GitHub Copilot is an AI pair development tool. It's a fancy way of calling it a "second developer" running in your source code editor. As you code, Copilot displays auto-completion-like suggestions to help you develop faster and more efficiently.
This article guides you through the installation and configuration of GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code. Next, you'll learn how to use Copilot to speed up the coding process.
Requirements
You must have a GitHub account to use GitHub Copilot. If you don't have one yet, you can create an account on the siteofficial site.
Before doing this, make sure you are signed in to your GitHub accountSign up for GitHub Copilot. The service comes with a 30-day free trial, after which you'll need to purchase one of the paid plans.
If you don't plan to subscribe to a paid plan, be sure to cancel GitHub Copilot before the trial period ends to avoid being charged.
Finally, you must have Visual Studio Code installed on your local computer. Go to the official site to install Visual Studio CodeVS code download page.
Install the GitHub Copilot extension
Start by launching the Visual Studio Code editor. Then clickExtensionsband. Use the search box to searchSecond GitHub pilot. Install and activate the extension (it has more than 5 million downloads at the time of writing):
Once the extension is fully up and running, you will be prompted to login to GitHub. Press the login button. The authentication process will be quick because you are already signed in to GitHub and GitHub Copilot. If the process is successful, you will find a copilot icon in the lower right corner of the VS code.
Ask the co-pilot technical questions
Although Copilot is known as a coding assistant, you can ask technical questions directly to him. This is ideal if you are preparing for a technical interview and want quick answers to common interview questions.
To ask GitHub Copilot a question, post it in a prefixed comment:Q:
1 | // q: What is a class in object-oriented programming? |
When you see the copilot suggestion (gray), clickDuckkey on the keyboard to accept as an answer. It precedes the answer:A. The Tab key works on both Windows and Mac computers.
You can also specifically request any of these answers to get more information about it. Copilot predicts what you will ask and automatically fills in the question for you.
Using Copilot with HTML and CSS
Now let's focus on the coding, starting with the HTML example. Copilot can speed up the process of writing HTML code. Let's see how.
Create two HTML files in your project. Files must have namesexample1.htmlandexample2.html. Then open itexample1.htmlfile u VS-kodu.
Start typing doctype statement. when you clickA nurseon your keyboard, Copilot already knows thatwill be the next obvious tag to add. So it suggests a tag (clickDuckaccept it).
As part of this, Copilot suggests addingI mark the following
To generate an item, describe the item you want to generate in the comment and pressDuck. Here's an example:
1 |
This will generateelement with blue text:
1 | |
You can also request a bulleted list with the following query:
1 |
Here are the results:
1 | |
2 | The first article |
3 | Second position |
4 | The third article |
5 |
As a best practice, styles should always be in a separate stylesheet. to createstil.cssfile in the same folder as the HTML files.
The following prompt generates a link element that points to the style sheet. Enter the incentive
1 |
This would be the result:
1 | |
If the stylesheet file is in a different directory, just describe the directory structure in the query and Copilot will use the correct URL inhref.
Another remote for easier Bootstrap
With a simple "Add Bootstrap" query, Copilot generates a link pointing to Bootstrap on the CDN. This is better than searching the web for the current Bootstrap link.
Copilot also applies Bootstrap classes to your elements. When you start aalarmandwarning-successclass, so he suggests them.
1 | |
2 | |
3 |
Just pressDuckaccept the proposal.
Regex simplified with copilot
If you've ever dealt with regular expressions, you probably know how confusing the interpretation patterns can be. But with Copilot by your side, writing regular expressions can be a lot easier because you can ask Copilot to write a specific pattern for you.
For example, to write a regular expression that matches a phone number, put the following query in your JavaScript file:
1 | // Regex to match a phone number in the format (xxx) xxx-xxxx |
when you hitA nurseon your keyboard, Copilot gives you the regular expression you asked for:
1 | he was phoneRegex = /^\(\d{3}\) \d{3}-\d{4}$/; |
Regex is commonly used for testing, which is covered in the next section.
