Overview
This course provides a comprehensive guide to accelerating application development using GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat within a Visual Studio Code environment. Participants will learn to leverage AI-powered tools to enhance coding efficiency, generate documentation, develop unit tests, and implement code improvements. The curriculum emphasizes practical skills through hands-on exercises and a guided project, ensuring learners can effectively integrate GitHub Copilot into their development workflows.
Prerequisites
Participants should have:
- An active subscription for GitHub Copilot, either personal or organizational
- One or more years of code development experience
- Experience developing C# applications in Visual Studio Code with the C# Dev Kit extension
Target audience
This course is suitable for:
- Experienced developers aiming to enhance productivity using AI tools
- Software engineers interested in integrating GitHub Copilot into their workflows
- Technical professionals seeking to improve code quality and maintainability
Learning objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Understand the features and benefits of GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat
- Install and configure GitHub Copilot extensions in Visual Studio Code
- Generate code documentation using GitHub Copilot tools
- Develop new code features and unit tests with AI assistance
- Implement code improvements to enhance quality, reliability, and security
- Apply GitHub Copilot tools in a guided project to reinforce learning
Course Outline
Module 1: Get started with GitHub Copilot
- Introduction to GitHub Copilot and related AI tools from GitHub, OpenAI, and Microsoft
- Overview of GitHub Copilot tools, benefits, and limitations
- Installing GitHub Copilot extensions for Visual Studio Code
- Exploring autocomplete features of the GitHub Copilot extension
- Exploring AI assistance features of the GitHub Copilot Chat extension
- Configuring GitHub Copilot extensions for Visual Studio Code
Module 2: Generate documentation using GitHub Copilot tools
- Introduction to documentation capabilities with GitHub Copilot Chat
- Using the “document” and “explain” features
- Generating code explanations
- Generating project documentation
- Generating inline code documentation
- Completing a documentation challenge and reviewing the solution
Module 3: Develop code features using GitHub Copilot tools
- Overview of code development features
- Best practices when using GitHub Copilot
- Creating code using line completions
- Creating code using Inline Chat
- Completing 'create new code' and 'code logic' challenges and reviewing solutions
- Converting code between programming languages
Module 4: Develop unit tests using GitHub Copilot tools
- Overview of unit testing tools and environment
- Creating unit tests using GitHub Copilot Chat
- Creating unit tests for specific conditions
- Completing a 'create unit tests' challenge and reviewing the solution
Module 5: Implement code improvements using GitHub Copilot tools
- Understanding Copilot’s support for improving code
- Improving code quality
- Enhancing reliability and performance
- Enhancing security
- Completing an “app improvement” challenge and reviewing the solution
Module 6: Guided project – Accelerate app development using GitHub Copilot tools
- Preparing the development environment
- Analysing and documenting code
- Developing new app features
- Developing unit tests
- Refactoring and improving code
Exams and assessments
There are no formal exams included in this course. Learners will complete interactive labs, guided exercises, and scenario-based tasks to reinforce understanding and assess their progress.
Hands-on learning
This course includes:
- Guided labs on installing and configuring GitHub Copilot extensions
- Practical exercises for generating documentation, developing code features, creating unit tests, and implementing code improvements
- A comprehensive guided project to apply learned skills in a real-world scenario
- Instructor feedback and collaborative learning activities
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When will I receive my certificate?
Certificates of Achievement are issued at the end the course, either as a hard copy or via email. Read more here.