Randy Pagels shows how to quickly refactor messy code with GitHub Copilot by leveraging comments and Copilot Chat, making code cleaner and more efficient.

Refactor Messy Code in Seconds with GitHub Copilot

Posted by Randy Pagels on Jul 11, 2025

Do you struggle with messy, hard-to-read code? This tip explains how GitHub Copilot can help you refactor legacy or spaghetti code into clean, maintainable solutions—fast.

Let GitHub Copilot Clean Up Your Code

Instead of manually rewriting or optimizing complex logic, use GitHub Copilot to automatically suggest cleaner and more efficient alternatives.

How to Use Copilot for Refactoring

  1. Highlight the code you want to improve in your editor.

  2. Add a comment above the code, such as:

    # Refactor this function to be more readable and efficient
  3. Invoke Copilot Chat by pressing Ctrl + Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Enter (Mac).
  4. Review Copilot’s suggestion and decide whether to apply the changes.

Example

Before (original function):

def calculate_total(items):
    total = 0
    for item in items:
        if 'price' in item and 'quantity' in item:
            total += item['price'] * item['quantity']
    return total

After Copilot Refactor:

def calculate_total(items):
    return sum(item['price'] * item['quantity'] for item in items if 'price' in item and 'quantity' in item)

Result: the new version is more readable, more Pythonic, and easier to maintain.

Quick Takeaway

Whenever you hit a wall with messy code, use GitHub Copilot’s chat function and a well-phrased comment to generate improved versions instantly. This technique can help you:

  • Save time on manual refactoring
  • Improve code quality and readability
  • Learn idiomatic patterns for your programming language

Give it a try next time you find yourself stuck with convoluted logic.

This post appeared first on “Randy Pagels’s Blog”. Read the entire article here