AI Coding Assistant

GitHub Copilot GuideYour AI Pair Programmer

What is GitHub Copilot? Copilot is an AI assistant that lives inside your code editor. As you type, it suggests completions — from single lines to entire functions. Think of it as autocomplete on steroids, trained on millions of lines of public code.

How Copilot Works

Three main ways Copilot helps you code

Code Completion

Core Feature

Get intelligent code suggestions as you type. Copilot predicts entire lines or blocks of code.

Line completionMulti-line suggestionsContext-awareAny language

Copilot Chat

Interactive

Ask questions about code, get explanations, and have conversations about your project.

Code explanationsDebug helpRefactoring tipsDocumentation

Inline Suggestions

Real-Time

See ghost text suggestions that you can accept with Tab or reject by continuing to type.

Non-intrusiveFastEasy to acceptEasy to ignore

Why Developers Love Copilot

Real benefits you'll notice from day one

Write Code Faster

Copilot can generate boilerplate code, repetitive patterns, and common functions in seconds.

Example: Type a function name like "validateEmail" and Copilot writes the entire validation logic.

Learn While Coding

See how experienced developers would write code. Great for learning new languages or frameworks.

Example: Start writing in a new language and learn patterns from Copilot's suggestions.

Write from Comments

Describe what you want in plain English comments, and Copilot generates the code.

Example: // Function that sorts users by age ascending → Copilot writes the sort function.

Reduce Context Switching

Stay in your editor instead of searching Stack Overflow or documentation.

Example: Ask Copilot Chat "How do I read a file in Python?" right in VS Code.

Debug Faster

Ask Copilot to explain errors, suggest fixes, or help you understand tricky code.

Example: Select confusing code and ask "Explain what this does" in Copilot Chat.

Generate Tests

Copilot can write unit tests for your functions, helping you maintain code quality.

Example: Type "// test for calculateTotal function" and get a complete test suite.

Where to Use Copilot

Copilot works in your favorite code editors

VS Code

Best integration, most features

JetBrains IDEs

IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.

Neovim

For terminal enthusiasts

Visual Studio

Full .NET support

Best Use Cases

Tasks where Copilot really shines

Writing Boilerplate Code

Copilot excels at generating repetitive patterns like CRUD operations, form handlers, and API routes.

Try this comment

// Create a REST API endpoint for user registration with validation

Learning New Frameworks

When starting with a new framework, Copilot suggests idiomatic patterns and best practices.

Try this comment

// React component that fetches data on mount and displays loading state

Writing Documentation

Generate JSDoc comments, README sections, and inline documentation automatically.

Try this comment

// Add JSDoc documentation to this function

Regex Patterns

Describe what you want to match, and Copilot generates the regex pattern.

Try this comment

// Regex to validate phone numbers in format (XXX) XXX-XXXX

Converting Code

Convert code between languages or refactor from one pattern to another.

Try this comment

// Convert this JavaScript function to TypeScript with proper types

Writing SQL Queries

Describe your data needs in comments and get complex SQL queries.

Try this comment

// Get top 10 customers by total order amount in the last 30 days

Tips for Better Suggestions

Write Descriptive Comments First

// Function that takes an array of numbers and returns the median value, handling edge cases for empty arrays

Why: The more specific your comment, the better Copilot understands what you need.

Start with Function Signatures

function calculateShippingCost(weight: number, distance: number, expedited: boolean): number {

Why: Type hints and clear parameter names help Copilot generate accurate implementations.

Use Examples in Comments

// Parse date strings like "Jan 15, 2024" or "2024-01-15" into Date objects

Why: Concrete examples help Copilot understand edge cases and expected formats.

Break Complex Tasks into Steps

// Step 1: Validate input
// Step 2: Transform data
// Step 3: Save to database

Why: Step-by-step comments guide Copilot through complex logic.

Pricing Plans

Choose the plan that fits your needs

Copilot Individual

$10/month

For individual developers

Code completions
Copilot Chat
All IDE support
Unlimited suggestions

Copilot Business

$19/user/month

For teams and organizations

Everything in Individual
Organization policies
Audit logs
IP indemnity

Copilot Enterprise

$39/user/month

For large enterprises

Everything in Business
Custom models
Knowledge bases
Fine-tuning

Students and open-source maintainers get Copilot free!

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