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

2026-03-02

AI Summary

This work addresses the time-consuming and error-prone nature of manually migrating third-party libraries in Python projects, particularly when the original libraries become outdated or deprecated. To tackle this challenge, we propose MigMate—the first end-to-end, large language model (LLM)-based library migration plugin for Visual Studio Code—that seamlessly integrates automated migration capabilities into developers’ workflows. Built upon MigrateLib, MigMate leverages LLMs to generate migration code and provides an interactive preview and confirmation interface. Preliminary user studies demonstrate that MigMate significantly reduces the time required for migration tasks and achieves high scores on the System Usability Scale (SUS), confirming its effectiveness and practical utility.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Large Multimodal Models (LMMs)
• Computer Vision: Large Vision Models
• Natural Language Processing: Code Generation / Program Synthesis from Natural Language

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Large Language Models (LLM) for user modeling and recommendation
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Cost models of using LLMs in production systems
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Foundation models and LLMs for Web-related graphs

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act of switching one library for a similar counterpart, called library migration, naturally occurs as libraries become outdated or unsuitable for the project.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.

Problem

• library migration
• Python projects
• third-party libraries
• software maintenance
• developer productivity

Innovation

• library migration
• LLM-based tool
• VS Code extension
• interactive migration
• developer productivity