests by automating code generation and providing context-aware optimizations tailored to Gatling’s domain-specific requirements.
2. The extension specifically targets software developers, QA engineers, and DevOps teams working on performance-critical applications who require IDE-native testing tools without third-party platform dependencies.
3. Typical use cases include converting user stories into executable load tests, modernizing legacy Scala simulations to Kotlin/TypeScript, and generating documentation for complex test suites during team handovers.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike generic AI coding assistants, it specializes in Gatling’s syntax and performance testing semantics, ensuring generated code aligns with load injection best practices and metric collection standards.
2. The transparent architecture provides detailed audit trails for AI-generated code, including model version tracking and prompt engineering parameters, which is critical for compliance in regulated industries.
3. Competitive differentiation comes from zero telemetry collection, native integration with Gatling Enterprise/Cloud workflows, and simultaneous support for both JVM (Scala/Java/Kotlin) and Node.js (JavaScript/TypeScript) testing runtimes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What programming languages does the AI Assistant support for test generation? The tool natively supports Gatling simulation development in JavaScript, TypeScript, Scala, Java, and Kotlin, covering both Gatling’s traditional JVM stack and newer Node.js implementations.
2. Can I use my organization’s private LLM with this extension? Yes, the BYO-LLM framework supports OpenAI API-compatible endpoints, including Azure OpenAI Services and self-hosted models, with configuration through VS Code’s environment variables or secure credential storage.
3. How does the extension handle data privacy during AI processing? All AI operations default to local processing where possible, with explicit user consent required for external API calls, and no test logic or performance data is stored or transmitted by the extension itself.
4. Is integration with Gatling Cloud supported? The extension generates simulations compatible with Gatling Cloud’s execution environment and includes presets for cloud-specific reporting formats, though direct deployment requires separate Gatling Enterprise credentials.
5. Does the AI require internet access to function? While cloud-based LLMs need internet connectivity, the extension’s architecture allows offline usage for code analysis features and local test execution via Gatling’s bundled engines.