GitHub Copilot

As a seasoned designer with a decade of experience in the field, I've witnessed the evolution of numerous design tools and technologies. Today, I'm excited to delve into GitHub Copilot, a groundbreaking tool that's been a hot topic among developers and designers alike. My focus is on enhancing your reading experience by addressing the most pertinent questions you might have about GitHub Copilot.

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is an advanced AI-powered code suggestion tool that revolutionizes software development. It integrates seamlessly with popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Vim, Neovim, and the JetBrains suite, providing intelligent, context-aware suggestions as you code. By analyzing your code in real-time, GitHub Copilot predicts the next lines and offers suggestions for completing statements, functions, and more. Its underlying machine learning models, trained on vast code repositories, enable it to provide accurate and efficient code snippets, thereby enhancing the speed and quality of coding.

How to Use GitHub Copilot

Setting Up a GitHub Copilot Subscription

Before installing GitHub Copilot, it's essential to set up a subscription. GitHub Copilot is free for verified students, teachers, and open-source project maintainers. Others can start with a 30-day free trial, followed by a paid subscription.

For Personal Accounts

1. Navigate to your GitHub profile settings.
2. Find 'GitHub Copilot' under the 'Code, planning, and automation' section and enable it.
3. Choose a subscription plan and confirm your payment details.
4. Set your preferences, save them, and you're ready to start.

For Organization Accounts

1. Go to the GitHub Copilot Business sign-up page.
2. Select your organization and confirm your payment details.
3. Decide on your public code suggestion settings.
4. Determine who in your organization gets access to GitHub Copilot.

Installing the GitHub Copilot Extension

GitHub Copilot is versatile and supports various IDEs like Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Vim, Neovim, and the JetBrains IDE suite. To use it, you'll need a GitHub account. Here, we'll focus on installing the GitHub Copilot extension for Visual Studio Code:

1. Visit the GitHub Copilot extension page in the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.
2. Click 'Install'. A prompt will ask you to open Visual Studio Code. Confirm this action.
3. If prompted, log in to GitHub in Visual Studio Code to authorize the extension.
4. In your browser, approve the necessary permissions for GitHub Copilot.
5. Back in Visual Studio Code, confirm the authentication in the dialogue box.

Getting Your First Suggestion

With GitHub Copilot installed, you can now enjoy AI-powered coding assistance. Test it by creating a new JavaScript file in Visual Studio Code and begin typing a function header. Copilot will suggest a complete function body, which you can accept with a simple 'Tab'.

GitHub Copilot Usage Methods

Copilot Extensions

Choose from various extensions like Copilot Nightly, Copilot Labs, and Copilot Chat, available in your IDE's extension marketplace. For instance, with Copilot Nightly, you get the latest updates and features. If you're working on a Python script, it might suggest the newest Python functions or libraries, keeping your code cutting-edge.

Explaining Code

The "Explain" feature in Copilot Labs helps you understand complex code segments. Highlight the code and use this feature for an explanation. For example, if you encounter a complex regular expression in JavaScript, Copilot can provide a plain English interpretation, such as validating an email format.

Language Translation

Translate code snippets between programming languages using Copilot Labs or Chat. Input the code in one language and ask Copilot to translate it. If you have a function in JavaScript for array manipulation and need it in Ruby, input the JavaScript code and ask Copilot to provide the Ruby equivalent, facilitating cross-language development.

Debugging

Present Copilot with problematic code or error messages to get suggestions for fixes. In a scenario where you encounter an error in a Node.js application, paste the error message into Copilot Chat. It can analyze the message and suggest potential fixes, like correcting a syntax error or addressing a missing module.

Refactoring

Use Copilot to improve and optimize existing code. For example, if you have a function that doesn't account for certain edge cases, ask Copilot to refactor it. It can suggest modifications to handle null values or unexpected inputs, enhancing the robustness of your code.

Test Generation

Generate unit tests for your code with Copilot's assistance. If you've written a new function, ask Copilot to create tests for it. It can generate tests covering both expected behavior and edge cases, ensuring comprehensive test coverage.

By integrating these advanced features into your development workflow, GitHub Copilot becomes more than just a coding assistant; it transforms into a comprehensive tool that enhances coding efficiency, understanding, and overall productivity.

How Much is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot provides both individual and business subscription plans, catering to personal and organizational needs.

