Features in Github Copilot Chat For Developers

What is GitHub Copilot Chat?

Github copilot chat is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps developers to solve their doubts and generate code in an easy and interactive way. We can summarize that Github copilot chat is a Chat GPT for developers. It is important to highlight that this tool is in preview. Those who have access to the beta and have a Github copilot account can use it in test mode at the moment. To use Github copilot chat, we will need the following requirements.

• A Github copilot account (prices and plans here: https://github.com/features/copilot/)
• Visual Studio Code insider version (Include preview) https://code.visualstudio.com/insiders/
• Github copilot extension chat extension for Visual Code https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitHub.copilot-chat

Let's analyze the main feature that you can use of this tool to improve your skills as a developer:

Explain a line or part of the code

If you are not familiar with something in the code that you are working on or you need more details. Github copilot chat can explain to you the code you make the request in the chat.

Generate common components for models

You can create easily common components like controllers in a .NET Api just by using the model as a base.

Add comments automatically

Github copilot chat can take a specific file of the project and return it, including comments. This a very simple way to document the code.

Create a unit test for an element or component in your project

No matter if you have services, models, classes, controllers, or other elements in your project, You can generate the unit test easily with mock data using Github copilot chat.

Get suggestions and recommendations to improve your code

Github copilot chat can analyze your code and give you some suggestions to improve your code in all the topics (security, readability, etc...)

There are many other amazing features that you can use in this powerful tool. The limit is your imagination, but here are some other examples.

• Recommendations about libraries that you can add to your projects
• Steps to follow in order to update the version of your framework or libraries
• Ask about security risks in your projects
• Find the hardcode string in your code
• Get examples of how to use a function or utility in other scenarios