Similar to how AI as made life easy for majority of the population across the globe, the app development industry has also seen a significant amount of introduction of AI in the way the mobile apps and web apps are developed. Starting from the no-code and low-code tools, it has stretched all the way to the custom software development. A fairly new but known addition to this is the AI-powered code generation tool called GitHub Copilot. In this blog, we have tried to touch upon all the important aspect of GitHub Copilot after a tried and tested use-case by our own mobile and web developers at Nimblechapps. This comprehensive guide would steer you through the ABC of GitHub Copilot.

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What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is a joint program of Microsoft GitHub and OpenAI. It’s an AI-powered tool introduced to the software development world with a view to assist the developers in the coding practices through various offerings. Simply put, it can is an AI-powered code-completion tool which acts as a coding assistant by providing real-time code suggestions directly into your integrated development environment (IDE).

Built on OpenAI Codex, an advanced AI model trained on billions of lines of publicly available code from open-source projects, documentation, and other coding-related sources. GitHub and OpenAI leveraged Codex's capabilities, integrating it into a tool that assists developers by suggesting lines of code, functions, or even entire solutions based on the context of what the developers are writing.

Features of GitHub Copilot

Copilot offers a variety of features making it the first goto tool for AI-assisted code generation. Let’s take a look into the features of GitHub Copilot:

  • Code suggestions:** One the driving features of the Copilot is it’s code suggestion where it suggests lines of code or entire blocks based on the context of what you’re working on. For example, if you start writing a function, it can auto-complete the implementation. **
  • Multi-language support:** Copilot supports vast range of programming languages of app development viz. Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Ruby, Java, C#, and many more. **
  • Contextual generation:** Copilot grasps the context of the request and the surrounding code to generate suggestions tailored to specific task on hand. **
  • Function and logic generation:** Just write a comment on what the function should do and Copilot will often generate the complete implementation of course, as per the context and programming language. **
  • Copilot chat:** Allows you to ask the coding and development related questions for self-education. **
  • Code review:** AI-assisted code review for improving the quality of the code written. **
  • Integration to popular IDEs:** Copilot works with almost all the popular IDEs available in the app development landscape viz. Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, and more. **

Benefits of using GitHub Copilot

  • Increases productivity through automating repetitive coding tasks, such as writing boilerplate code, saving developers significant time.

  • Serves as a coding mentor, helping beginners understand how to structure code. Servers as a aid to learn new programming languages by providing example code and best practices.

  • Suggests multiple approaches to solve a problem, fostering creativity and innovation in coding.

  • By handling low-level, repetitive tasks, it allows developers to focus on solving complex problems and developing a robust app.

  • Supports a wide range of programming languages, making it versatile for developers working across different stacks.

Limitations of using GitHub Copilot

  • Since it is relatively new, suggestions are not always correct or optimal and may include errors, requiring developers to review the code carefully.

  • Developers, especially beginners, may become overly dependent on Copilot, potentially weakening their coding and problem-solving skills over time.

  • Copilot’s suggestions may include snippets of code derived from open-source projects without proper attribution, raising ethical and legal questions.

  • Requires an active internet connection, making it inaccessible for offline development environments.

  • It cannot fully understand nuanced project requirements, architectural decisions, or business logic, meaning developers still need to make critical decisions manually.

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Steps to use GitHub Copilot

  • Requirements:****

    Developers need a GitHub account in order to use Copilot. While Copilot is a paid tool, it providers the student developer pack as a free offering.

    • As it relies on cloud-based AI models, it requires an active internet connection.

    • Copilot works with many programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Ruby, Java, C#, and more.

  • Step up and Installation of GitHub Copilot:** The setup and installation of GitHub Copilot differs from IDE to IDE. Let’s look into detail about how to setup and install Copilot on some of the popular IDEs. **

    Visual Studio Code**

        Install VS code.

    - Install GitHub Copilot extension.
      

        Open VS Code.

        - Go to the Extensions Marketplace (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).

        - Search for "GitHub Copilot."

        - Click Install on the GitHub Copilot extension.

      

    
    - Sign In to GitHub
        

          Once installed, VS Code will prompt you to sign in to your GitHub account.

          - Follow the instructions to authenticate with your GitHub account and authorize Copilot.

        

    
    - Enable Copilot
        

          After signing in, Copilot is ready to use. You may need to restart VS Code to finalize the setup.

    • JetBrains IDE

      Install JetBrains IDE.

      • Install GitHub Copilot Plugin.

        Open your IDE.

        • Navigate to File > Settings > Plugins (or Preferences > Plugins on macOS).

        • Search for "GitHub Copilot."

        • Click Install and restart your IDE.

      • Sign In to GitHub

        Authenticate with your GitHub account when prompted.

- Authorize Copilot to integrate with your IDE.

    • Neovim

      Install Neovim.

      • Install the GitHub Copilot plugin.

        Use a Neovim plugin manager like vim-plug or packer.nvim to install copilot.vim.

        • Add the plugin to your Neovim configuration file.

        • Authenticate with GitHub when prompted during setup.

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  • GitHub Copilot in action:** Once installed, Copilot will run in the background, offering code suggestions for as you write. Here’s how to use it effectively: **

     Code suggestions:**
 As you start writing your code, Copilot will suggest auto-completions. These suggestions can range from single line to entire coding block.

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    • Writing functions descriptions:** Write a comment describing the function or task you want to accomplish. Copilot will generate a complete implementation based on the comment.

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    • Multistep suggestion:** Write a clear comment or start coding the beginning of a structure, such as a class or a loop. Copilot will generate the first step, like a function or loop structure. Continue typing or press Ctrl+Enter (on Windows) or Cmd+Enter (on macOS) to cycle through additional multi-step suggestions. Accept, modify, or reject parts of the multi-step suggestion as needed.

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Pro-tips for using GitHub Copilot

Using GitHub Copilot for mobile app development, we have mastered the art and have significantly improved our process and reduced the project delivery timeline. Based on the hands on experiences, here are some of the pro-tips from our development team.

  • Test case creation:** Let Copilot create unit tests or integration tests based on your function definitions. Simply write the test structure or function name, and Copilot will generate test logic. **
  • Algorithm implementation:** When implementing common algorithms (e.g., sorting, searching, recursion), Copilot can provide a starting point and thus saving ample time. **
  • SQL queries:** Use Copilot to quickly write SQL queries when interacting with a database through your code. Simple CRUD SQL queries can be written using Copilot which will reduce the development time. **
  • Data manipulation:** If you're handling data structures (lists, dictionaries, JSON), Copilot can help with efficient data manipulation. **
  • API integrations:** Copilot can help you write integration code for APIs, such as making HTTP requests or processing responses. **
  • Loops and interactions:** Copilot can suggest optimized approaches for loops, including using comprehensions or built-in functions. **
  • Quick documentation:** Copilot can auto-generate docstrings for functions and classes.

Conclusion

With the inclusion of Copilot in the development activities, the process of developing apps has become less cumbersome. It is assumed that it will fully replace the developers needed for the development but, it is to important to keep in mind that Copilot is an assistant to the developers rather than a replacement. With the every evolving technology and AI-enabled development approach, Copilot acts as a leading force. Though Copilot is a pioneer in the AI-enabled app development, it still isn’t the only player in the market. It is good to explore alternatives to GitHub Copilot and select what suits your needs. But, exploring the alternatives of GitHub Copilot is a whole another blog store to reflect upon.