Introduction

  • 3 minutes

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered tool that simplifies the process of working with complex or unfamiliar code for developers. It offers features that analyze, explain, and document code directly in Visual Studio Code.

Imagine you're a developer working in a fast-paced tech startup. You've been assigned to work on a project with a large and complex codebase that you're not familiar with. The code lacks proper documentation, making it difficult for you to understand its structure and functionality. You need to quickly get up to speed with the codebase, identify potential issues, and document your findings for future reference. Additionally, you're expected to brainstorm new features and evaluate potential fixes for existing issues. This is where GitHub Copilot comes in handy.

The topics covered in this module include:

  • Reviewing GitHub Copilot's 'Explain' and 'Document' features.
  • Examining GitHub Copilot prompts and keywords.
  • Analyzing and explaining code using GitHub Copilot.
  • Generating project documentation with GitHub Copilot.
  • Generating inline code documentation with GitHub Copilot.

After completing this module, you’ll be able to:

  • Describe how GitHub Copilot uses natural language processing and machine learning to interpret user prompts and provide relevant responses.
  • Use GitHub Copilot to brainstorm new apps or features, explore coding tools and techniques, evaluate issues and potential fixes, and explain complex or unfamiliar code.
  • Generate project documentation using GitHub Copilot's Ask, Edit, and Agent modes.
  • Generate inline code documentation using GitHub Copilot's Chat view, Inline chat, and Smart actions.
  • Complete a lab exercise that involves using GitHub Copilot to analyze and document a codebase.

Important

To complete this GitHub Copilot training, you must have an active subscription for GitHub Copilot in your personal GitHub account (includes the GitHub Copilot Free plan), or you must be assigned to a subscription managed by an organization or enterprise. Module activities may include GitHub Copilot suggestions that match public code. If you're a member of an organization on GitHub Enterprise Cloud who has been assigned a GitHub Copilot subscription through your organization, the setting for suggestions matching public code may be inherited from your organization or enterprise. If your account blocks suggestions that match public code, module activities may not work as expected.