I've been using Github Copilot on VS Code for several months now and overall I can say that I am a fan.
The built-in chat is great, but the real standout feature is the ability to directly 'Edit' the page, or multiple pages with natural language. It's similar to how you would pair program with another developer nearby.
And now you can do the same in Visual Studio 2022 with "Agent Mode".
What is Agent Mode?
Agent mode allows developers to edit their codebase, invoke tools and define specific tasks using natural language.
Unlike a standard 'edit' though, Agent mode will run continuously until your defined task is complete.
1. Install the latest version
Agent Mode is currently available in public preview in Visual Studio 17.14. So before you do anything else, check your latest version and update if needed.
Download Visual Studio 17.14
2. Enable feature
By default, you won't see Agent Mode in your IDE. In order to enable it:
Type CTRL+q in order to open the Visual Studio "Feature Search".
Enter "copilot-chat.agent" into the search box
Click on the following item in the results:
This will bring up the "Options" menu highlighting the "Copilot" configuration settings:
Ensure that the "Enable Agent mode in the chat pane" checkbox is selected and click "OK".
You will now see the "Agent" option in the "GitHub Copilot Chat" panel on the right side.
Walter Guevara is a Computer Scientist, software engineer, startup founder and previous mentor for a coding bootcamp. He has been creating software for the past 20 years.
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