How to use GitHub Copilot Enterprise | full demo

GitHub
13 Mar 202414:16

TLDRThe video provides a comprehensive demonstration of using GitHub Copilot Enterprise for developers. It showcases how developers can utilize AI to assist with coding tasks when starting a new project or job. The presenter explains how to index a repository for specific queries, use general AI assistance for common programming questions, and integrate GitHub Copilot with local development environments. The script details how to clone a repository, work with files in VS Code, and leverage the AI to explain and suggest code changes. It also covers adding new features to a project, like a location input form, and how to create more informative pull requests with GitHub Copilot's assistance. The video emphasizes the developer's responsibility for the code and the importance of reviewing and testing before deployment.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 **GitHub Copilot as an AI Pair Programmer**: GitHub Copilot assists developers by providing code suggestions and explanations, acting as an AI pair programmer when human collaboration is not immediately available.
  • 🔍 **Repository Indexing**: To get specific assistance related to a repository, it needs to be indexed by GitHub Copilot, which may take a few minutes.
  • 📚 **Knowledge Base**: Copilot can answer both general programming questions and those specific to the indexed repository, utilizing the project's documentation and structure.
  • 📂 **Local Development**: Developers can clone repositories to their local machines and work with them using their preferred Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as Visual Studio Code.
  • 🔌 **Extensions and CLI**: To fully utilize GitHub Copilot, ensure that both the GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat extensions are installed, and use the GitHub CLI for repository operations.
  • 🤔 **Explaining Code**: GitHub Copilot can explain the code on screen, providing insights into how different parts of the code work and interact.
  • 🛠️ **Code Modification Assistance**: Copilot helps in modifying code by suggesting specific changes, such as adding new input fields or altering existing forms.
  • 📝 **Code Snippets and Validation**: It provides code snippets and explains the need for adding validation or properties to class models, guiding developers on where and how to implement these changes.
  • 🔄 **Context Awareness**: GitHub Copilot is context-aware, utilizing open files to provide more accurate and relevant suggestions.
  • 📌 **Committing Changes**: After making changes, developers should save their work and commit it with a detailed message, using tools like GitHub Desktop for a smoother workflow.
  • 🔄 **Pull Request Enhancements**: GitHub Copilot can create descriptive and informative pull requests, summarizing changes and their impact on the codebase.
  • 👨‍💼 **Responsibility and Review**: While GitHub Copilot aids in development, the developer remains in charge and is responsible for the final code. It's essential to have senior reviews and always test the code.

Q & A

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

    -GitHub Copilot serves as an AI pair programmer to assist developers in writing code, understanding project structure, and answering specific programming questions without needing to ask other developers.

  • How does GitHub Copilot help when you are new to a project or programming language?

    -GitHub Copilot can provide code suggestions, explain code functionality, and offer solutions to specific problems, thus aiding developers in getting up to speed with new projects or unfamiliar languages.

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

    -First, you need to index the repository by clicking on the GitHub Copilot icon. After indexing, you can ask specific questions about the repository and receive tailored responses.

  • How does GitHub Copilot assist with generic coding questions?

    -Even without indexing a specific repository, GitHub Copilot can answer general questions about programming, providing explanations and code snippets where applicable.

  • What is the role of GitHub Copilot in local development?

    -Once a repository is cloned to the local machine, GitHub Copilot can be used within the code editor (like VS Code) to explain code, suggest improvements, and help write new code based on the context of the open files.

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

    -GitHub Copilot can suggest code changes for adding new fields to a form, such as a location input, and guide you through the process of implementing these changes in both the UI and the underlying model.

  • What is the importance of testing code before committing changes?

    -Testing ensures that the changes work as expected and do not introduce bugs or errors into the existing codebase. It's a critical step in maintaining code quality and reliability.

  • How does GitHub Copilot facilitate the creation of descriptive pull requests?

    -GitHub Copilot can generate a summary of the changes made in a pull request, focusing on the impact and significance of those changes, which helps reviewers understand the context and rationale behind them.

  • Why is it essential for developers to remain in control and check the code generated by GitHub Copilot?

    -While GitHub Copilot aids in suggesting and explaining code, the developer is ultimately responsible for the code's correctness and quality. It's crucial to review and understand the generated code to maintain control over the development process.

  • How can GitHub Copilot assist in adding a property to a class model?

    -GitHub Copilot provides guidance on where to add the property within the class model file, suggests the appropriate syntax, and reminds you to update constructors and other relevant parts of the codebase.

  • What steps can GitHub Copilot take to help a developer unfamiliar with a project?

    -GitHub Copilot can read through the project files, suggest code based on the project's context, explain how different parts of the code work, and help in modifying and improving the code to suit new requirements.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to GitHub Copilot

The video begins with an introduction to GitHub Copilot, an AI pair programmer, which assists developers in their day-to-day tasks. It's particularly useful for new hires or those starting a new project, especially when they are unfamiliar with the programming language or the project's structure. The presenter demonstrates how to use GitHub Copilot to ask generic questions and to index a specific repository for more tailored assistance. The video also covers how to clone the repository to a local machine and utilize GitHub Copilot within the VS Code environment.

