Quick Wins for Immediate Productivity Gains

In this guide, we’ll explore six strategies to configure GitHub Copilot for immediate productivity improvements:

1. File-Based Configuration
2. Testing in main.py
3. Using the Completions Panel
4. Keyboard Shortcuts
5. Switching AI Models
6. Managing Context Windows

1. File-Based Configuration

Store custom instructions at the repository root to steer Copilot’s code generation.

mkdir .github
touch .github/copilot-instructions.md

Anything you add to copilot-instructions.md will shape Copilot’s output. For example, to enforce PEP 8 in Python:

# Purpose
This document guides GitHub Copilot to produce Python code that strictly follows PEP 8 standards for readability and maintainability.

## General Guidelines
- Adhere to PEP 8: https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/  
- Use four spaces per indentation level.  
- Limit lines to 79 characters.  
- Include docstrings for all modules, classes, and functions.

## Naming Conventions
- snake_case for variables, functions, and methods  
- PascalCase for class names  
- ALL_CAPS for constants

## Imports
1. Place imports at the top.  
2. Order: standard → third-party → local.  
3. One import per line.  
4. Avoid wildcard imports.

With these guidelines, Copilot will generate clean, compliant code:

def calculate_sum(a: int, b: int) -> int:
    """
    Calculate the sum of two integers.

    Args:
        a (int): First number.
        b (int): Second number.

    Returns:
        int: Sum of the two numbers.
    """
    return a + b

2. Testing in main.py

Validate that Copilot respects your file-based configuration:

# create a function to calculate the square of a number

Trigger Copilot and you may see:

def square_number(num: int) -> int:
    """
    Calculate the square of a number.

    Args:
        num (int): Number to square.

    Returns:
        int: Square of the input number.
    """
    return num * num

3. Using the Completions Panel

The Completions Panel lets you review multiple suggestions side-by-side:

1. Open with the Copilot icon or run GitHub Copilot: Open Completions Panel.
2. Enter your prompt, e.g.:

   # create a function to calculate the square of a number
   

3. Compare suggestions and pick the one that aligns with your style.

4. Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these keybindings to speed up your workflow:

(On Windows/Linux, replace ⌥ with Alt.)

5. Switching AI Models

Different Copilot models excel at different tasks. Click the model selector in the lower-right corner to choose:

For more details, see the GitHub Copilot Models.

6. Managing Context Windows

Copilot’s suggestions depend on the active context. Keep only your current files open to maintain focused and relevant completions.

In this lesson, we covered:

• Defining file-based instructions
• Verifying behavior in main.py
• Leveraging the Completions Panel
• Memorizing keyboard shortcuts
• Selecting the optimal AI model
• Managing editor context

Next up: Comment-Driven Development and building a Fake Data Generator.

Links and References

• GitHub Copilot Documentation
• PEP 8 Style Guide
• GitHub Copilot Models