Get to know GitHub Copilot in VS Code and be productive IMMEDIATELY

Summary

This video script introduces GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered coding assistant that enhances developer productivity. It explains how to activate and use features like 'Ghost Text' for automatic suggestions and 'Inline Chat' for direct code iteration. The script also highlights the tool's ability to fix errors and provide suggestions through the 'light bulb' menu and 'sparkle' icon. The essence is to demonstrate how Copilot simplifies coding and problem-solving, encouraging developers to explore its capabilities for efficient AI-assisted coding.

Takeaways

• 🎉 Congrats on getting GitHub Copilot, which can significantly enhance your coding skills and productivity.
• 📚 Start using GitHub Copilot by simply coding as you normally would; no special interaction is required.
• 👻 'Ghost Text' is automatically enabled, providing suggestions as you type, which can be verified by the GitHub Copilot icon.
• ❌ Disable Copilot for specific files or languages through the status bar icon if needed.
• 📝 Use comments to express what you want, and accept Ghost text completions by pressing Tab.
• 🔄 For partial Ghost text acceptance, hold Control or Command and press the right arrow, or hit escape to dismiss.
• 🔮 Copilot is adept at anticipating your coding needs and making intelligent suggestions based on context.
• 💬 Engage with 'Inline Chat' for direct code iteration and modifications, accessed with Control or Command and I keys.
• 📊 'Inline Chat' provides a diff view, showing additions and changes for clear decision-making before acceptance.
• 🗨️ A traditional dedicated chat area is available in the sidebar for problem-solving and brainstorming.
• 🛠️ Customize the chat's position in your editor for simultaneous code and project file visibility.
• 🔧 GitHub Copilot assists with code errors through the light bulb or quick suggestion menu, offering explanations and fixes.
• ✨ Keep an eye out for the sparkle icon to access GitHub Copilot's help in various contexts, including the Terminal.
• 👍 With these essentials, you're equipped to enhance your developer experience and productivity with GitHub Copilot.

Q & A

What is GitHub Copilot and how can it benefit developers?

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant that can help developers enhance their skills and increase their speed and productivity by providing code suggestions and solving problems.

How does one start using GitHub Copilot?

To start using GitHub Copilot, one simply needs to code as they normally would. The AI will provide suggestions and assistance without any special learning required to interact with it.

What is the 'Ghost Text' feature in GitHub Copilot?

The 'Ghost Text' feature in GitHub Copilot is an automatic suggestion system that is turned on when the extension is installed and the user logs in. It provides anticipated code based on the context of the code being written.

How can a user verify if GitHub Copilot is active?

A user can verify that GitHub Copilot is active by checking for the GitHub Copilot icon in the status bar of their code editor.

How can a user disable GitHub Copilot for a specific file or language?

To disable GitHub Copilot for a specific file or language, a user can click on the GitHub Copilot icon in the status bar and select the option to disable it.

What is the purpose of pressing the Tab key in the context of GitHub Copilot?

Pressing the Tab key in GitHub Copilot is used to accept a Ghost text completion, integrating the suggested code into the user's work.

How can a user access alternative suggestions from GitHub Copilot?

A user can access alternative suggestions by pressing the Control or Command and Enter keys, which opens a side panel displaying more AI-generated suggestions.

What is the 'Inline Chat' feature in GitHub Copilot and how is it used?

The 'Inline Chat' feature in GitHub Copilot allows users to chat directly with the AI within their code editor. It can be triggered with the Control or Command and I keys and is useful for iterating on code in line.

How does the dedicated chat area in GitHub Copilot help with problem-solving?

The dedicated chat area in GitHub Copilot provides a more traditional interface for users to interact with the AI, which is helpful for brainstorming, solving problems, and making decisions more quickly.

What is the 'light bulb' or 'quick suggestion' menu in GitHub Copilot and how can it assist with coding errors?

The 'light bulb' or 'quick suggestion' menu in GitHub Copilot is a feature that appears when there is a problem in the code. It can explain and often fix errors inline, making it easier for developers to understand and correct issues.

What does the 'sparkle icon' represent in GitHub Copilot and how can it be used?

