What is Copilot:
GitHub Copilot is an artificial intelligence tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI to assist users of Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains integrated development environments by autocompleting code.
While there are jokes about copilot stealing jobs, it can help a developer boost productivity.In this blog we will see how much can copilot help you to be more productive.
Copilot's advantages:
Copilot can help you in various ways but the most notable ones are listed below.
1. Importing cdn quickly:
Just write the library name and 'cdn' in a comment then pressing enter and copilot will fetch it for you
2. Boilerplate code:
A GUI window with a framework or a language?
welp easy
3. Algorithms:
Quickly get an algorithm by typing the name in any programming language,and it's that easy and quite handy.
4. Quick snippets:
something like a for loop,switch statement and many more.
5. Solving a problem:
let's say you are creating a div at runtime alongisde other elements with some data you fetched, copilot, can do it for you or let's say you are getting an error copilot can solve it for you.
6. Helping you learn:
Copilot will significantly help you in learning.It will solve problems and doubts with well commented code.
Copilot's disadvantages
1.Copilot is expensive, right now I'm using the insider build which is free until Copilot fully rolls out.
2.Sometimes Copilot generates code with partial error
3.Slow code completion
4.Flow interruption. The need to review code suggestions from Github copilot may cause a break in flow while working on projects.
5.There would be code suggested by the copilot that you might not understand.
6.There is also a controversy around the legality of the training process of the copilot as thoughts are that this infringes on copyrights by default.
My thoughts:
Copilot is awesome but there a few disadvantages that cannot be overlooked while writitng this blog copilot exposed someone's API key and another private company's server address.It is NOT acceptable under any circumstances.Also overtime we would get lazy using Copilot but putting those aside Copilot can be a great helping hand and learning partner for you.