Randy Pagels offers a clear, step-by-step tutorial on using GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code to generate summaries for pull requests, helping developers speed up code reviews and improve the clarity of PR documentation.

Use Copilot in VS Code to Summarize PRs

Author: Randy Pagels

Instead of manually sifting through pull request changes, you can use GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio Code to quickly generate high-level summaries. This speeds up the review process and enables you to create more informative PR descriptions.

Ways to Summarize Pull Requests With Copilot Chat

1. Copilot Chat for Quick PR Overviews

Open the pull request in VS Code.
Launch Copilot Chat (Ctrl + I on Windows/Linux, Cmd + I on Mac).
Ask Copilot: Summarize the changes in this pull request.
Copy and paste the summary into your PR description or review notes.

2. Inline Comments for Specific Sections

While reviewing code, add an inline comment (in GitHub or VS Code).
Type: What does this change do?
Copilot will return a summary for that snippet.
Copy the response into your review comment if you want.

3. PR Description for Full Overviews

When creating a new PR, type: Summarize the changes in this pull request directly within the PR description.
Trigger Copilot Chat and let it generate a comprehensive summary.
Use the output as your PR’s overview.

4. File Editor for Large Changes

Open a changed file in VS Code.
Use Copilot Chat and ask: Summarize the changes in this file.
Use the response in comments or as supplemental documentation.

Key Takeaway

GitHub Copilot assists in making code reviews more efficient by automatically generating summaries, feedback, and documentation for PRs within Visual Studio Code. This helps reviewers focus on improving code quality rather than deciphering every change from scratch.

Pro Tip: Copilot can also be used for generating feedback and ensuring code best practices during reviews.

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