05:01

🧐 Enhancing the PetSpotR Application with GitHub Copilot

The presenter discusses enhancing the PetSpotR application by adding a location input to the form for reporting a lost pet. GitHub Copilot assists in understanding the code and suggesting improvements. It provides code snippets for adding a location input and converting it into a dropdown selector, which is more user-friendly. The video also covers how to add a location property to the pet model class, ensuring that the changes are properly integrated into the application's backend. The presenter emphasizes the importance of developers being in charge and checking the code, even when using an AI tool like GitHub Copilot.

10:01

🔄 Committing Changes and Creating a Pull Request with GitHub Copilot

The video concludes with a demonstration of how to commit changes made to the code and create a pull request using GitHub Desktop and GitHub Copilot. The presenter shows how to create a new branch, commit specific and descriptive messages, and publish the branch to GitHub. A key feature highlighted is GitHub Copilot's ability to generate a descriptive summary for the pull request, which includes code snippets and references to the changes made. The presenter reminds viewers that while GitHub Copilot is a powerful tool, developers are ultimately responsible for the code they ship and should always verify the work and consult with senior developers when unsure.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered development assistant that helps developers write code, debug, and understand codebases. It is integrated with the GitHub platform and can provide suggestions and explanations for code snippets. In the video, it is portrayed as an AI pair programmer that assists the user in making changes to a project, such as adding a location input to a form.

💡Repository

A repository in the context of the video refers to a project location where the code and related files are stored. It is the fundamental unit of work in Git and GitHub, and it is where developers collaborate on code. The script mentions a 'PetSpotR' repository, which is a project for creating an app to help locate lost pets.

💡Indexing

Indexing, in the context of GitHub Copilot, is the process of preparing a repository so that the AI can understand its contents and provide more accurate and specific assistance. The script describes how the user indexes the 'PetSpotR' repository to enable GitHub Copilot to provide repository-specific assistance.

💡Code Snippets

Code snippets are small, reusable pieces of code that can be inserted into a larger program. In the video, GitHub Copilot provides code snippets to help the user implement features like a location input field in a form. These snippets are examples of how to write specific pieces of code.

💡Blazor

Blazor is a web framework developed by Microsoft that allows developers to build interactive web applications using C# and the .NET framework. The video script mentions that the PetSpotR app is running in Blazor, indicating that it is a web application with a user interface built using this framework.

💡Model Class

A model class in object-oriented programming is a blueprint for creating objects. It defines the structure of the data and the operations that can be performed on it. In the script, the user is guided to add a 'location' property to the pet model class within the 'PetSpotR' project.

💡Pull Request

A pull request is a feature in Git that allows developers to propose changes to a repository. It initiates a discussion about the changes and allows other contributors to review and approve or suggest modifications before the changes are merged into the main codebase. The video demonstrates how to create a descriptive pull request using GitHub Copilot.

💡Commit

Committing in version control systems like Git is the act of saving changes to a local repository. It creates a snapshot of the code at a particular point in time. The video script includes a step where the user commits changes to the local machine before pushing them to a remote repository.

💡Branch

A branch in Git is a separate line of development that allows developers to work on different features or fixes simultaneously without interfering with each other. The user in the video creates a new branch called 'mishmanners-changes' to isolate their work.

💡GitHub CLI

GitHub CLI stands for Command Line Interface, which is a tool that allows users to work with GitHub repositories from the command line. In the video, the user uses GitHub CLI to clone the 'PetSpotR' repository onto their local machine.

💡Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Visual Studio Code, often abbreviated as VS Code, is a popular source code editor developed by Microsoft. It includes support for debugging, Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, and code refactoring. The video script mentions VS Code as the editor of choice for the user to open and work on the 'PetSpotR' project.

Highlights

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that can assist developers in coding and understanding project structures.

Developers can use GitHub Copilot to generate code snippets and get explanations for their codebase.

GitHub Copilot can answer generic coding questions, such as how to shorten a URL.

To ask specific questions about a repository, it needs to be indexed by GitHub Copilot, which may take a few minutes.

While a repository is indexing, developers can explore topics and popular repositories within GitHub Copilot.

GitHub Copilot can help create API tokens and provide code examples for advanced security features.

Once a repository is indexed, developers can ask specific questions about the project files and structure.

GitHub CLI can be used to clone repositories to a local machine for further development.

Visual Studio Code with the GitHub Copilot extension allows for in-editor assistance and code explanations.

GitHub Copilot chat can explain the functionality of the code on the screen and provide breakdowns.

Developers can get assistance on how to modify forms and add new input fields with GitHub Copilot.

GitHub Copilot provides guidance on adding properties to class models and where to locate model files.

The tool can suggest code for creating dropdown selectors and help customize options based on context.

GitHub Copilot can automate the creation of descriptive and informative pull requests.

It emphasizes the importance of developers being in charge and responsible for the code they ship.

GitHub Copilot helps in reducing the time taken to understand code and make changes, thus increasing productivity.

The tool encourages testing of code before committing changes to ensure functionality and reliability.

GitHub Copilot's chat feature provides context-aware suggestions, enhancing the development experience.