In Fact, GitHub Copilot Demands a higher level of professionalism and expertise
Sorry for this illustration if you feel it awful, but I want to keep it though, because it’s not AI’s fault.
I began using GitHub Copilot since its Beta stage in March of 2022. Once it was officially launched, I upgraded to be a premium user immediately as I found it incredibly efficient and productive. However, I won’t be listing its features or benefits here. Instead, I would like to share my personal thoughts about this revolutionary tool.
However, despite plenty of technology reporters make it like a perfect substance of software developer, GitHub Copilot demands a higher level of professionalism and expertise from its users. This is because while GitHub Copilot can generate code snippets and functions, it does not replace the need for a developer’s understanding of logic and algorithms.
When using GitHub Copilot, it is essential to remember that it is not a magical solution that can help you to generate a complete project from scratch, it is only a tool that can be used to accelerate your coding process and streamline your workflow. As such, it is essential to learn how to use GitHub Copilot effectively to get the most out of it.
One of the critical skills that developers need to use GitHub Copilot effectively is quick understanding of generated code. The official saying is, GitHub Copilot does not write perfect code. It is designed to generate the best code possible given the context it has access to, but it doesn’t test the code it suggests, so the code may not always work, or even make sense. This is why I strongly suggest not to trust its quality and correctness fully, you have to use critical thinking to determine whether it is the best solution for the problem at hand, and find out potential issues as well.
Another noteworthy skill that developers need when using GitHub Copilot is the ability to learn from the code snippet that it generates. The code generation is based on machine learning algorithms that analyze existing codebases to identify patterns and common solutions to problems. As such, developers can learn a lot by reading and examining the code that GitHub Copilot generates and identifying the underlying principles that it employs.
However, it is also important to note that simple copying and pasting is not an effective strategy. This is because technical interviews and other situations that require coding proficiency often involve unique problems that require unique solutions. As such, developers need to be able to apply the principles that they learn from GitHub Copilot generated code and other places to create their solutions effectively.
While GitHub Copilot can be a powerful tool for developers, it should be viewed as an assistant rather than a private contractor. Learning to use it efficiently can greatly increase your productivity and professionalism, but relying too heavily on it without putting in the necessary effort can lead to setbacks and inefficiencies.
