Using GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Let’s be honest – coding isn’t always easy. Some days, you’re laser-focused, knocking out feature after feature. Other days, you stare at your screen, wondering,
“What’s the fastest way to write this function?”
“Is there a cleaner way to loop through this data?”

That’s where GitHub Copilot comes in.

If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re seriously missing out on one of the biggest productivity boosters available to developers today. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to use GitHub Copilot with Visual Studio Code (VS Code), share my personal experience, and help you decide if it’s worth adding to your workflow.

What is GitHub Copilot?

Think of GitHub Copilot as your AI pair programmer.
It’s trained on billions of lines of public code from GitHub repositories and can:

Suggest whole lines of code or entire functions
Autocomplete loops, conditions, or boilerplate code
Help you learn new frameworks or syntaxes on the fly

It’s like having a coding buddy that never sleeps, doesn’t get tired, and is always ready to assist.

Setting Up Copilot in VS Code

Getting started is easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Install Visual Studio Code

If you don’t have VS Code installed yet, you can install it from here.

Step 2: Install the GitHub Copilot Extension

Open VS Code
Go to the Extensions tab (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for GitHub Copilot
Click Install

Or directly visit here to find the extension.

Step 3: Sign in with GitHub

After installing, you’ll be prompted to sign in using your GitHub account.

Note: GitHub Copilot is a paid service (currently), but there’s usually a free trial to test it out.

How Does Copilot Work?

Once set up, Copilot starts making suggestions as you code. It’s kind of magical.

Here’s how it typically works:

Type a comment describing what you want
- Example:

// Function to reverse a string

Copilot will automatically generate the function for you!

Write part of the code, and Copilot completes the rest
- Start writing a “for” loop or an API call, and Copilot will suggest the following lines.
Cycle through suggestions
- Press Tab to accept a suggestion, or use Alt + [ / Alt + ] to browse different options.

Real-Life Use Cases

Here’s how I personally use Copilot in my day-to-day coding:

Use Case	Why I Use Copilot
Boilerplate Code	Saves time writing repetitive patterns
API Calls	Auto-completes `fetch` or `axios` calls quickly
Learning New Syntax	Helps with unfamiliar frameworks like Rust or Go
Unit Tests	Suggests test cases faster than starting from scratch
Regular Expressions	Generates regex patterns (saves Googling!)

Tips to Get the Most Out of Copilot

Write clear comments:
- Copilot works better when you describe what you want.
Don’t blindly trust the output:
- It’s smart, but not always correct.
- Review the suggestions carefully, especially for security-sensitive code.
Pair it with documentation:
- Use Copilot for assistance, but keep the official docs open.
- Copilot is great, but it doesn’t replace your understanding of the framework.
Use Copilot Labs (Optional):
- If you want more experimental features like code explanation or refactoring suggestions, try Copilot Labs.

Is Copilot Replacing Developers?

Short answer? No.

Copilot is a tool, not a replacement for developers.
It speeds up the boring parts, but:

Critical thinking? Still you.
Architecture decisions? Still you.
Debugging complex issues? Yes, still you.

Think of Copilot as an assistant, not a boss. It helps you code faster, but you’re still in charge of the logic and creativity.

Pros and Cons of Copilot

Pros

Saves time on repetitive coding tasks
Reduces context-switching to StackOverflow or Google
Helps you learn new syntaxes quickly
Available right inside VS Code

Cons

Requires an active subscription after the free trial
Sometimes generates incorrect or outdated code
Can make you over-rely on suggestions if you’re not careful

Final Thoughts: Is Copilot Worth It?

If you’re someone who:

Codes daily
Works across multiple languages or frameworks
Wants to focus on the “what” and less on the “how”

Then GitHub Copilot is absolutely worth trying out.

Personally, I’ve found it to be a game-changer for productivity. It doesn’t write all my code, but it takes away the mental fatigue of boilerplate so I can focus on solving real problems.

Useful Links

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