Overview ✈️
GitHub Copilot functions as an AI-powered code completion system integrated into VS Code. The tool provides autocomplete suggestions that exceed traditional code completion capabilities. Users can either accept automatic suggestions or use natural language comments to specify desired functionality. Beyond autocompletion, the platform includes a ChatGPT-style chat interface within the editor.
Beginner Friendliness 🐣
The extension embeds directly into the widely-used VS Code environment, making it approachable for newcomers. Basic features like intelligent type-ahead recommendations extend existing tab-completion functionality. However, “the documentation for Copilot is so sparse that it feels almost non-existent” for users wanting to leverage advanced features like chat and multi-line completions. Maximizing effectiveness requires substantial self-directed exploration.
Value 💰
At $10 monthly, the service delivers significant return on investment. The tool reduces keystrokes per line of code and mirrors driver-assistance systems, which research indicates “decrease cognitive burden, resulting in more hours of operation.” Direct IDE integration eliminates context-switching costs compared to external tools like ChatGPT.
UI/UX 🎨
Copilot integrates seamlessly into VS Code, feeling like a natural extension. The sidebar chat panel provides ChatGPT-like functionality. An inline chat feature displays suggestions directly in code, though these recommendations are currently problematic, often adding duplicate lines or misunderstanding tasks.
WDH 🦸
The Working Dev’s Hero team frequently uses Copilot, particularly for test writing. The tool excels at generating tests without fatigue, reducing cognitive load and freeing developers for other productive work.