Coding with GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot can suggest the code. You still need to understand what it does.

Want to use AI to help you code without blindly accepting every suggestion? Let's build something small, useful, and easy to explain.

In Coding with GitHub Copilot, you'll build DippingList, a C# shopping-list web app, using ASP.NET Core Razor Pages in Visual Studio. Along the way, you'll practice asking useful questions, reviewing generated code, spotting mistakes, and checking that your app actually works.

Because "it compiled" and "it works correctly" aren't always the same thing. Developers know that plot twist.

Inside, you'll learn how to:

• Break a project into small, manageable changes.

• Give Copilot clear prompts and useful context.

• Add shopping-list items, mark purchases, and remove items.

• Write meaningful xUnit tests.

• Debug problems and review suggested fixes.

• Save and load your list using JSON.

• Use Git to keep track of your changes.

This book is for beginners with basic C# knowledge and developers finding their way back to coding. You don't need to be an AI expert. You should be comfortable with basic programming ideas such as variables, methods, and classes.

Expect plain English, practical prompts, code examples, and friendly explanations that help you think through each step.

Build an app you understand-and can explain when someone asks, "So, what does this part do?"