GitHub Copilot Chat - accentient/github-copilot-devs GitHub Wiki

GitHub Copilot Chat

GitHub Copilot Chat is an AI-powered coding assistant integrated directly into development environments like Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, GitHub Mobile App, and GitHub’s web interface. Copilot Chat enhances developer productivity by enabling conversational interactions with AI while coding. Unlike traditional autocomplete tools, Copilot Chat allows developers to ask questions, troubleshoot errors, generate code snippets, and understand complex codebases through an intuitive chat interface.

You can think of GitHub Copilot Chat as your research assistant, to GitHub Copilot being your coding assistant.

Key Features

Conversational Coding Assistance Developers can interact with GitHub Copilot Chat using natural language, asking questions like "How do I write a function to sort an array in Python?" or "What does this error mean?" The AI responds contextually, often providing explanations, sample code, or debugging assistance. This capability helps reduce the cognitive load on developers, allowing them to focus more on problem-solving rather than syntax or boilerplate code.

Context-Aware Suggestions Copilot Chat is deeply integrated into the code editor, which means it has context about the open files, current project, and even recent changes. When developers ask questions, Copilot Chat can reference the code they're working on, making its suggestions highly relevant and accurate.

Extensions

GitHub Copilot Chat extensions like @github, @terminal, @vscode, and @workspace act as directives to guide the assistant on where to focus its context or actions. These directives, sometimes referred to as "chat participants" or "copilots" help ensure the GitHub Copilot Chat operates within the intended context.

@github relates to interactions with GitHub repositories, pull requests, or workflows
@terminal focuses on executing commands or debugging within the integrated terminal
@vscode targets the Visual Studio Code environment, enabling tasks such as managing settings, interacting with extensions, or handling editor-specific features
@workspace refers to the project folder or workspace currently open, allowing Copilot to access files, analyze folder structures, or suggest improvements at the project level.

Extensions provide Clarity

@terminal Run the build command for this project.
@workspace Show me all Python files in the current folder.
@github Display the latest commit on the main branch.

Extensions provide Precision

@github Create a new issue titled "Bug in login flow".
@vscode Format the currently open file.
@terminal Show the contents of the .env file.

Extensions provide Efficiency

@workspace List all TODO comments in the codebase.
@terminal Run the database migration script.
@vscode Open the settings.json file.

Slash Commands

GitHub Copilot slash commands are specialized commands that you can type directly into your editor, usually prefixed by a /, to interact with GitHub Copilot or guide its behavior while generating code. These commands are typically used to improve productivity, direct Copilot's responses, or customize the output it generates.

/ask - Ask GitHub Copilot a question about code, tasks, or specific problems, prompting it to provide detailed answers or suggestions
/clear - Start a new chat
/create - Generates new code, files, or resources based on a given description or context
/document - Generates comments or documentation (e.g., docstrings) for the selected code
/explain - Explain how code in your active editor works
/explain_regex - Explains the components and purpose of a regular expression
/explain terminal - Explains a terminal command or shell script line by line, including its purpose and behavior
/find - Locates specific pieces of code, patterns, or functionality in the project based on a query or description
/fix - Propose a fix for the selected code
/fixTestFailure - Propose a fixe for the failing test
/generate - Generates new code based on a specific task or problem description
/make - Make changes to existing code, file, or project
/new or /scaffold- Scaffold code for a new file or project in a workspace
/newNotebook - Create a new Jupyter Notebook
/optimize - Suggests improvements to enhance the performance, efficiency, or scalability of the code or project
/propose - Suggest a fix or solution for problems in code
/refactor - Refactors or cleans up code to make it more readable and maintainable
/review - Reviews the selected code and provides feedback or suggestions for improvements
/search - Generate query parameters for a workspace search
/setupTests - Set up tests in your project
/startDebugging - Generate launch config and start debugging (VS Code)
/summarize - Provides a high-level summary of a larger code block or file
/test or /tests - Generates unit tests for the selected code
/translate - Converts code from one programming language to another

Benefits of GitHub Copilot Chat

Increased Productivity: Automates repetitive coding tasks and accelerates problem-solving.
Improved Code Quality: Provides recommendations and detects potential bugs early.
On-Demand Learning: Acts as a virtual mentor for developers seeking answers.
Seamless Integration: Works directly within popular development environments.

GitHub Copilot Chat transforms the software development workflow by merging AI intelligence with human creativity. It empowers developers to write better code, resolve issues faster, and continuously improve their coding skills—all through an intuitive chat-based interface.