How to use GitHub Copilot Enterprise | full demo

GitHub
13 Mar 202414:16

TLDRIn this video, the presenter demonstrates how to utilize GitHub Copilot Enterprise effectively. Starting with a common scenario where a developer is new to a project or programming language, the video shows how GitHub Copilot can assist in understanding and modifying code. The presenter indexes a repository for more specific queries, explores GitHub Copilot's capabilities, and uses it to enhance a pet-finding application by adding new features such as location input. The video also covers local development with GitHub CLI, integrating GitHub Copilot in VS Code, and creating a pull request with a detailed description generated by GitHub Copilot. The presenter emphasizes the developer's responsibility for the final code and encourages using Copilot as a tool to streamline development processes.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 GitHub Copilot can serve as an AI pair programmer for developers, assisting with coding and understanding project structure.
  • 🔍 Before asking specific questions about a repository, it needs to be indexed by GitHub Copilot for tailored responses.
  • 📚 Even without specific repository context, GitHub Copilot can answer general programming questions.
  • 📂 The AI can provide insights about a repository's files and structure once it's been indexed.
  • 💻 GitHub Copilot is accessible through the GitHub website and can also be installed locally via the GitHub CLI.
  • 🛠️ Developers can clone repositories to their local machines and open them in their preferred code editors, like VS Code.
  • 📝 GitHub Copilot chat can explain code snippets and suggest improvements or additional features for the code.
  • 📝 It can also guide developers on how to modify code, including adding new inputs or changing UI elements like forms.
  • 🔄 When making changes, it's important to test the code and ensure that the modifications work as intended.
  • ✅ Commit messages should be specific and descriptive to provide a clear history of changes made.
  • 🔄 GitHub Copilot can assist in creating descriptive pull requests, summarizing changes and their impacts.
  • 👩‍💼 Developers remain in control and are responsible for the final code, so it's crucial to review and verify the AI's suggestions.

Q & A

  • What is the primary function of GitHub Copilot for developers?

    -GitHub Copilot serves as an AI pair programmer that assists developers by generating code, explaining code functionality, and providing solutions to specific programming problems, which can be especially helpful when working on a new project or in a new job environment.

  • How does GitHub Copilot help with understanding a new project's structure or programming language?

    -GitHub Copilot can provide explanations and code examples that help developers understand the project's structure and the programming language used. It can also answer specific questions about the codebase, making it easier for developers to get up to speed.

  • What is the process of using GitHub Copilot with a specific repository?

    -To use GitHub Copilot with a specific repository, you first need to index the repository, which may take a few minutes. After indexing, you can ask repository-specific questions, and GitHub Copilot will provide answers based on the indexed content.

  • How can GitHub Copilot assist with adding new features to an application?

    -GitHub Copilot can suggest code snippets for adding new features, such as adding a location input field to a form. It also provides explanations of how the code works and guides on where to integrate the new code within the existing codebase.

  • What is the role of GitHub Copilot in the process of creating a pull request?

    -GitHub Copilot can help create a descriptive and informative pull request summary by analyzing the changes made in the branch. It can generate a summary that includes the focus of the changes, significant modifications, and the rationale behind them.

  • How does GitHub Copilot assist with code testing and validation?

    -While GitHub Copilot does not directly test code, it can provide suggestions and code examples that developers can use to implement validation and testing mechanisms within their applications.

  • What are the steps to clone a repository using GitHub CLI?

    -To clone a repository using GitHub CLI, open a terminal as an administrator, ensure GitHub CLI is installed by typing `gh`, navigate to the directory where you want to store your repositories, and then use the command `gh repo clone /` to clone the desired repository to your local machine.

  • How can GitHub Copilot help with modifying a form in a Blazor application?

    -GitHub Copilot can explain the existing code of a Blazor form, suggest how to add new input fields, and guide you through the process of modifying the form, including changing an input field to a dropdown selector and adding validation.

  • What is the importance of being descriptive and specific in commit messages and pull request descriptions?

    -Descriptive and specific commit messages and pull request descriptions are crucial for maintaining a clear project history, allowing team members to understand the purpose and impact of each change. This practice also aids in code review processes and future code maintenance.

  • How does GitHub Copilot utilize the context of open files?

    -GitHub Copilot takes into account the context of any open files when providing suggestions or explanations. This allows it to offer more accurate and relevant information based on the current state of the code and the files that the developer is actively working on.

  • What is the final responsibility of the developer when using GitHub Copilot?

    -The developer remains in charge and is the final authority on the code. While GitHub Copilot can assist with suggestions and explanations, the developer is responsible for reviewing, testing, and ensuring the quality and correctness of the code before it is shipped.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introducing GitHub Copilot for Developers

The first paragraph introduces GitHub Copilot as an AI pair programmer that assists developers, especially in situations where they might be new to a job or project. It discusses the challenges faced when there are no other developers to consult or when the developer is unfamiliar with the programming language or project structure. The speaker demonstrates how to use GitHub Copilot to ask generic questions and how to index a specific repository for more tailored assistance. The summary also covers how to clone a repository to a local machine and use GitHub Copilot within Visual Studio Code to understand and explain code.

