Demo Multiple Suggestions

Overview

Unlock GitHub Copilot’s power to explore and choose from multiple AI-generated code completions. This feature enhances productivity by letting you compare different implementations and pick the one that best fits your style and requirements.

Accessing Multiple Suggestions

Use the following shortcut to open the suggestions panel:

Once the panel appears, browse suggestions with the same shortcut and press Tab to insert your chosen snippet.

Base Code: Traffic Light Functions

Start with these core functions in your file:

def get_light_state(direction, cycle_timer):
    if direction == 'north':
        if cycle_timer < NS_GREEN_DURATION + NS_YELLOW_DURATION:
            return 'red'
        elif cycle_timer < NS_GREEN_DURATION + NS_YELLOW_DURATION + EW_GREEN_DURATION:
            return 'green'
        else:
            return 'yellow'

def draw_traffic_light(surface, direction, state):
    """
    Draws a circular traffic light for a given direction at a fixed offset from the intersection.
    """
    if direction == 'north':
        pos = (CENTER_X, STOP_LINE['north'] - LIGHT_OFFSET)
    elif direction == 'south':
        pos = (CENTER_X, STOP_LINE['south'] + LIGHT_OFFSET)
    elif direction == 'east':
        pos = (STOP_LINE['east'] - LIGHT_OFFSET, CENTER_Y)
    elif direction == 'west':
        pos = (STOP_LINE['west'] + LIGHT_OFFSET, CENTER_Y)
    # Drawing logic goes here...

With these helpers, you’re ready to add new features using Copilot’s multiple suggestions.

Example 1: Adding calculate_area

Type this stub and invoke the suggestions panel:

def calculate_area(shape):
    """Calculate the area of a rectangle or circle."""

A sample completion might be:

def calculate_area(shape):
    """Calculate the area of a rectangle or circle."""
    if shape == 'rectangle':
        return CAR_SIZE['vertical'][0] * CAR_SIZE['vertical'][1]
    elif shape == 'circle':
        return 3.14 * (LIGHT_RADIUS ** 2)
    else:
        raise ValueError("Invalid shape type. Use 'rectangle' or 'circle'.")

Press Tab to insert the version you like.

Example 2: Simulating an API Request

Ask Copilot for a basic API stub:

import random

def api_request():
    """
    Simulate a simple API request.
    Replace this with real network logic as needed.
    """
    return random.choice(['north', 'south', 'east', 'west'])

Explore suggestions that include error handling, retries, or logging.

Example 3: Implementing QuickSort

Comment your goal and trigger multiple completions:

# implement quicksort algorithm

An efficient suggestion could be:

def quicksort(arr):
    """Sort an array using the QuickSort algorithm."""
    if len(arr) <= 1:
        return arr
    pivot = arr[len(arr) // 2]
    left = [x for x in arr if x < pivot]
    middle = [x for x in arr if x == pivot]
    right = [x for x in arr if x > pivot]
    return quicksort(left) + middle + quicksort(right)

Insert your preferred snippet with Tab.

Tips for Choosing Suggestions

• Review each completion for correctness and readability.
• Browse beyond the first suggestion to discover alternative approaches.
• Compare implementations side by side to select the best fit.
• Adapt accepted code to align with your project’s conventions and standards.

Links and References

• GitHub Copilot Documentation
• GitHub Copilot Labs
• Python Official Website