How to use GitHub Copilot for code reviews in pull requests

Key Concepts:

• GitHub Copilot code review
• Pull requests (PRs)
• Code review process
• Suggestion acceptance and batching
• React project front-end component

GitHub Copilot Code Review Process

The video demonstrates how to use GitHub Copilot to perform initial code reviews on pull requests (PRs) within a React project. The process begins with a pull request containing a front-end component.

1. Requesting a Copilot Review: On github.com, under the "Reviewers" section of a pull request, there's an option to request a review from "Copilot." Clicking the "Request" button initiates the automated review process.

2. Copilot's Comments: After Copilot completes its review, its comments are displayed within the pull request. It's crucial to note that Copilot always leaves a "comment review," not an "approve review" or a "request changes review."

3. Impact on Required Reviews: Copilot's reviews do not count towards the required number of reviews for a pull request. This means Copilot's feedback won't block the merging of changes.

Accepting and Applying Suggestions

Copilot's suggestions can be directly applied to the code:

1. Individual Acceptance: By clicking the "Commit suggestions" drop-down menu on a suggestion, and then pressing "Commit changes," the suggested changes are directly applied to the file within github.com.

2. Batch Acceptance: Multiple suggestions can be accepted at once by clicking the "Add to batch" button for each desired suggestion. This allows for a more efficient workflow when dealing with numerous recommendations.

Iterative Review Process

The video emphasizes that the Copilot review process can be iterative:

1. Multiple Reviews: After addressing initial suggestions and making further changes to the PR, additional reviews can be requested from Copilot.

2. Re-Acceptance: The process of accepting and applying suggestions is repeated after each Copilot review, ensuring continuous improvement of the code.

Benefits and Use Case

The primary benefit of using Copilot for code review is to have an automated first pass at the code before involving human reviewers. This allows developers to address potential issues and improve code quality before seeking feedback from their team.

Notable Quotes:

• "One thing to note is that Copilot will always leave a comment review and not an approve review or a request changes review."
• "With Copilot code review, you can ask GitHub Copilot to take a first look at your code before asking your team for that final review."

Technical Terms:

• Pull Request (PR): A request to merge code changes from one branch into another.
• Code Review: The process of examining code for potential errors, improvements, and adherence to coding standards.
• React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
• Front-end: The part of a software application that users interact with directly.

Synthesis/Conclusion:

GitHub Copilot's code review feature provides a valuable tool for developers to improve code quality and streamline the review process. By offering automated initial reviews, Copilot helps identify potential issues early on, allowing developers to address them before involving human reviewers. This can lead to more efficient and effective code reviews, ultimately resulting in higher-quality software. The iterative nature of the review process, combined with the ability to accept suggestions individually or in batches, makes Copilot a flexible and powerful addition to the development workflow.