How to use GitHub Copilot: Prompts, tips, and use cases

[todsacerdoti]

https://github.blog/2023-06-20-how-to-write-better-prompts-for-github-copilot/

[Zetice]

> Neighboring tabs is what we call the technique that allows GitHub Copilot to process all of the files open in a developer’s IDE instead of just the single one the developer is working on. By opening all files relevant to their project, developers automatically invoke GitHub Copilot to comb through all of the data and find matching pieces of code between their open files and the code around their cursor—and add those matches to the prompt.

That's cool, I have wondered to what extent the rest of my codebase is being used for context.

[sp332 → Zetice]

Oh, so it sends all my config secrets too? It's hard enough keeping it off in certain files https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/13334 since the .copilotignore feature doesn't actually work. https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/10305

[Zetice → sp332]

Why are there config secrets in your IDE?

[sp332 → Zetice]

To communicate with remote APIs.

[Zetice → sp332]

You can do that without placing secrets in your IDE, in fact doing so sounds like quite poor opsec.

[sp332 → Zetice]

Where do you put them?

[Zetice → sp332]

Secrets Manager, never my computer.

[sp332 → Zetice]

What's the point of having a computer if you never run code on it lol.

[Zetice → sp332]

I know how to run code locally without exposing secrets to anyone (or any app) that has access to my laptop.

You should learn how to do this if you want to be a competent developer.