How to create your first GitHub Copilot Space (Step-by-step guide)

Key Concepts:

• Copilot Spaces: A method for organizing code, documentation, and context for use with Copilot.
• Context: Code, documentation, issues, pull requests, and other relevant information used by Copilot to generate responses.
• Attachments: Files from GitHub repos, plain text, issues, pull requests, etc., added to a Copilot Space.
• Subject Matter Expert: The role Copilot Spaces take on due to their focused context, generating high-quality results.

Creating a Copilot Space

1. Access Spaces: Navigate to the "spaces" section in the Copilot sidebar.
2. Create New Space: Initiate the creation of a new space. In the example, a "test coverage space" is created.
3. Purpose: The space is designed to build test coverage for a specific application.
4. Ownership: Assign ownership to either yourself or an organization. Organizational ownership allows sharing with other members.
5. Instructions: Add instructions to guide the model on response formatting and any specific nuances required for generating responses. These instructions are crucial for tailoring Copilot's output.

Adding Context to a Copilot Space

1. Attachments: Add relevant context as attachments. Supported attachment types include files from GitHub repos, plain text, issues, and pull requests. More context types are planned for future releases.
2. GitHub Repo Context: The example demonstrates adding core application logic, tests, and the test framework from a GitHub repository.
3. Contextual Isolation: Copilot Spaces exclusively use the context contained within them to generate responses. This isolation ensures focused and relevant outputs.

Functionality and Benefits

1. High-Quality Results: Copilot Spaces are designed to generate incredibly high-quality results due to their focused context.
2. Subject Matter Expertise: Copilot Spaces function as a "subject matter expert" in a specific part of the codebase. This expertise is derived from the curated context provided within the space.
3. Versatility: Copilot Spaces are simple to create and can be used for a wide range of tasks.

Conclusion

Copilot Spaces offer a structured approach to leveraging Copilot by organizing relevant code, documentation, and other context. By focusing Copilot's attention on a specific set of information, Spaces enable the generation of high-quality, targeted results, effectively turning Copilot into a subject matter expert for a particular area of a codebase or project. The ease of creation and versatility of Spaces make them a valuable tool for various development tasks.