What Is GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding tool by Microsoft / GitHub. It resides as an extension in existing editors (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, etc.) and completes code as you write. It's the standard "first AI tool for beginners."
How to Start
1. Subscribe
- Subscribe at github.com/features/copilot
- Price: Individual USD 10/mo, Business USD 19, Enterprise USD 39
- 30-day free trial
- Free for students/OSS maintainers
2. Add the Extension to Your Editor
- VS Code: Extensions → "GitHub Copilot"
- JetBrains: Plugins → "GitHub Copilot"
- Vim/Neovim: copilot.vim plugin
- Xcode: official plugin (Beta)
3. Link a GitHub Account
Log into GitHub in the browser on first launch. Auth for code suggestions and subscription confirmation.
3 Basic Features
1. Completion (Inline Suggestions)
AI suggests the continuation in gray text as you write. Accept with Tab, reject with Esc, Alt+] for next candidate.
