GitHub Copilot sits in the editor: complete as you type, and ask in the side panel what a function does, why an error appears or for tests. It reads the current project and context you provide, so a tidy repo with clear names gets better completions. Boilerplate, explaining unfamiliar modules and reading diffs are its three common jobs. It writes plausible but wrong implementations, so review changes piece by piece and treat review suggestions as input.
What it does
- Inline and block completion across mainstream IDEs
- Side chat for explanation, error tracing and fixes
- Unit tests and boilerplate, with edge cases on request
- Review suggestions that flag suspicious changes
- Generation shaped by files and context you specify
Who it is for
- Mapping module boundaries and calls in an unfamiliar repo
- Filling in boilerplate, data structures and test skeletons
- Pasting stacks and functions during debugging
- A pre-commit pass for obvious issues
How to get started
- Install in your usual IDE and try completion and chat in a familiar repo
- Add context: related files, API constraints, expected output shape
- Treat output as a draft, test each piece, adopt suggestions selectively