The 'sparkle icon' in GitHub Copilot signifies areas where the AI might be able to provide assistance, such as in the Terminal or other parts of the code editor. Clicking on the sparkle icon allows the user to see what suggestions or help Copilot can offer at that moment.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Getting Started with GitHub Copilot

This paragraph introduces GitHub Copilot as a tool to enhance developer skills and productivity. It emphasizes the simplicity of getting started with Copilot—just code as you normally would. The AI, referred to as 'Ghost Text,' is automatically activated upon installation and login. The paragraph explains how to verify its activation, disable it for specific files or languages, and how to use it to accept completions and explore alternative suggestions. It also introduces the concept of using 'Inline Chat' for direct interaction with the AI within the code editor and highlights the benefits of using GitHub Copilot for faster coding and problem-solving.

Keywords

💡GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding companion developed by GitHub and OpenAI. It is designed to assist developers by generating code suggestions, improving their coding speed, and productivity. In the video, GitHub Copilot is presented as a tool that can help developers level up their skills and offers various features like 'Ghost Text' and 'Inline Chat' to facilitate coding tasks.

💡Ghost Text

Ghost Text is a feature of GitHub Copilot that provides code suggestions automatically as a developer types. It is akin to predictive text but for coding, aiming to anticipate the developer's next move and reduce the amount of manual coding required. The video script illustrates this by showing how Copilot generates an array of numbers after a variable named 'nums' is created.

💡AI

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI is the driving force behind GitHub Copilot, enabling it to understand and generate code based on the developer's input and the context of the codebase.

💡Inline Chat

Inline Chat is a feature within GitHub Copilot that allows developers to interact directly with the AI to iterate on their code. It can be triggered using specific keyboard shortcuts and provides a diff view showing what has been added or changed, giving developers a clear understanding of the AI's suggestions before accepting them.

💡Control or Command keys

The Control or Command keys are keyboard shortcuts used in conjunction with other keys to perform special functions in software applications. In the video, these keys are mentioned as part of the process to accept Ghost text completions or to trigger Inline Chat, showing how developers can quickly interact with GitHub Copilot using keyboard shortcuts.

💡Code suggestions

Code suggestions are proposed lines of code generated by GitHub Copilot to assist developers. These suggestions are based on the context of the code being written and the developer's coding patterns. The video demonstrates how GitHub Copilot provides code suggestions, such as generating an array of numbers based on the variable name 'nums'.

💡Dedicated chat area

A dedicated chat area is a specific part of the GitHub Copilot interface designed for more traditional AI chat interactions. It can be accessed via the chat icon in the sidebar and is useful for problem-solving and decision-making. The video explains that developers can customize the location of this chat area within their editor.

💡Light bulb or quick suggestion menu

The light bulb or quick suggestion menu is a feature in many code editors that provides suggestions for fixing errors or improving code. In the video, it is mentioned that GitHub Copilot can be found in this menu, where it can explain and often fix errors inline, showcasing its ability to assist with debugging.

💡Compiler errors

Compiler errors are messages generated by a compiler when it encounters syntax or semantic issues in the code that prevent it from being compiled correctly. The video highlights GitHub Copilot's ability to explain these errors, which can often be cryptic, and even fix them, making the debugging process more efficient.

💡Sparkle icon

The sparkle icon in GitHub Copilot represents an opportunity for the AI to provide assistance in various contexts, such as the Terminal or other areas where it can be helpful. The video script mentions that developers should look out for this icon as a signal that GitHub Copilot can offer assistance.

Highlights

GitHub Copilot can enhance developer skills in unexpected ways.

Copilot simplifies increasing speed and productivity for developers.

No special learning is required to interact with GitHub Copilot.

Use GitHub Copilot by coding as you normally would.

Ghost Text is automatically enabled with the GitHub Copilot extension.

Check the status bar for the GitHub Copilot icon to verify activation.

Disable Copilot for specific files or languages through the icon.

Ghost Text can be triggered by writing a comment expressing your needs.

Accept Ghost text completions by pressing Tab.

Control or Command keys allow partial acceptance of Ghost text.

Escape key dismisses Ghost text at any time.

Copilot is adept at anticipating and assisting with coding tasks.

Alternative suggestions can be viewed by pressing Control or Command and Enter.

Inline Chat allows direct interaction with Copilot within the code.

Inline Chat provides a diff view for clear understanding of changes.

