In case you’ve used slash instructions within the GitHub Copilot CLI, you already understand how highly effective a fast / could be. Within the GitHub Copilot app, slash instructions take that concept additional, supplying you with shortcuts for managing periods, navigating tasks, and customizing your Copilot workflow.
What are slash instructions?
Slash instructions are textual content shortcuts you sort instantly into the GitHub Copilot app’s chat composer. Begin by typing / and an autocomplete menu seems, displaying the instructions accessible in your present context. It’s a small character with a whole lot of potential, opening the door to shortcuts that enable you work with Copilot in new methods.
In case you’re coming from the CLI, right here’s the important thing distinction: CLI slash instructions are designed round a terminal-first workflow. Issues like including directories, setting your working listing, and managing terminal entry occur by way of instructions. This is sensible, as a result of the CLI lives inside your terminal the place there’s no visible interface.
The app, alternatively, gives a visible interface for managing context. File entry instructions like /add-dir or /cwd aren’t wanted for the reason that app manages venture context routinely. App slash instructions are extra about workflows. You’ll be able to navigate between periods, handle tasks, and management how the agent works.
Why use slash instructions?
Slash instructions could seem like easy shortcuts, however they’ll change the way you work together with Copilot. They enable you transfer sooner, keep targeted, and rapidly entry the workflows you want. As an alternative of digging by way of choices or breaking your focus to search out the precise device, you possibly can sort a command and preserve transferring. A single / opens up the checklist of slash instructions that may enable you transfer sooner, discover new concepts, and get essentially the most out of the app.
Let’s check out a number of the slash instructions accessible within the GitHub Copilot app and the way they’ll match into your on a regular basis workflows.
Earlier than you write code, make a /plan
Good code begins with an excellent plan. /plan helps you break down a job earlier than you begin writing code, suppose by way of your strategy, determine potential challenges, and determine what must occur subsequent. It additionally switches your session into Plan mode, which you may as well choose from the Mode dropdown within the chat composer.
Plan a brand new function. Break down new function concepts earlier than leaping into implementation. Have Copilot determine recordsdata, elements, and dependencies so you will have a clearer path ahead.
/plan I want so as to add two-factor authentication to our utility. Assist me break down the work concerned, determine what recordsdata want to vary, and description an implementation strategy.
Put together for a big refactor. Map out advanced adjustments earlier than touching your code. Uncover potential dangers and develop an incremental strategy for making massive adjustments safely.
/plan We wish to refactor our notification system code to make it simpler to help new channels like push notifications. Assist me perceive the adjustments wanted and create an incremental migration plan.
Triage and repair bugs. If you realize one thing is fallacious however aren’t positive the place to start out, /plan might help you discover doable causes and description the steps wanted to diagnose and resolve the issue.
/plan Customers are reporting that our checkout stream randomly fails after cost processing. Assist me examine doable causes and create a plan to diagnose and repair the difficulty.
Let Copilot play satan’s advocate with /spar
Typically the easiest way to validate an thought is to problem it. /spar is like that one teammate who raises their hand and asks, “Have we thought of what occurs when this goes fallacious?” It helps you pressure-test your strategy by having Copilot query your assumptions and level out potential dangers or tradeoffs earlier than you decide to an answer. Listed here are a couple of methods you need to use it:
Validate an structure alternative. Pitch your plan to make use of Redis for caching and have Copilot query your invalidation technique, scalability, or whether or not one other strategy higher matches your workload.
/spar I am planning to make use of Redis as a caching layer for our product API. Problem my strategy and level out any scalability or consistency issues I’ll have missed.
Evaluate implementation choices. Ask Copilot to debate the professionals and cons of REST versus GraphQL, or synchronous versus asynchronous processing, based mostly in your utility’s necessities.
/spar Assist me determine between REST and GraphQL for a customer-facing API. Ask questions, problem my assumptions, and suggest which strategy matches finest for an app with cellular purchasers.
Evaluate a migration plan. Stroll by way of a database migration or infrastructure change and have Copilot determine edge instances, dangers, or rollout issues earlier than you start.
/spar I am migrating our database to a brand new managed service with minimal downtime. Poke holes in my migration plan and determine any dangers or edge instances I ought to account for.
Problem a efficiency optimization. Share an optimization you’re contemplating and ask Copilot to level out hidden bottlenecks, unintended negative effects, or less complicated alternate options.
