AI-Powered Development: GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio

Course details

Unlock the full potential of the latest AI-powered tools in Visual Studio. Learn how intermediate developers can leverage the key capabilities of GitHub Copilot, including Copilot Chat for conversational coding, context-aware code generation, and the powerful agent mode, which can automatically scan, refactor, and improve your codebase to fix issues and eliminate repetitive work. Dive into AI-enhanced code completions, real-time refactoring suggestions, and inline documentation generation. Explore how to leverage the Next Edit Suggestions feature, which anticipates your next logical step to help you stay focused and in flow. This course also introduces advanced debugging and optimization techniques, using AI to support performance tuning in real time. By the end, you’ll be equipped to use Visual Studio not just as an IDE, but as a smart, collaborative partner—enhancing productivity, reducing technical debt, and streamlining your entire development process.

Concepts

Start Smart with AI in Visual Studio

AI-powered development in Visual Studio
How to access the sample code on GitHub

AI and Programming Code

How AI tools support developers
AI, LLMs, and Copilot
Analytical AI
Which Visual Studio version to use
Generate a working project with Copilot agent

Get Ready to Use Copilot

GitHub Copilot, the backbone of AI in the IDE
Subscription options
Activate Copilot in Visual Studio
Adjust Copilot settings and behavior
Choose an AI model for Copilot

Completions - Smarter Code, Faster Flow

Completions, chat, and agent modes
IntelliCode - Built-in AI suggestions
IntelliCode vs. Copilot comparison
Code completion - Create method in C#
Use comments to guide completion
Code completion - Python

Copilot Chat Window

Chat mode in Copilot - Quick review
Anatomy of the Copilot chat window
Chat with GitHub Copilot
Switch between Copilot models
Chat history and persistence
Edit the active document

Change Chat Scope and Context

Change scope while chatting
What active document really means
Use scope tags to change scope
Participants - @workspace, @vs, @github
Use a participant

Slash Commands

Slash commands as chat snippets
The explain slash command
The fix slash command
The optimize slash command

Use Images in Chat Prompts

Use images with the chat
Analyze image content
Generate code based on an image
View the generated HTML and CSS

Customizing the Chat Experience

Customizing chat with markdown files
Understand this chapter project
The anatomy of a great instruction file
Use custom instructions effectively
Use prompt files to guide Copilot

Inline Chat - Code Meets Context

Inline chat in Copilot - Quick review
Use inline chat for quick edits
Describe code with Copilot inline
Use slash commands inline
Refactor code inline
Write XML documentation with AI
Write comments with AI

Refactor and Automate with Copilot Agent

Agent mode in Copilot - Quick review
Create a new project - Where and how
Start simple, create a new project
Pedal & Pine Tours sample application
Add a new feature to a existing project
Keep or reject the changes
Appending more instructions
Refactor code with Copilot agent
Build a new UI with the help of Copilot
Examine the refactored site
Deeper look - Where does Copilot run

Build a Complete Razor Application with Copilot Agent

Why use generative AI to create anything
Explore the PortChecker prototype
PortChecker - The console version
PortChecker - The class library
PortChecker - The Windows UI
Explore the kaleidoscope prototype
Kaleidoscope - Failures and frustrations
Ask for help - Use chat to refine app generation

Debug Smarter with Copilot

Explain build error messages
Debug mode in the Copilot chat window
Explain runtime errors and exceptions
Diagnosing incorrect runtime behavior
Analysis - Why a variable has its value
The integration with the Watch windows
The sample Visualizer code
Visualize data with LINQ and Copilot
AI-powered breakpoints and tracepoints

Enhanced Git with Copilot

Write smarter commit messages
Commit message customization
Pull request assistance
Use @github for repository insights

What s Next in Your AI Journey

The LLM landscape
What happened to Copilot Edits
Custom MCP servers
Next steps and learning resources