Simple unit testing with Copilot
Copilot makes unit testing very easy. Let's look at an example.
The following function takes a string, checks if it matches a regular expression, and parses the first and last values before concatenating a number based on an operator:
1 | function calculator(ul) { |
2 | he was regular expression = /^\(\d{3}\) \d{3}-\d{4}$/; |
3 | he was game = ul.game(regular expression) |
4 | |
5 | he was number 1 = dissectedInt(game[1]) |
6 | he was number 2 = dissectedInt(game[3]) |
7 | |
8 | clutch (game[2]) { |
9 | ding "+": |
10 | yield number 1 + number 2; |
11 | ding "-": |
12 | yield number 1 - number 2; |
13 | ding "*": |
14 | yield number 1 * number 2; |
15 | ding "/": |
16 | yield number 1 / number 2; |
17 | standard: |
18 | yield "Invalid operator"; |
19 | } |
20 | } |
You can now tell Copilot to test this feature consolelog()using a query like this:
1 | // testing the calculator function |
The copilot records every operation and gives you the result:
1 | console.log("1+1") // 2 |
2 | console.log("1-1") // 0 |
3 | console.log("1*1") // 1 |
4 | console.log("1/1") // 1 |
At the following prompt, Copilot generates code for a function test unit:
1 | // create a unit test for the calculator function |
2 | |
3 | he was under condition = need("claim") |
4 | under condition.equivalent(calculator("1+1"), 2, "calculator can add") |
It not only generates code, but also suggests other operations to test in addition to it.
Selection from many solutions by the co-pilot
So far we've seen Copilot give us suggestions. But always remember that you don't always have to choose the first offer. If you don't like the first solution, you can always choose the second one.
Consider the following incentives:
1 | // Create a function that takes a string and returns it in reverse |
Start scrolling through the tabs to see the suggestions. If you are not satisfied with the first solution, hover over the text and continue with the next solution (using the method>Icon). Once you find an acceptable solution, you can click the buttonAcceptbutton.
Fast copilot with multiple conditions
You can specify multiple conditions when writing a copilot query. This is very useful if you want to write a complex program with several rules.
Let's say you want to analyze a list of costs with some conditions. Inside the function you ask the copilot to do three things in your query (represented by a comment):
1 | function analyze costs(expense) { |
2 | /* Parse the cost list and return an array |
3 | triple(date, value, currency). Ignore lines starting with //. |
4 | Parse a date using Date() |
5 | */ |
6 | } |
Here we have specified three conditions: list to analyze, ignore comments and date to analyze. HitControle-Enterand choose the best solution among the proposals.
One of the suggestions during testing was the following:
1 | yield expense.division("\N") |
2 | .blankets(line => !line.first of all("//")) |
3 | .card(line => line.division(",")) |
4 | .card(([the facts, value, currency]) => [novi the facts(the facts), number(value), currency]); |
That's pretty good. But be careful - some of the suggestions that were suggested to me were usedred[0]=="/"test which rules to ignore. This is not exactly what we were looking for!
It's important to carefully read the code generated by Copilot or any other AI tool to make sure it matches what you expect.
Application
In this guide, we looked at the basics of using GitHub Copilot. Just write encouragement in the comment and hitControle-Enterto see suggestions.
FAQs
How do I use GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code? ›
In the Visual Studio Code Marketplace, go to the GitHub Copilot extension page and click Install. A popup will appear, asking to open Visual Studio Code. Click Open Visual Studio Code. In the "Extension: GitHub Copilot" tab in Visual Studio Code, click Install.
How do I enable copilot in Visual Studio Code? ›Enabling or disabling inline suggestions
You can choose to enable or disable inline suggestions for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code. In the File menu, navigate to Preferences and click Settings. In the left-side panel of the settings tab, click Extensions and then select Copilot.
GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer. GitHub Copilot is powered by a new AI system developed by OpenAI Codex and is coming soon to Visual Studio Code. It aims to help Programmers code faster. It basically draws context from the code you're working on, suggesting whole lines or entire functions.