/spar I am planning to lazy load a lot of the elements on my web site to enhance preliminary load time. Critique my strategy and inform me the place it may harm person expertise or introduce pointless complexity.
/autopilot take the wheel
After you have a /plan, the following step is popping that concept into working code. /autopilot helps you’re employed by way of implementation, make adjustments, and iterate as wanted. As an alternative of managing every particular person step, give Copilot a objective and let it work by way of the steps wanted to finish the duty. It additionally switches your session into Autopilot mode, which you may as well choose from the Mode dropdown within the chat composer.
Implement a brand new function. Hand off a job and let Copilot work by way of the implementation steps.
/autopilot Add help for exporting person stories as CSV recordsdata. Determine the recordsdata that want adjustments, implement the function, and replace any related exams.
Full a bigger upkeep job. Use /autopilot for duties that require a number of steps, similar to updating dependencies, refactoring code, or enhancing documentation.
/autopilot Replace this venture to the newest model of React. Determine breaking adjustments, replace the code the place wanted, and ensure the take a look at suite passes.
Discuss it by way of with /rubber-duck
I’ve realized from private expertise that speaking issues by way of together with your cat isn’t at all times useful. Their listening abilities are questionable at finest, and their debugging recommendation often ends with them sitting on my keyboard or chewing my wires. /rubber-duck offers you one thing even higher: a contemporary set of eyes.
It makes use of a unique mannequin to independently overview your work, serving to floor blind spots, query assumptions, and catch points your major mannequin could have missed. It’s particularly helpful for advanced refactors, architectural selections, migration plans, or any time you need a second opinion earlier than transferring ahead.
Get a second opinion on a plan. Earlier than you begin implementing a posh function, have a unique mannequin independently overview your plan and level out assumptions, lacking steps, or potential dangers./rubber-duck Evaluate the implementation plan we have created for including two-factor authentication. Determine any blind spots, edge instances, or dangers that we could have missed.
Evaluate a big refactor. After making important adjustments, ask /rubber-duck to critique the strategy and spotlight something that may very well be simplified, improved, or dealt with in a different way./rubber-duck Evaluate the refactoring we have accomplished for the notification system. Search for architectural issues, pointless complexity, or areas that may very well be improved earlier than I open a pull request.
Validate a migration technique. Earlier than rolling out a posh migration, use a second mannequin to independently consider your strategy and determine rollout or reliability issues./rubber-duck Evaluate our database migration plan and implementation. Level out any blind spots, rollback issues, or edge instances we should always tackle earlier than deployment.
Flip conversations into interactive experiences with /create-canvas
Not each drawback is finest solved by way of a chat window. /create-canvas allows you to create interactive interfaces instantly from a dialog with Copilot. As an alternative of working by way of data in an extended chat, you possibly can flip it right into a visualization, dashboard, or customized workflow you possibly can work together with. For instance:
/create-canvas Create an interactive diagram displaying how companies on this utility join.
/create-canvas Create a problem triage board that lets me overview and categorize open points.
For extra data and examples on creating canvases, try our weblog submit.
When one job turns into many, use /orchestrate
Not each job matches neatly right into a single workflow. Typically you could make adjustments throughout a number of repositories or sort out a number of associated duties directly. /orchestrate helps you coordinate work throughout periods and repositories by breaking bigger efforts into smaller duties that may transfer ahead in parallel.
Coordinate adjustments throughout repositories. When a function touches a number of codebases, /orchestrate might help you observe the work and coordinate updates throughout every repository.
/orchestrate I want so as to add help for a brand new authentication stream throughout our frontend, backend, and shared repositories. Assist me break down the work and coordinate the adjustments wanted in every codebase.
Handle parallel improvement duties. For bigger tasks, Copilot can divide the work into targeted efforts so a number of items can transfer ahead collectively.
/orchestrate Put together this function for launch. Determine the work wanted for implementation, testing, documentation, and deployment, then assist coordinate every job.
Your subsequent workflow begins with /
You don’t have to memorize any instructions to get began. Choose a couple of slash instructions that match how you’re employed and construct from there. The autocomplete menu has your again for the remaining. Kind / and begin exploring! You may also learn our docs to study extra concerning the GitHub Copilot app.
Strive slash instructions within the GitHub Copilot app, or try our docs for a listing of accessible instructions.
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