Dart language taps machine learning for code completion

SDK features previews of machine learning powered code completion and a foreign function interface for C interoperability

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Dart 2.5, the latest version the Google-developed language that compiles to machine code or JavaScript, includes technical previews of machine learning powered code completion and a foreign function interface for calling C code.

The Google Dart team has released the Dart 2.5 SDK, which features the following beta capabilities:

• ML Complete, using machine learning to address a situation in which
  the list of possible completions grows longer, as a result of a growing
  number of APIs to explore. A TensorFlow Lite-based
  model of likely member occurrences is trained based on a given context.
  ML Complete is built into the Dart analyzer. It is available across
  Dart-enabled editors such as Android Studio and Visual Studio Code.
• dart:ffi foreign function interface for Dart-C interop,
  enabling calls into a C-based system API on the host OS, or calls into a
  C-based system library. The foreign function interface comes in
  response to developers requesting better support for calling C code from
  Dart. This support thus far has been limited to deep integration into
  the Dart VM via native extensions.

Also featured in Dart 2.5 is expanded support for defining constant
expressions, including the ability to use casts and control flow and
collection features made available in Dart 2.3.
Future plans for Dart call for implementing a sound non-nullable
tracking type system by default, which could provide performance
benefits. Concurrency improvements also could be added, to make better
use of multi-core processors on smartphones.

Once envisioned as a rival to JavaScript, Dart now is positioned as a client-optimized language for fast applications on any platform. It can be used for writing full-featured mobile, web, and server-side applications as well as command-line scripts. 

IDG News Service

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