Individual Subscription

1. Free Trial: Start with a 30-day free trial to evaluate GitHub Copilot's features. If you don't cancel before the trial ends, it automatically converts to a paid subscription.
2. Monthly Plan: After the trial, the monthly plan costs $10 per month.
3. Yearly Plan: Opting for an annual subscription costs $100 per year, saving you $20 compared to the monthly plan.
4. Cancellation Policy: You can cancel anytime during the trial to avoid charges. If you cancel before the trial ends, you'll still have access until the 30-day period expires.

Business Subscription

1. Pricing: GitHub Copilot Business is billed at $19 per user per month.
2. User Calculation: Billing is based on the number of assigned GitHub Copilot seats. Seats assigned partway through the billing cycle are prorated.
3. Seat Management: Seat assignments for GitHub Copilot Business are managed by organization admins.

The Differences Between Copilot Individual and Copilot Business

Feature	Copilot Individual	Copilot Business
Pricing	$10 USD per month $100 USD per year	$19 USD per user per month
Types of GitHub accounts	Personal accounts	Organization or enterprise accounts
Telemetry	Included	Not included
Blocks suggestions matching public code	Included	Included
Plugs right into your editor	Included	Included
Offers multi-line function suggestions	Included	Included
Organization-wide policy management	Not included	Included
Exclude specified files	Not included	Included
Audit logs	Not included	Included
HTTP proxy support via custom certificates	Not included	Included

Special Offers

1. Open Source Maintainers and Students: GitHub Copilot is free for maintainers of popular open-source software and verified students. Eligible users are automatically notified upon visiting the GitHub Copilot subscription page.
2. GitHub Student Developer Pack: Students with this pack also receive a free subscription.

Billing Cycle

1. Start Date: For new GitHub billing setups, the cycle starts on the day you sign up for GitHub Copilot. For example, if you sign up on September 3 with monthly billing, your initial cycle runs from September 3 to October 2, and similarly for subsequent months.
2. Pro Rata Billing: If you already have a billing cycle with GitHub, Copilot charges will be included in your next bill, with pro-rata charges for the initial period.

Additional Billing Information

For more details on billing, such as adding a payment method or viewing payment history, refer to GitHub's billing settings documentation.

In summary, GitHub Copilot offers flexible pricing options, making it accessible for individual developers, students, open-source maintainers, and businesses. Its cost-effective plans, coupled with the free trial, provide an excellent opportunity for users to explore its capabilities before committing to a subscription.

What are the Pros and Cons of GitHub Copilot?

Pros

1. Efficiency in Writing Repetitive Code: GitHub Copilot excels at generating repetitive code patterns quickly, saving time and effort for developers.
2. Multiple Alternatives for Code Lines: When you write a line of code, Copilot presents a list of alternatives, allowing for flexibility and learning from your preferences.
3. Ease in Writing Tests: It simplifies the process of writing unit tests by suggesting tests that match your code.
4. Multilingual Support: Copilot understands several programming languages, including Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Ruby, and Go, making it versatile.
5. Integration with Popular Editors: It seamlessly integrates with IDE tools like Neovim, JetBrains, Visual Studio, and Visual Studio Code, enhancing the coding experience.

Cons

1. Quality Uncertainty: While GitHub Copilot generates code suggestions, it cannot test its code, leading to potential issues with running or compiling.
2. Copyright and Intellectual Property Concerns: There's a risk of violating copyright laws, as Copilot's suggestions may occasionally match code from its training set.
3. Dependency Risk for New Developers: Copilot might hinder the learning process for new developers by providing ready-made solutions rather than teaching coding fundamentals.
4. Security Concerns: Being trained on a vast array of open-source code, Copilot might inadvertently learn from unsecured or buggy code patterns, posing security risks.
5. Cognitive Biases in AI Pair Programming: The tool's automatic suggestions could lead to over-reliance and reduced critical thinking in coding decisions.

What is the Use of GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot serves as an AI pair programmer, enhancing your coding speed, code quality, and overall development process. Here are some key uses:

• Improving Coding Speed: With its intelligent code suggestions, GitHub Copilot significantly speeds up the coding process, especially when dealing with repetitive or boilerplate code.
• Enhancing Code Quality: The AI algorithms of Copilot, trained on a vast dataset, suggest accurate and high-quality code, adhering to established patterns and avoiding common mistakes.
• Reducing Coding Errors: As an AI pair programmer, GitHub Copilot helps reduce syntax errors and typos, providing context-aware suggestions that align with your coding intentions.