What are the requirements to get GitHub Copilot? ›Verified students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open source projects on GitHub are eligible to use Copilot for Individuals for free.
How to setup GitHub in Visual Studio Code? ›- In VS Code, in the Activity Bar, click the Remote Explorer icon. ...
- Select "GitHub Codespaces" from the dropdown at the top of the "Remote Explorer" side bar, if it is not already selected.
- Click Sign in to GitHub.
- If you are not currently signed in to GitHub you'll be prompted to do so.
You can add your public GitHub account if you're already signed into Visual Studio with a Microsoft account, work account, or school account. Select the icon with your profile name in the upper-right corner of the Visual Studio environment, select Add another account and then select GitHub.
How do I activate GitHub Copilot? ›In the upper-right corner of any page, click your profile photo, then click Settings. In the "Code, planning, and automation" section of the sidebar, click GitHub Copilot. On the GitHub Copilot settings page, click Enable GitHub Copilot.
Why is GitHub Copilot not working? ›This error indicates that you either do not have a GitHub Copilot subscription, or there was an error connecting to the GitHub API to request a token to use GitHub Copilot. To request another token from api.github.com, try signing in and out of GitHub Copilot from your IDE.
How to use GitHub with Visual Studio? ›- In Visual Studio, select Team Explorer from the View menu.
- In the Team Explorer pane, click the Manage Connections toolbar icon.
- Click the Connect link in the GitHub section. ...
- In the Connect to GitHub dialog choose GitHub or GitHub Enterprise, depending on which product you're using.
However, the disadvantages of using Copilot include the potential for distraction, the risk of developing bad code-writing habits, and licensing concerns. Ultimately, whether or not to use Copilot will depend on a programmer's individual preferences and needs.
Is GitHub Copilot worth it? ›
Code consistency: GitHub Copilot can help ensure that your project's code is consistent, making it easier to maintain and debug. Reduced development time: Since GitHub Copilot can generate code for you, you can focus on other tasks, like testing, debugging, or just taking a well-deserved break.
What language is best for GitHub Copilot? ›While the product offers suggestions for several languages and a variety of frameworks, it does have its favorites. We suggest you use GitHub Copilot with JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Ruby, Go, C#, and C++, as it works the most efficiently for these.
How do I install Copilot in Visual Studio? ›- Open Visual Studio.
- On the menu bar, select Extensions > Manage Extensions.
- In the Search box, enter "GitHub Copilot".
- Select the GitHub Copilot extension, and then select the Download button.
- Restart Visual Studio to complete the installation process.
Summary Priced at $10 per month or $100 a year, GitHub Copilot is capable of suggesting the next line of code as developers type in an integrated development environment (IDE) like Visual Studio Code, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs.
Is GitHub Copilot better than OpenAI Codex? ›Debugging Assistance: GitHub Copilot offers some assistance with debugging, but OpenAI Codex provides more in-depth debugging support, including suggestions for fixing errors. Performance: OpenAI Codex tends to provide faster suggestions and is generally more efficient than GitHub Copilot.
Can you use GitHub with Visual Studio Code? ›Working with GitHub in VS Code. GitHub is a cloud-based service for storing and sharing source code. Using GitHub with Visual Studio Code lets you share your source code and collaborate with others right within your editor.
How to make Git work in Visual Studio Code? ›You can create and checkout branches directly within VS Code through the Git: Create Branch and Git: Checkout to commands in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). If you run Git: Checkout to, you will see a dropdown list containing all of the branches or tags in the current repository.
How do I push Visual Studio to GitHub for the first time? ›- Step 1 − Download and install Git.
- Step 2 − Sign up for a GitHub account.
- Step 3 − Set up a New GitHub repository.
- Step 4 − Open the folder you wish to push in Visual Studio code.
- Open the file containing the code you want to run. This can be done through the GitHub website or by downloading the file to your computer.
- Check the code to make sure it is correct. ...
- Run the code.
Open TerminalTerminalGit Bash. Change the current working directory to your local project. In the Command prompt, add the URL for the remote repository where your local repository will be pushed. Push the changes in your local repository to GitHub.com.
