MigMate: A VS Code Extension for LLM-based Library Migration of Python Projects

TL;DR

MigMate is a VS Code extension that leverages LLMs to automate and streamline Python library migration within the IDE, improving developer efficiency and usability.

Contribution

This paper introduces MigMate, an open-source VS Code plugin that integrates LLM-based library migration directly into the development environment, building upon prior command-line tools.

Findings

Reduces time for library migration tasks

Scores highly on System Usability Scale

Provides interactive confirmation of changes

Abstract

Modern software relies heavily on third-party software libraries to streamline the development process. The act of switching one library for a similar counterpart, called library migration, naturally occurs as libraries become outdated or unsuitable for the project. Manually migrating from one library to another is a time-consuming task. Our previous research developed MigrateLib, a command-line LLM-based migration tool that can automate the complete migration process. In this paper, we present our open-source VS Code IDE plugin, MigMate, that builds on MigrateLib by integrating the automated migration process into the developer's existing development environment. MigMate provides an interactive experience, allowing developers to view and confirm changes before they are applied. A preliminary user study shows that plugin usage consistently reduces the time taken to complete a library migration task, and it scores highly on the System Usability Scale.