05:01

🧐 Enhancing the PetSpotR App with GitHub Copilot

The second paragraph details how GitHub Copilot can be used to enhance a specific project, the PetSpotR app, which helps locate lost pets. The speaker explores how to use GitHub Copilot to understand and modify code, such as adding a location input to a form and creating a dropdown selector for locations. It also explains how GitHub Copilot provides explanations along with code snippets, helping the developer understand the changes they are making. The paragraph concludes with the speaker adding a location property to the pet model class, demonstrating the iterative process of development with the assistance of GitHub Copilot.

10:01

🔄 Committing Changes and Creating Informative Pull Requests

The third paragraph focuses on the process of committing changes to a project and creating a pull request using GitHub Desktop and GitHub Copilot. It emphasizes the importance of making specific and descriptive commit messages to maintain a clear project history. The speaker also highlights a new feature of GitHub Copilot that generates a descriptive summary for a pull request by analyzing the changes made. This summary provides insights into the modifications and their implications, leading to more informative and transparent pull requests. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that developers remain in charge and are responsible for the code they ship.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered code assistant developed by GitHub and OpenAI. It is designed to help developers write code more efficiently by providing suggestions and completing code snippets based on the context. In the video, it is portrayed as an AI pair programmer that assists in understanding and modifying code, particularly useful for new developers or those unfamiliar with a project's programming language or structure.

💡Repository

A repository in the context of the video refers to a project location where all the files for a specific project are stored. It is a fundamental concept in version control and collaboration using platforms like GitHub. The PetSpotR repo mentioned in the script is an example of a repository, which is a project aimed at creating an app for finding and helping locate lost pets.

💡Indexing

Indexing, in relation to GitHub Copilot, is the process of preparing a repository so that the AI can understand its contents and provide more accurate and specific suggestions. The script describes how to index a repository to enable GitHub Copilot to provide repository-specific assistance, which is crucial for tailored code generation and explanations.

💡Code Snippets

Code snippets are small, reusable pieces of code that can be quickly inserted into a larger program. In the video, GitHub Copilot generates code snippets to help the developer with specific tasks, such as creating a token for an API call or adding a location input to a form. These snippets are context-aware and are provided to streamline the coding process.

💡Blazor

Blazor is a web framework developed by Microsoft that allows developers to build interactive web applications using C# and .NET. In the script, the PetSpotR app is mentioned to be running in Blazor, which indicates that the app is using this framework to create a dynamic and responsive user interface.

💡GitHub CLI

GitHub CLI, or Command Line Interface, is a command-line tool that allows users to interact with GitHub repositories directly from the terminal. The script demonstrates using the GitHub CLI to clone a repository to the local machine, which is a common task in software development for setting up a new project or contributing to an existing one.

💡Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Visual Studio Code, commonly abbreviated as VS Code, is a popular source code editor developed by Microsoft. It is mentioned in the video as the editor of choice for opening and working with the cloned repository. VS Code has extensive support for development operations and can be extended with various plugins, such as GitHub Copilot.

💡Extensions

In the context of software development tools like VS Code, extensions are add-ons that enhance the functionality of the base application. The script refers to the necessity of having both GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot chat extensions installed to fully utilize the AI's capabilities within the editor.

💡Pull Request

A pull request in version control systems like Git is a method for proposing changes to a repository. It allows other contributors to review and discuss the proposed changes before they are merged into the main branch. The video script describes the process of creating a pull request on GitHub, emphasizing the importance of clear and descriptive messages for effective collaboration.

💡Commit

Committing in version control is the act of saving changes to a local repository. When a developer has made changes to the code, they commit these changes, which can then be pushed to a remote repository. The video emphasizes the importance of making specific and descriptive commit messages to document the changes clearly.

💡Model Class

In object-oriented programming, a model class is a blueprint for creating objects. It defines the structure and behavior (data and methods) of the objects. In the script, adding a 'location' property to the pet model class is discussed, which involves modifying the class to include new data relevant to the application's functionality.

Highlights

GitHub Copilot can assist developers in understanding unfamiliar programming languages or project structures.

Developers can use GitHub Copilot to ask generic coding questions, such as how to shorten a URL.

Indexing a repository allows GitHub Copilot to provide specific insights and answers about the codebase.

GitHub Copilot can generate code snippets and explanations for various coding tasks.

The AI can explain how a specific part of the code works, aiding in comprehension for developers.

GitHub Copilot chat can be used to get step-by-step guidance on implementing new features.

The tool provides suggestions on how to modify code, including adding new input fields.

GitHub Copilot offers assistance in creating dropdown selectors and handling data binding.

It guides developers on where to add new properties within a class model.

GitHub Copilot can help identify the necessary files for making specific code changes.

The tool provides context-aware suggestions, improving the accuracy of its assistance.

GitHub Copilot helps in creating more informative and descriptive pull requests.

Developers remain in control and are responsible for the final code, with GitHub Copilot acting as an assistant.

GitHub Copilot facilitates faster development by reducing the need to wait for resources or guidance.

The tool encourages best practices by prompting developers to create detailed commit messages.

GitHub Copilot can be integrated with local development environments like Visual Studio Code.

GitHub Copilot's chat feature provides an interactive way to get code explanations and modifications.

The AI tool supports the full development cycle, from understanding code to creating pull requests.

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