How much does GitHub Copilot cost? ›
Pricing for GitHub Copilot for Individuals
The GitHub Copilot subscription is available on a monthly or yearly cycle. If you choose a monthly billing cycle, you will be billed $10 per calendar month. If you choose a yearly billing cycle, you will be billed $100 per year.
GitHub Copilot is available through GitHub personal accounts with GitHub Copilot for Individuals or through organization or enterprise accounts with GitHub Copilot for Business. With Copilot for Business, you can manage access to GitHub Copilot for organizations within your enterprise.
What is the replacement for GitHub Copilot? ›- Tabnine. Tabnine (formerly known as Codota) was among the first code completion tools to be introduced to the market. ...
- CaptainStack. Developers and Stackoverflow are akin to human resource managers and Stackoverflow. ...
- GPT-Code-Clippy (GPT-CC) ...
- IntelliCode. ...
- Asm-Dude.
- Kite.
It's local as any other one, you can use features like that but it works perfectly fine offline.
What is the difference between IntelliSense and GitHub Copilot? ›IntelliSense is known for its code-completion functionality, while also providing a variety of code editing features such as parameter info, quick info and member lists, while Copilot is an advanced AI system that goes much further, for example, generating whole code constructs or even entire programs in response to ...
What's the difference between Visual Studio and Visual Studio code? ›Visual Studio is an Integrated Development Environment, also known as an IDE. Visual Studio Code is a code editor. A developer can easily edit their code. VS is slower when it comes to performing across different platforms.
Is Copilot no longer free? ›The GitHub Copilot VS Code extension is technically free, but only to verified students, teachers, and maintainers of popular open source repositories on GitHub. Otherwise, you'll have to pay a monthly subscription of ten dollars or a yearly subscription of 100 dollars.
Is Copilot really useful? ›Copilot is excellent at writing boilerplate code. Boilerplate code is a software development term that refers to repetitive code that can be made much simpler (i.e., can be further optimized).
Do you always need a copilot? ›The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires two pilots at all times for most aircraft that exceed 12,500 pounds. Other factors, such as flight length may also demand more than one pilot. One of the biggest reasons two pilots are required for commercial flights and private jets is safety.
Do companies allow GitHub Copilot? ›GitHub Copilot is the world's first at-scale AI developer tool and we're now offering it to every developer, team, organization, and enterprise. First previewed in partnership with OpenAI in 2021, GitHub Copilot is the world's first at-scale AI developer tool.
Can Copilot fix bugs? ›
Copilot chat in Visual Studio
That means it can quickly help you get in-depth analysis and explanations of how a code block works, generate unit tests, and even find and get proposed fixes to bugs, or explain exceptions.
- The most popular languages are JavaScript/TypeScript and Python with roughly 20% of all pull requests each. ...
- Then you get the second tier languages: Java and Scala, C/C++, and Go.
It generates more than one, and you can choose which one you want. In this tutorial, we will learn to how to set up the GitHub Copilot AI tool for Visual Studio Code, as well as how to generate code for JavaScript, React, and HTML.
What are the best paid programming languages GitHub? ›- 1 - Solidity. The language invented for the former team behind Ethereum is getting a lot of traction recently. ...
- 2 - Rust. Rust salaries and popularity are both on the rise. ...
- 3 - Scala. In the Top three spot, we find Scala. ...
- 4 - Ruby. ...
- 5 - Go. ...
- 6 - Python. ...
- 7 - Swift. ...
- 8 - C/C++
GitHub Copilot requires Visual Studio 2022 17.4.4 or newer. For older versions, use 1.71.0.0. GitHub Copilot requires a subscription. It is free for verified students and maintainers of popular open source projects on GitHub.
What IDE supports Copilot? ›GitHub Copilot is a cloud-based artificial intelligence tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI to assist users of Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains integrated development environments (IDEs) by autocompleting code.
How much code is written with Copilot? ›GitHub Copilot started a new age of software development as an AI pair programmer that keeps developers in the flow by auto-completing comments and code. And less than two years since its launch, GitHub Copilot is already writing 46% of code and helps developers code up to 55% faster.
