GitHub Copilot: Maximising Developer Productivity in Enterprise Java Applications

This brief tutorial on using GitHub Copilot for developing Enterprise Java applications also showcases its various features.

- Dr Magesh Kasthuri

GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered code completion tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI, is revolutionising the way developers approach coding.

This tool significantly enhances productivity by providing intelligent code suggestions, corrections, and documentation. Let's explore the practical use of GitHub Copilot for developing Enterprise Java applications.

To get started with GitHub Copilot, you need to have Visual Studio Code (VS Code IDE) installed alongside the GitHub Copilot extension (free extension). Once installed, sign in with your GitHub account to activate Copilot by getting a prompt. For Java development, ensure you have the necessary Java extensions installed in your VS Code environment.

Code development

Copilot edits: GitHub Copilot offers intelligent edits that streamline the development process. For instance, while writing a Java method to calculate the sum of two integers, Copilot can provide an accurate method signature and body (Figure 1).

Code completions: Copilot's code completion feature is invaluable for developers. While writing a function to connect to a database, Copilot suggests the necessary imports and code structure.