What is GitHub Copilot Best for?

GitHub Copilot is particularly effective in various scenarios, making it a versatile tool for developers:

• Automating Repetitive Tasks: It excels in generating code for repetitive tasks, saving valuable time.
• Code Refactoring: Copilot assists in refactoring code by suggesting alternative implementations or optimized versions.
• Debugging Code: During the debugging process, Copilot can accelerate problem-solving by providing potential fixes or solutions.
• Advanced Usage Scenarios: In complex scenarios involving intricate algorithms or specific frameworks, Copilot’s suggestions can be invaluable.

FAQs

How to Cancel GitHub Copilot

Canceling Your Copilot Individual Subscription

To cancel your GitHub Copilot Individual subscription, follow these steps:

1. Click your profile photo in the upper-right corner of any GitHub page.
2. Select 'Settings'.
3. In the 'Access' section of the sidebar, click 'Billing and plans', then 'Plans and usage'.
4. Under 'Add-ons', in the 'GitHub Copilot' section, select the 'Manage subscription' dropdown on the right and then click 'Cancel'.
5. In the 'Cancel GitHub Copilot' modal, click 'I understand, cancel GitHub Copilot'.

Canceling Your Copilot Individual Trial

If you are in the 30-day trial period and wish to cancel:

1. Click your profile photo in the upper-right corner of any GitHub page.
2. Go to 'Settings'.
3. In the 'Access' section, click 'Billing and plans', then 'Plans and usage'.
4. Under 'Add-ons', in the 'GitHub Copilot' section, click 'Cancel trial'.

Remember, canceling your subscription or trial will take effect at the end of your current billing cycle or trial period. If you cancel during the trial, you won't be charged, and your access will continue until the end of the trial period.

Does GitHub Copilot Use Your Code?

• GitHub Copilot for Business does not use your code for training its AI model.
• Individual users have the option to consent to their code being used for training.
• The tool uses probabilistic reasoning to generate code suggestions, ensuring that it does not simply copy existing code.

What Languages Does GitHub Copilot Support?

GitHub Copilot is designed to work with a variety of programming languages. According to the GitHub documentation, the core languages supported by GitHub features, including GitHub Copilot, are:

• C
• C++
• C#
• Go
• Java
• JavaScript
• PHP
• Python
• Ruby
• Scala
• TypeScript

These languages are integral to GitHub's features, ensuring broad compatibility and functionality across different coding environments. GitHub Copilot's ability to understand and assist with these languages makes it a versatile tool for developers working in diverse programming contexts.

Is GitHub Copilot Better than ChatGPT?

Feature	GitHub Copilot	ChatGPT
Primary Function	AI-powered code completion tool	AI-driven large language model for various tasks
Integration	Integrates with IDEs like Visual Studio Code, JetBrains, Neovim	Can be integrated into various applications via API
Language Support	Supports multiple programming languages including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, PHP, Swift, Kotlin, Rust, C#, C++, Java, HTML/CSS, SQL	Capable of generating code snippets in various programming languages
Use Cases	Autocomplete code suggestions, intelligent function and variable suggestions, code refactoring, simplifying complex algorithms	Code generation, chatbot integration, code refactoring, bug fixing, API integration, rapid prototyping, framework and library usage
AI Model	Based on OpenAI's GPT-3 language prediction model	Utilizes OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models
Code Generation	Provides machine learning capabilities for intelligent code completion	Generates text and content based on provided prompts, including code snippets
User Interface	User-friendly, integrates as an extension in coding environments	Clean and satisfactory UI for interacting with the AI model
Security Features	Benefits from GitHub's security measures, AI-based vulnerability prevention system	Users responsible for incorporating security features in applications
Performance Evaluation	Focuses on generating code snippets for specific functionalities	Offers a broader approach, providing insights and recommendations on system design and implementation
Limitations	Reliance on existing code patterns, limited support for certain languages	Limited understanding of programming languages, inconsistencies and errors in responses

In summary, GitHub Copilot excels as an AI-powered code completion tool, seamlessly integrating with various IDEs and offering robust support for multiple programming languages. It's particularly suited for developers seeking intelligent code suggestions and efficient refactoring within their coding environment. On the other hand, ChatGPT, with its advanced GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models, is versatile in generating text and code across various contexts, making it ideal for broader applications like chatbots, content generation, and rapid prototyping. Each tool has distinct advantages, catering to different needs in the software development and AI-assisted writing landscapes.