VSCode snippets for GitHub Copilot feature development workflow

vscode-copilot-commands.md

VSCode Copilot Feature Development Snippets

These are VSCode user snippets that generate detailed prompts for GitHub Copilot Chat to handle git workflows and PR creation.

Installation Instructions

Step 1: Open VSCode Snippets Configuration

1. Open VSCode
2. Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
3. Type "Preferences: Configure User Snippets"
4. Select "New Global Snippets file..."
5. Name it feature-workflow.code-snippets

Step 2: Add the Snippet Content

Copy and paste this entire JSON content into the file:

{
  "Feature Start": {
    "prefix": "featurestart",
    "body": [
      "@workspace I need to start work on a new feature branch. Please:",
      "",
      "1. **Check for uncommitted changes:**",
      "   - Run `git status`",
      "   - If changes exist, ask me: 'You have uncommitted changes. Would you like to: 1) Stash them, 2) Commit them, or 3) Cancel?'",
      "   - Handle according to my choice",
      "",
      "2. **Create feature branch:**",
      "   - Branch name: `$1`",
      "   - Run: `git checkout -b $1`",
      "",
      "3. **Set up conventional commits:**",
      "   - Use branch name or ask for ticket/feature prefix",
      "   - Inform me about commit format for this feature",
      "",
      "Prerequisites: git must be available"
    ],
    "description": "Start feature development workflow"
  },
  
  "Feature Done": {
    "prefix": "featuredone", 
    "body": [
      "@workspace I need to complete this feature and create a PR. Please:",
      "",
      "1. **Commit final changes:**",
      "   - Run `git status` to check for uncommitted changes",
      "   - If changes exist, create a final commit using conventional format",
      "   - Use appropriate commit type (feat/fix/refactor/etc)",
      "",
      "2. **Push to origin:**",
      "   - Ask me: 'Ready to push all commits to origin?'",
      "   - If yes: `git push -u origin $(git branch --show-current)`",
      "",
      "3. **Create Pull Request:**",
      "   - Get current branch name",
      "   - Create PR using gh CLI with:",
      "     - Title: Use conventional commit format with branch/feature summary",
      "     - Body with sections for:",
      "       - Summary of changes",
      "       - Changes made (bullet points)",
      "       - Dependencies (if any)",
      "       - Testing instructions",
      "       - Basic checklist",
      "",
      "Prerequisites: gh CLI must be installed and authenticated"
    ],
    "description": "Complete feature and create PR"
  },
  
  "Conventional Commit": {
    "prefix": "commit",
    "body": [
      "@workspace I need to make a conventional commit. Please:",
      "",
      "1. **Analyze changes:**",
      "   - Run `git status` and `git diff --staged`",
      "   - If no staged changes, run `git diff`",
      "   - Summarize what was changed",
      "",
      "2. **Determine commit type:**",
      "   - feat: New feature",
      "   - fix: Bug fix", 
      "   - docs: Documentation only",
      "   - style: Formatting, no logic changes",
      "   - refactor: Code restructuring",
      "   - test: Adding tests",
      "   - chore: Maintenance tasks",
      "",
      "3. **Get scope (optional):**",
      "   - Extract from branch name if available",
      "   - Or ask me for feature/component scope",
      "",
      "4. **Create commit:**",
      "   - Stage changes if needed: `git add -A`",
      "   - Format: `type(scope): concise summary`",
      "   - Execute: `git commit -m 'message'`",
      "   - Do NOT mention AI assistance",
      "   - Do NOT push unless I request it",
      "",
      "5. **Confirm:**",
      "   - Show: `git log -1 --oneline`"
    ],
    "description": "Create conventional commit"
  },
  
  "Quick Branch": {
    "prefix": "branch",
    "body": [
      "@workspace Create a new git branch named '$1' and switch to it. Please:",
      "",
      "1. Check for uncommitted changes first",
      "2. If clean, run: `git checkout -b $1`",
      "3. Confirm the new branch: `git branch --show-current`"
    ],
    "description": "Create and switch to new branch"
  },
  
  "PR Template": {
    "prefix": "prtemplate",
    "body": [
      "## Summary",
      "$1",
      "",
      "## Changes Made",
      "- $2",
      "",
      "## Dependencies",
      "- None / List any dependent PRs",
      "",
      "## Testing",
      "- $3",
      "",
      "## Checklist",
      "- [ ] Tests pass",
      "- [ ] Code reviewed", 
      "- [ ] Documentation updated"
    ],
    "description": "PR description template"
  }
}

Step 3: Save and Restart

1. Save the file (Cmd+S or Ctrl+S)
2. Restart VSCode or reload the window

How to Use

In any file, type these prefixes and press Tab:

1. featurestart + Tab

   • Creates a prompt for Copilot to start a new feature
   • You can add a branch name: featurestart then type your branch name

2. featuredone + Tab

   • Creates a prompt to complete the feature and create a PR

3. commit + Tab

   • Creates a prompt for making a conventional commit

4. branch + Tab

   • Quick branch creation prompt
   • You can specify the branch name

5. prtemplate + Tab

   • Generates a PR description template
   • Has placeholder fields you can tab through

Example Workflow:

1. Type featurestart + Tab, add your branch name
2. Copy the generated text and paste into Copilot Chat
3. Make your code changes
4. Type commit + Tab when ready to commit
5. Type featuredone + Tab when feature is complete

Prerequisites

• VSCode with GitHub Copilot extension
• Git installed and configured
• GitHub CLI (gh) for PR creation
• GitHub Copilot Chat extension

Notes

• These snippets generate prompts for Copilot Chat - they don't execute commands directly
• You'll need to copy/paste the generated text into Copilot Chat
• Copilot will then execute the git commands and handle the workflow
• All prompts use conventional commit format
• No Jira integration - just git and GitHub workflows

File Location

The snippets are saved in:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/snippets/feature-workflow.code-snippets
• Windows: %APPDATA%/Code/User/snippets/feature-workflow.code-snippets

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To share with others: Give them this gist URL and tell them to follow the installation instructions for VSCode Copilot integration.