GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant integrated directly into your editor. It provides inline completions as you type and a chat panel for longer interactions.
Where it works
- VS Code: most feature-complete integration
- JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, WebStorm, PyCharm, etc.)
- Neovim: via plugin
- GitHub.com: code review suggestions in pull requests
- Terminal: Copilot CLI for shell commands
Key features
Inline completions
As you type, Copilot suggests completions ranging from a single token to an entire function. Accept with Tab, cycle alternatives with Alt+].
Works best when:
- You have good type annotations and function signatures
- The file has existing examples of the pattern you're following
- Your function name and parameter names are descriptive
Copilot Chat
A chat panel inside VS Code where you can ask questions with direct access to your open files and selected code.
Useful slash commands in Copilot Chat:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/explain | Explains selected code in plain English |
/fix | Suggests a fix for selected code or an error |
/tests | Generates unit tests for selected code |
/doc | Generates documentation comments |
Copilot CLI
Install separately:
npm install -g @githubnext/github-copilot-cli
Explains shell commands and suggests commands from plain English:
github-copilot-cli what-the-shell "find all .ts files modified in the last 7 days"
Tips for better completions
- Write a descriptive comment first: Copilot uses comments as intent signals
- Name things clearly:
getUserByEmailtells Copilot more thangetData - Use type annotations: TypeScript types guide completions significantly
- Open related files: Copilot uses open tabs as context
Limitations
- Limited to the currently open files and selected code (no full codebase indexing by default)
- Multi-step or cross-file tasks are better handled by Claude Code
- May suggest deprecated APIs or patterns that don't match your codebase style