Does Copilot store my code? ›GitHub Copilot transmits snippets of your code from your IDE to GitHub to provide Suggestions to you. Code snippets data is only transmitted in real-time to return Suggestions, and is discarded once a Suggestion is returned. Copilot for Business does not retain any Code Snippets Data.
How does Copilot make money? ›The only way that CoPilot makes money from helping members with cars shopping is through tips from happy customers. CoPilot also makes money from helping members save money on their auto insurance.
Does GitHub Copilot work in Visual Studio? ›About GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio
GitHub Copilot provides autocomplete-style suggestions from an AI pair programmer as you code. For more information, see "About GitHub Copilot for Individuals". If you use Visual Studio, you can view and incorporate suggestions from GitHub Copilot directly within the editor.
Which OpenAI model is best for programming? ›
OpenAI recommends that all users switch from Codex to GPT-3.5 Turbo, the model that currently powers ChatGPT by default. In fact, this is said to improve programming results, suggesting that large language models may be more capable as general-purpose systems.
Which machine learning is best on GitHub? ›- Hands-on Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras and TensorFlow. Hands-on Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras and TensorFlow. ...
- Deep Learning Drizzle. Deep Learning Drizzle. ...
- Awesome Machine Learning. Awesome Machine Learning. ...
- 500+ Artificial Intelligence Project List with Code.
You can create and checkout branches directly within VS Code through the Git: Create Branch and Git: Checkout to commands in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). If you run Git: Checkout to, you will see a dropdown list containing all of the branches or tags in the current repository.
How do I use two GitHub accounts in Visual Studio Code? ›- Open git bash and goto . ssh. ...
- Check if you already have an SSH key. ...
- Generate a new SSH key. ...
- Start SSH-agent. ...
- Add SSH keys to SSH-agent. ...
- Adding the public SSH key to GitHub. ...
- Create config file. ...
- Goto the root directory and create below three files.
To install ChatGPT, simply type the word "CodeGPT " in the search bar and hit enter. This should bring up the extension, and from there you can click on the "Install" button to add it to your VsCode environment. To begin using the extension, open the browser, search for or visit OpenAI, and generate an API key.
Which Git extension for Visual Studio Code? ›The five extensions we covered in this article, GitLens, Git History, Git Graph, Gitlens Code Lens, and Git Blame, are among the best Git extensions for VS Code. Each of them provides unique features and benefits that can help you to gain insights into your code and improve your development process.
Can we have 2 github accounts on one computer? ›By creating different host aliases to github.com in your ~/. ssh/config, and giving each host alias its own ssh key, you can easily use multiple github accounts without confusion. That's because github.com distinguishes not by user, which is always just git, but by the ssh key you used to connect.
How do I add a Git account to VS Code? ›- Go to File > Preferences.
- Go to Settings.
- Type Git: Enabled in the search bar.
- Make sure that the box is ticked.
- Generate an SSH key. ...
- Add a passphrase. ...
- Tell ssh-agent. ...
- Edit your SSH config. ...
- Copy the SSH public key. ...
- Structure your workspace for different profiles. ...
- Set up your Git configs. ...
- Repeat for every account/profile.
- Go to the GitHub Copilot for Business sign up page.
- Select an organization for which you want to purchase GitHub Copilot and click Continue.
- Follow the steps to confirm your payment details, then click Save.
Can you use ChatGPT without login? ›
While ChatGPT requires users to login, BAI Chat can be used without logging in or creating an account. This makes it more convenient for users who want a ChatGPT alternative without the need to login.
Is it OK to use ChatGPT? ›Chat GPT and other AI tools are a security threat because they can be used to impersonate humans and carry out conversations that appear to be human-like. This can be used to trick people into revealing sensitive information or carrying out malicious actions.
Will ChatGPT replace coders? ›In summary, while GPT has made significant progress in recent years, it is unlikely to replace human programmers entirely because it lacks the ability to execute code, think critically and solve complex problems, and generate new ideas.