GitHub Copilot now controls your command line...

GitHub Copilot for the CLI has been released, making command-line interactions more accessible to users. With the GitHub CLI installed, users can leverage Copilot's 'explain' and 'suggest' commands to understand and generate complex CLI commands effortlessly. The video demonstrates using Copilot to create directories, files, and even write basic HTML. Despite a minor hiccup with escaping a bang character in HTML, the tool proves its utility by generating commands for tasks like searching files for phone number patterns and converting a video to a GIF using FFMpeg. The video also mentions the existence of free alternatives to Copilot, such as Codium, for those looking for cost-effective solutions.

Takeaways

• 🚀 GitHub Copilot for the CLI has become generally available, allowing users to generate and understand CLI commands easily.
• 💻 To use GitHub Copilot CLI, you need to have the GitHub CLI installed, which is linked to your GitHub account and allows management of GitHub tasks from the command line.
• 🔍 The CLI has two main commands: 'explain', which explains a given command, and 'suggest', which creates a command based on user instructions.
• ✂️ Users can create aliases for these commands to avoid typing 'co-pilot suggest' each time, making the process more efficient.
• 📁 With the 'suggest' command, GitHub Copilot can generate commands to perform tasks like creating a new directory or files, even for users who are not familiar with the command line.
• 🛠️ The tool can also help revise commands based on secondary prompts, providing more tailored results to user needs.
• 📝 When generating an HTML file, GitHub Copilot can include basic code, but users should verify and correct any issues, such as escaping characters.
• 💡 For more advanced tasks, such as serving a local app or searching for specific patterns in files, GitHub Copilot can generate complex commands after additional user guidance.
• 🔧 The 'explain' command is useful for understanding what a generated command does, especially for those unfamiliar with certain CLI tools or commands.
• 🎞️ GitHub Copilot CLI can generate commands for more complex tasks, like converting a video to an animated GIF using FFMpeg, with a high degree of success.
• 🆓 There are free alternatives to GitHub Copilot, like codium, for users who are looking for no-cost options to achieve similar functionality.

Q & A

What is one of the most impressive things a programmer can do according to the transcript?

One of the most impressive things a programmer can do is to type out a bunch of incoherent text into the terminal, hit enter, and make something cool happen.

What does GitHub Copilot for the CLI aim to do?

GitHub Copilot for the CLI aims to turn anyone into a bash boss or command line expert by helping them generate and understand any type of CLI command.

What is a prerequisite for using GitHub Copilot from the CLI?

To use GitHub Copilot from the CLI, you first need to have the GitHub CLI installed on your system, which is a tool linked to your GitHub account.

What are the two useful commands provided by the GitHub Copilot CLI?

The two useful commands provided by the GitHub Copilot CLI are 'explain', which explains what a command does, and 'suggest', which tries to create a command based on your instructions.

How can you make using the GitHub Copilot CLI commands more convenient?

You can create aliases for the GitHub Copilot CLI commands to make them more convenient to use, avoiding the need to type out 'co-pilot suggest' each time.

What does the 'suggest' command do when you want to create a new directory?

The 'suggest' command provides you with the option to choose between a git command, a GitHub CLI command, or a generic shell command to create a new directory for your source code.

What issue did the presenter encounter when trying to run the generated HTML code?

The presenter encountered an error with the 'bang' character not being properly escaped from the HTML string, which caused a problem when trying to run the generated HTML code.

What is the presenter's recommendation for improving HTML programming?

The presenter suggests that it's not ideal to do HTML programming from the CLI and instead recommends using a proper text editor for such tasks.

What is the presenter's suggestion for learning more about using tools like VS Code, Git, and GitHub?

The presenter recommends taking courses on Fireship.io, which offers courses for both VS Code and Git/GitHub topics, accessible as a pro member or individually for $10.

How does the GitHub Copilot CLI help with running more complex commands?

The GitHub Copilot CLI helps with running more complex commands by providing detailed explanations and generating commands based on the user's instructions, making it accessible to anyone regardless of their expertise.

What is the presenter's opinion on the command generated by GitHub Copilot CLI for searching phone number patterns?

The presenter finds the command generated for searching phone number patterns to be complex and resembling 'alien language', but acknowledges that GitHub Copilot CLI can explain how the command works.

What alternative to GitHub Copilot does the presenter mention for those who do not wish to pay for the service?

The presenter mentions 'codium' as a great free alternative to GitHub Copilot for those who do not wish to pay for the service.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to GitHub CLI with Co-Pilot

The video introduces the impressive capabilities of programmers who can execute complex commands in the terminal, leading to significant outcomes. It highlights the release of GitHub Co-Pilot for the CLI, which assists users in generating and understanding CLI commands. The script guides viewers on how to get started with GitHub CLI, which is linked to a GitHub account and allows for command-line management of GitHub repositories, pull requests, and more. It also covers the new feature that integrates Co-Pilot CLI, which can explain and suggest commands. The video demonstrates creating directories, files, and even a simple HTML program, and addresses a minor issue with the escape character in a bash command. It also explores using Co-Pilot to serve a local app and search for phone number patterns within files. The presenter briefly mentions his courses on using VS Code, Git, and GitHub, and concludes with a humorous note on generating a GIF from a video clip using FFMpeg, showcasing the CLI's power and accessibility.

