10 GitHub Copilot Tips to 10x Your Coding Speed

GitHub Copilot is already a standard tool in the professional developer's toolkit. But there's a huge difference between basic use and getting the most out of it. These 10 tips, based on real usage by professional developers, will help you extract much more value from it.

1. Write Comments Before the Code

Copilot is much more accurate when you describe what you want to do before it does it. Write a detailed comment describing the function you need and let Copilot implement it. The more specific you are in the comment, the better the suggestion.

2. Use Descriptive Names

Copilot infers the purpose of code from context, including variable and function names. calculateMonthlyInterest() will generate much more relevant suggestions than calc().

3. Take Advantage of Test Autocomplete

Copilot is especially good at generating unit tests. Write the test name describing the expected behavior and let Copilot complete the body. It's one of the biggest time-savers.

4. Iterate with Tab and Esc

Don't accept the first suggestion if it's not perfect. Press Esc to dismiss it and type one or two more words — Copilot will generate a new suggestion with more context.

5. Use Chat for Refactoring

Copilot's chat (Ctrl+I in VS Code) is ideal for asking it to refactor an existing block of code. "Refactor this to use async/await instead of callbacks" works very well.

6. Generate Test Data

Copilot is excellent at generating fixtures and test data. Describe the object you need with a comment and automatically generate arrays of realistic data for your tests.

7. Document as You Code

Place your cursor just above a function and type /** — Copilot will automatically generate the JSDoc/docstring based on the function's code.

8. Translate Between Languages

If you need to port code from Python to TypeScript or from Java to Go, paste the original code in a comment and describe what you want. Copilot will do a reasonably good translation as a starting point.

9. Explain the File Context

Copilot uses the files open in your editor as context. If you're working on a new module, also open related files so Copilot has more information about your project's conventions.

10. Combine with Cursor for Complex Tasks

For refactoring that spans multiple files, consider using Cursor instead of Copilot. Cursor's Composer mode is superior for changes that cross file boundaries.

Conclusion

Copilot has a learning curve. The first few days it might not seem like it saves that much time, but with these habits integrated into your workflow, the difference becomes enormous within a few weeks.