What is GitHub Copilot: detailed overview
Tags: ai, productivity, datascience, github
Published: 2024-07-12 09:49:45

_This post is a quick overview of an Abto Software [blog article](https://www.abtosoftware.com/blog/what-is-github-copilot-detailed-dive-in)._

Artificial intelligence along with popular subsets – in particular, machine and deep learning – are transforming information and technology practices, and cutting-edge coding assistants are gaining increased momentum.

Code suggestions and generation, seamless debugging, smart testing, and more are now easily automated. Code faster omitting mistakes and harnessing greater accuracy – as simple as that.

## What is GitHub Copilot?

**GitHub Copilot is an advanced assistant that applies artificial intelligence to empower software developers handle everyday coding-related routines more efficiently.**

The technology can deliver contextual suggestions and generate code completely from scratch using prompts. The assistant can write relevant snippets in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, and other programming languages that appear in public coding repositories.

## GitHub Copilot: market share

**Fidelity Investments, Scandinavian Airlines, Dell, Shopify, Goldman Sachs, Mercedes Benz, and Lemonade –** the tool already enjoys high interest among known industry leaders.

GitHub’s solution, in the NLP-and-text-analytics segment, has reached a meritorious market share of 0.42%. Other competitors are prominent Hugging Face, Azure Translator, and IBM’s Watsonx Assistant with trimming 40.20%, 9.36%, and 9.12% market share.

## GitHub Copilot to empower software developers: use cases

### Code suggestion

The solution can provide real-time suggestions by using current context and comments in the code written. What’s more, the assistant can suggest relevant libraries and functions by identifying coding patterns.

### Code generation

The solution can create boilerplate structures to handle user authentication, database connection, and more. Another thing, the assistant can create separate functions and classes using descriptions from comments.

### Efficient debugging

The copilot can also provide recommendations on fixing code errors:

- If using the IDE, just describe the error in the Copilot Chat
- If using the CLI, type /fix to get a suggestion

### Simplified testing

To verify your code will function as intended, you can also use the program to generate all-out unit test cases. You can simply select a block of code and ask to create test cases for it or describe the features to test.

## GitHub Copilot to facilitate your potential: our tips

### Be specific with prompts

The solution must receive detailed and accurate prompts to create useful suggestions and recommendations. For example, for the smart assistant to write a code to draw a landscape, you must first specify the details – location, weather, animals, greenery, and more.

### Provide examples

The solution will provide much more relevant output by having more context about what you're envisioning. This way, the assistant will have less room for misinterpretation.

### Maintain consistent naming conventions

Try using naming conventions to describe the purpose of variables to help the copilot understand descriptions. The concept is simple – the program will replicate naming conventions and keep the output more organized.

### Break down complicated things

The technology works efficiently when writing shorter snippets, so do not write too complex, tangled requests. Take time to explain every step to eliminate potential mistakes.

## Using Copilot for free

The Copilot is available for free by accessing the one-time, one-month trial, after which you’ll need:

- Copilot Individual – for your personal use
- Copilot Team – for members of organizations
- Copilot Enterprise – for members of enterprises

The program is also completely free for students and teachers, and owners of popular open-source projects. This option is accessed by verifying the role being claimed.

## Getting Copilot for businesses

You can either get Copilot Team and enjoy:

- Either $4/month or $3.67/month for the yearly subscription
- GitHub Copilot and Codespaces 
- 3,000 CI/CD execution minutes a month
- 2GB of packages storage
- Protected branches
- Web-based support

Or buy Copilot Enterprise and leverage advanced functionality:

- Either $21/month or $19.25/month for the yearly subscription
- GitHub Copilot, Codespaces, Connect
- GitHub security, which includes SOC1, SOC2, FedRAMP ATO, SAML SSO
- 50,000 CI/CD execution minutes a month
- 50GB of packages storage
- Premium support

## Is it worth buying?

GitHub Copilot can provide code suggestions and snippets, efficient debugging, simplified testing, and more. With intuitive coding functionality, from offering next lines and creating new structures to writing unit tests, the assistant can automate traditionally manual, resource-intense activities.

But remember, GitHub Copilot doesn’t replace human expertise – you should always review given responses. What’s more, the results may vary, so use the tool for specific programming languages and frameworks.

## Getting started: step-by-step guide

### Step 1. Choose plan

Before investing, you can try out the demo for free – the one-time, one-month trial is available for everyone. When happy with using the assistant, you can go further and choose between subscriptions, in particular Copilot Individual, Copilot Business, and Enterprise.

### Step 2. Install extension

Next step:

- If you don’t have Visual Studio Code installed, go to their webpage to get the editor
- If you do have the tool, go straight to install the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace website

### Step 3. Get support

The algorithm can provide value-added recommendations for programmers across several popular languages. The support is typically most efficient for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, and C#.

### Step 4. Moving further

To get the most out of the algorithm:

- Configure the GitHub Copilot in your current editor 
- Get started with the GitHub Copilot Chat feature to ask for information and assistance
- Practice writing detailed prompts
- Learn troubleshooting by leveraging the algorithm

## Summing up

Abto Software, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, can deliver enterprise-level products empowering leaders. Our engineers, by leveraging GitHub Copilot together with other technology and specialized domain expertise, can facilitate coding practices, thereby delivering value-added products even faster.

Our services:

- .NET development
- ASP.NET development
- Web app development
- Mobile app development
- VB6 migration
- Full-cycle, custom software development