05:01

💡 Free Alternatives to GitHub Co-Pilot

The video concludes with the presenter suggesting free alternatives to GitHub Co-Pilot for those who might not wish to pay a monthly subscription fee. Specifically, the presenter mentions 'codium' as a potential free option for users. The video ends on a friendly note, thanking viewers for watching and indicating the next video will be coming soon.

Keywords

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered code generation tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI. It assists programmers by suggesting code snippets and automating repetitive tasks. In the video, it is mentioned that GitHub Copilot for the CLI has become generally available, which means it can now help users generate and understand CLI commands, making them more efficient in their command line interactions.

Command Line Interface (CLI)

The Command Line Interface, or CLI, is a text-based interface used to interact with a computer or application. It allows users to execute commands by typing them into the terminal or command prompt. In the context of the video, the CLI is used to manage tasks such as creating directories, editing files, and running applications, with the help of GitHub Copilot.

GitHub CLI

The GitHub CLI is a command-line tool that allows users to manage their GitHub repositories, pull requests, and other GitHub-related tasks directly from the terminal. It is linked to the user's GitHub account and enhances productivity by providing a more streamlined way to work with GitHub without a graphical interface. The video discusses how the GitHub CLI now supports GitHub Copilot from the CLI.

Co-pilot suggest

The 'co-pilot suggest' command is a feature of GitHub Copilot for the CLI that attempts to generate a command based on user instructions. It is showcased in the video where the presenter uses it to create a new directory and files, demonstrating how it can simplify the process of writing complex commands.

Co-pilot explain

The 'co-pilot explain' command is another feature of GitHub Copilot for the CLI that provides a detailed explanation of a given command. This helps users understand what a particular command does, which is particularly useful for beginners or when dealing with complex commands. An example from the video is when the presenter uses it to get a step-by-step explanation of the 'mkdir' command.

Aliases

In the context of the video, aliases are shortcuts for longer commands or sequences of commands in the CLI. They are used to save time and make the command line experience more efficient. The presenter mentions creating aliases for 'co-pilot suggest' and 'co-pilot explain' commands to avoid typing out the full command each time.

HTML

HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is the standard markup language used to create web pages. It structures content on the web with elements such as headings, paragraphs, and links. In the video, the presenter asks GitHub Copilot to write a 'hello world' in an index HTML file, which is a basic example of creating a simple web page.

FFMpeg

FFMpeg is a powerful open-source multimedia framework that can handle various multimedia tasks such as transcoding, decoding, encoding, and streaming. In the video, the presenter uses FFMpeg to convert an MP4 video clip into an animated GIF, demonstrating the tool's capability to manipulate media files from the command line.

Regular Expression

A regular expression is a sequence of characters that defines a search pattern. It is used in programming and scripting to perform complex searches and string manipulation. In the video, the presenter uses a regular expression with the 'grep' command to search for phone number patterns in project files, showcasing the power of regular expressions in text processing.

Vim

Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing. It is an improved version of the vi editor distributed with most UNIX systems. The video humorously refers to getting 'stuck' in Vim, which is a common experience for new users due to its modal nature and the steep learning curve associated with mastering its commands.

SaaS

SaaS stands for Software as a Service, which is a software delivery model in which software is accessed over the Internet and hosted centrally, typically by a third-party provider. The presenter mentions a course on building SaaS products, indicating that the video's content is also relevant to software developers interested in creating web-based applications.

Highlights

GitHub Copilot for the CLI has become generally available, turning anyone into a command line expert.

To use GitHub Copilot CLI, you must first have the GitHub CLI installed on your system.

GitHub Copilot CLI integrates with your GitHub account and manages GitHub repos, pull requests, and more from the command line.

Paid GitHub Copilot users have automatic access to the CLI feature.

GitHub Copilot CLI offers two commands: 'explain' and 'suggest' for understanding and creating CLI commands.

Creating aliases for GitHub Copilot CLI commands is recommended for convenience.

GitHub Copilot CLI can generate a command to create a new directory for source code.

The 'maker' command is used to create directories, and GitHub Copilot can revise it based on user prompts.

GitHub Copilot CLI can generate commands to create JavaScript, HTML, and CSS files.

A command to write 'Hello World' in an HTML file was generated but had an issue with the HTML string escaping.

The presenter suggests using VS Code and other tools for better programming practices instead of CLI for HTML.

GitHub Copilot CLI can serve a local app using a Python command.

The presenter adds a phone number to the HTML and asks GitHub Copilot CLI to find files with phone number patterns.

GitHub Copilot CLI generated a complex command using 'grep' to find phone number patterns in the project files.

The generated command successfully found all phone number patterns in the project.

The presenter uses FFMpeg to convert an MP4 video to an animated GIF using a command generated by GitHub Copilot CLI.

The FFMpeg command worked perfectly, demonstrating the power of GitHub Copilot CLI in making complex tasks accessible.

GitHub Copilot CLI makes Linux and PowerShell tools accessible with minimal effort.

Free alternatives to GitHub Copilot, like CodiUM, are available for those who wish to avoid the monthly fee.