Copilot Workspace: AI-driven Developer Collaboration by GitHub

Copilot Workspace by GitHub is an experimental environment designed to streamline team collaboration and accelerate software development. By combining GitHub's robust platform with AI-driven assistance, it aims to reduce friction for developers, making it easier to collaborate, review code, and deliver high-quality features faster.

??Please, pay attention: at the date of publishing this article, Copilot Workspace is in an experimental phase. You should have a paid Copilot Individual, Copilot Business, or Copilot Enterprise subscription to use it.

?? Key Features and Capabilities

• Real-time collaboration

With Copilot Workspace, developers can work on the same codebase simultaneously. This approach speeds up development while promoting knowledge sharing and immediate feedback.

• Centralized dashboard

Everything - from pull requests to issues and code reviews - happens within a single interface. This unified experience helps developers stay focused without toggling between multiple tools.

• Integrated version control

Because it's built on the GitHub ecosystem, Copilot Workspace ties directly into existing version control features. Branching, merging, and pull requests remain at the heart of your workflow.

• Dev-friendly environment

Developers can easily access logs, runtime environments, or external integrations from one location, simplifying building, testing, and deploying code.

• ?? AI-driven assistance

One standout aspect of Copilot Workspace is its flexible approach to implementing changes, using both a specification and a plan that can be refined via natural language. When you request a modification, the system interprets your codebase and compiles two lists: one describing the current state, and another capturing the desired result. This high-level specification can be adjusted at any point, helping correct misunderstandings or refine project goals.

After you finalize these objectives, Copilot Workspace generates a task-by-task plan, outlining each file that will be created, updated, or removed, along with the changes to be applied. If you disagree with any part of this roadmap, you have full control to edit the details, whether it's the specific instructions or the files involved.

?? How is Copilot Workspace different from GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot is a supportive tool that empowers developers of all backgrounds and skill levels by offering concise code suggestions in real time. These suggestions, typically a few lines long, help maintain a smooth workflow because they’re easy to review and modify as needed. It also provides an interactive space to explore potential updates in conversation form. However, it doesn't offer a robust method for integrating those discussions into a codebase - especially if multiple files must be changed.

Copilot Workspace takes a task-oriented approach. Rather than offering suggestions while you type, it guides you in planning and executing coordinated changes that can span several files, including adding or removing files. This requires a more directed interaction style, ensuring that people with a wide range of experiences can steer the system toward the outcome they want.

I would say, Copilot is a seasoned software engineer sitting by your side, helping you to solve the problems and write the code. On the other hand, Copilot Workspace is like an experienced technical manager. It doesn't only focus on individual lines of code but oversees the bigger picture, ensuring that the entire architecture aligns with your project's goals.

?? Demo

Let's build a web application for generating GUIDs. The backend will be developed using C# and .NET, leveraging Minimal APIs to provide a simple endpoint that returns a randomly generated GUID.

Shortly, the algorithm of workflow with Copilot Workspace is next:

1. Plan - define the objective, break it into smaller tasks, and outline the steps required.
2. Brainstorm - explore possible solutions, process Q&A, apply ideas.
3. Review changes - evaluate the suggestions provided by Copilot and refine them for your needs.
4. Execute commands - run the required activities and verify the application (build, test, run).
5. Apply changes - finalize, commit, and integrate the verified changes into your project.

As demonstrated in the demo, Copilot Workspace is a powerful tool, but its effectiveness heavily relies on the quality of your input and requires thorough review and validation.

I face a few common repetitive issues:

• It occasionally suggests incorrect commands and is unable to correct them autonomously.
• Its accuracy and correctness decrease when classes are not defined in separate files.
• The generation of .gitignore and README.md files often gets stuck, repeatedly generating the same lines of text dozens or even hundreds of times.

?? If, for some reason, you want the link to the demo repository, I've made it public for you.

?? Conclusion

GitHub's Copilot Workspace has the potential to transform how developers collaborate. By merging real-time interaction with AI-driven tools, it offers a more efficient, inclusive, and engaging environment for software development. While still in its experimental phase, it already shows promise for prototyping and creating simple applications.

I recently had the chance to build the UI for my pet project entirely in React - a framework I was unfamiliar with. Despite requiring some effort and multiple iterations through pull requests, the experience was both challenging and rewarding.

I highly recommend exploring this and similar tools. As AI continues to advance, tools like Copilot Workspace will become even smarter soon, significantly accelerating development with proper prompting and management, especially during the initial stages.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review of Copilot Workspace! I'd love to hear from you - what similar tools have you worked with, and what was your experience? Please, share your insights!