A dedicated chat area in the sidebar is available for problem-solving.

Customize the chat's position in the editor for better workflow.

Chat history is accessible for review at any time.

GitHub Copilot assists with code problems in the light bulb menu.

Copilot is skilled at fixing errors and explaining compiler issues.

The sparkle icon indicates where GitHub Copilot can offer assistance.

Essentials of interacting with GitHub Copilot have been covered.

Transcripts

So you've got GitHub Copilot.

Congrats - Copilot can help you level up your skills as

a developer in ways that you probably thought were not

possible.

Seriously.

But now that you've got it, where do you start?

How does it work?

What do you need to learn?

We're gonna answer all of that in this video, and

I think you'll find that once you know how and

where to use Copilot, it is pretty simple to dramatically

increase your speed and productivity almost immediately.

The secret of GitHub Copilot is that there isn't anything

special that you need to do to learn how to

interact with it.

All you have to do to use GitHub Copilot is

code.

That's it.

Just code like you normally would and watch the AI

go to work.

This is called "Ghost Text", and it's automatically turned on

when you install the extension and log in to GitHub

Copilot.

You can verify that Copilot is active by checking for

the GitHub Copilot icon down here in your status bar,

and if you want to turn Copilot off for a

specific file or language, click on this icon and you

can disable it.

You can also trigger Ghost Text by writing a comment

expressing what you want.

To accept a Ghost text completion, press Tab.

If you only want part of the ghost text, you

can just hold down the Control or Command keys and

press the right arrow to accept as much or little

of it as you want, and you can hit escape

at any time to dismiss the ghost text.

You can do a lot with just Ghost Text, and

you'll find that Copilot is remarkably good at anticipating your

next move and doing a lot of the work for

you.

For example, if I create a variable called nums, Copilot

gives me what I probably want based on the name

of the variable and the function in the file already

an array of numbers.

And if I press enter below the function, it assumes

that I want to call the function and pass in

the nums variable, which is exactly what I want.

Now Ghost Text may give you what you want, or

it may be close and almost, but a miss.

In that case, you can see some alternative suggestions by

pressing the Control or Command and Enter keys.

This opens up a side panel where you can see

more suggestions from the AI that you might like better.

The other way that you can use GitHub Copilot right

in your code is to chat with it directly, right

here, using something that's called "Inline Chat."

This can be triggered with the Control or Command and

I keys.

None of this code actually exists in your file until

you accept it, so if you hit escape it will

all just go away.

No harm, no foul.

Inline Chat is great for iterating on your code right

in line.

So for instance here,

perhaps we want to return a static file at this

route instead of what Copilot gave us, so we can

highlight the block and iterate on that with Inline Chat.

And Inline Chat always gives you a diff view showing

you what's been added and changed so that you can

be sure that this is what you want before you

accept it.

GitHub Copilot also features a more traditional dedicated chat area

in the sidebar that you can access by clicking on

the chat icon.

If you've ever used another AI chat before, this will

feel very familiar.

While Ghost Text and Inline Chat are good for helping

you code faster, chat is good for helping you solve

problems and make decisions quicker.

It is terrific for brainstorming and figuring out implementation details.

You can always customize where the chat appears in your

editor.

So, for instance, if you'd like to see your code

and your project files in the chat all at the

same time, you can click on the secondary sidebar icon

and just drag the chat into that sidebar.

All of your chats are saved to a history that

you can access at any time with the history icon

at the top of the chat.

There are a few other places that you'll find GitHub

Copilot, and it can be quite useful.

One of them is when you have a problem in

your code,

you'll find GitHub Copilot here in the light bulb or

quick suggestion menu where it can explain and often even

fix your errors right inline.

Copilot is extremely good at fixing silly mistakes and explaining

compiler errors that otherwise make no sense.

You'll also find GitHub Copilot anywhere that you see this

sparkle icon.

This includes places like the Terminal and anywhere that GitHub

Copilot might be able to help you out.

All you have to do is keep your eye out

for the sparkle and when you see it, give it

a click and see what Copilot can do for you

right then and there.

And believe it or not, that's it.

You now know the essentials of how to interact with

GitHub Copilot.

Go forth and see how much better life can be

as a developer and make sure you check out our

other videos on GitHub Copilot for all your AI coding

needs.

Happy coding.