273 lines
20 KiB
Markdown
273 lines
20 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Using GitHub Copilot Chat in GitHub.com
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shortTitle: Using Chat in GitHub.com
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intro: 'You can use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %} to answer general questions about software development, or specific questions about the code in a repository.'
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versions:
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feature: 'copilot-on-dotcom'
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topics:
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- Copilot
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---
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## Overview
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %} is a chat interface that lets you ask and receive answers to coding-related questions on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}.
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{% note %}
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**Note**: {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} is also available in selected IDEs. For information on using {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} in an IDE, see "[AUTOTITLE](/copilot/github-copilot-chat/using-github-copilot-chat-in-your-ide)."
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{% endnote %}
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} can help you with a variety of coding-related tasks, like offering you code suggestions, providing natural language descriptions of a piece of code's functionality and purpose, generating unit tests for your code, and proposing fixes for bugs in your code. For more information, see "[AUTOTITLE](/copilot/github-copilot-enterprise/copilot-chat-in-github/about-github-copilot-chat-in-githubcom)."
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On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, you can use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} to ask:
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- General software-related questions, without a particular context. For more information, see "[Asking a general question about software development](#asking-a-general-question-about-software-development)."
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- Questions asked in the context of a specific repository, file or symbol. For more information, see "[Asking a question about a specific repository, file or symbol](#asking-a-question-about-a-specific-repository-file-or-symbol)."
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- Questions asked in the context of a knowledge base (that is, Markdown documentation across one or more repositories). For more information, see "[Asking a question about a knowledge base](#asking-a-question-about-a-knowledge-base)."
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- Questions about a specific file or specified lines of code within a file. For more information, see "[Asking questions about specific pieces of code](#asking-questions-about-specific-pieces-of-code)."
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- Questions about a pull request diff. For more information, see "[Finding out about the changes in a pull request](#finding-out-about-the-changes-in-a-pull-request)."
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### Limitations
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- Chat responses may be suboptimal if you ask questions about a specific repository that you've selected as a context, and the repository has not been indexed for semantic code search. Anyone who gets access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} from the organization that owns a repository can index that repository. For more information, see "[Asking a question with a specific context](#asking-a-question-with-a-specific-context)."
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- The quality of the results from {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} may, in some situations, be degraded if very large files, or a large number of files, are used as a context for a question.
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## Prerequisites
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-subscription-prerequisite %}
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- To use {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}, you must have been granted access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} as part of {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_enterprise %}. For more information, see "[AUTOTITLE](/copilot/github-copilot-enterprise/overview/enabling-github-copilot-enterprise)."
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## Asking a general question about software development
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You can ask a general question about software development that is not focused on a particular context, such as a repository or a knowledge base.
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Depending on the question you ask, and your enterprise settings, {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} may respond using information based on the results of a Bing search. By using Bing search, {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} can answer a broad range of tech-related questions with up-to-date details based on information currently available on the internet. For information on how to enable or disable Bing search integration, see "[AUTOTITLE](/admin/policies/enforcing-policies-for-your-enterprise/enforcing-policies-for-github-copilot-in-your-enterprise#enforcing-a-policy-to-manage-the-use-of-github-copilot-features-on-githubcom)."
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{% note %}
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**Note:** Bing search integration into {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom_short %} is currently in beta and is subject to change.
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{% endnote %}
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{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}
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1. If the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" page is displayed in the panel, click **General purpose chat**.
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1. At the bottom of the panel, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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Some examples of general questions you could ask are:
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- What are the advantages of the Go programming language?
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- What is Agile software development?
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- What is the most popular JavaScript framework?
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- Give me some examples of regular expressions.
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- Write a bash script to output today's date.
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1. If {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} uses a Bing search to answer your question, "Results from Bing" is displayed above the response. Click this to see the search results that {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} used to answer your question.
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1. Within a conversation thread, you can ask follow-up questions. {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} will answer within the context of the conversation. For example, you could type "tell me more" to get {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to expand on its last comment.
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You can use your initial question as a foundation for follow-up questions. A detailed foundational prompt can help {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} provide more relevant answers to your follow-up questions. For more information, see "[Prompting {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} to become your personal AI assistant for accessibility](https://github.blog/2023-10-09-prompting-github-copilot-chat-to-become-your-personal-ai-assistant-for-accessibility/)" on the {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} Blog.
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}
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## Asking a question about a specific repository, file or symbol
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You can choose a particular repository, file or symbol, and then ask a question with that context in mind.
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{% note %}
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**Note:** A "symbol" is a named entity in code. This could be a variable, function, class, module, or any other identifier that's part of a codebase.
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{% endnote %}
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{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}
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1. If the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" page is not displayed in the panel, click **All topics**.
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1. On the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" page, select a repository to provide a context for your question.
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For example, you could choose a repository whose code you want to understand better.
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You can search for a repository if you don't see one you want to use.
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1. Optionally, after selecting a repository, if you want to set particular files or symbols from the selected repository as your context, click the "Attach files or symbols" button (a paperclip icon) at the bottom of the chat panel, then search for and select one or more files and symbols.
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1. In the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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For example, you could ask:
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- What is the main purpose of this repo? What problem does it solve or what functionality does it provide?
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- What web frameworks are used in this project?
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- Where is rate limiting implemented in our API?
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- How does the WidgetFactory class work?
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- How is the code organized? Explain the project architecture.
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- Are there any specific environment requirements for working on this project?
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{% note %}
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**Note**:
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}'s ability to answer natural language questions like these in a repository context is improved when the repository has been indexed for semantic code search. The indexing status of the repository is displayed when you start a conversation that has a repository context.
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If you get access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} from the organization that owns the repository, and the repository has not been indexed, an **Index REPOSITORY NAME** button is displayed. Click this button to start the indexing process.
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{% endnote %}
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1. The response typically contains numbered references to files that {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} used to generate the answer, from the repository you selected. To list the sources that were used, click **NUMBER references**.
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1. To display a source reference in a popup, click its entry in the list.
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Alternatively, to open the complete file, click the ellipsis (**...**), then select **Open**.
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}
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## Asking a question about a knowledge base
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Organization owners can create knowledge bases, grouping together Markdown documentation across one or more repositories. You can use a knowledge base to ask questions with that context in mind.
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When you enter a query, {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} searches for relevant documentation snippets, synthesizes a summary of the relevant snippets to answer your question, and provides links to the source documentation for additional context.
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{% data reusables.copilot.go-to-copilot-page %}
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1. Start a conversation with {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} by either selecting a repository or clicking **General purpose chat**.
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1. Click the "Attach knowledge" button (a book icon) at the bottom of the chat panel, to view a list of the knowledge bases that you have access to.
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1. Click the knowledge base that you want to use as context.
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For example, you could choose a knowledge base containing your organization's internal developer documentation.
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You can search for a knowledge base if you don't see one you want to use.
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1. At the bottom of the page, in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, type a question and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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For example, if you chose a knowledge base with your organization's internal developer documentation, you could ask:
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- How do I deploy a new application?
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- What's the process for creating a new REST API?
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- What are our best practices for logging?
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1. The response will typically contain numbered references to files that {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} uses to generate the answer, from the knowledge base you selected. To list the sources that were used, click **NUMBER references**.
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1. To display information about a source reference, click its entry in the list.
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Alternatively, to open the complete file, click the ellipsis (**...**), then select **Open**.
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1. Within a conversation thread, you can ask follow-up questions. Follow-up questions will continue to use the selected knowledge base as context until you explicitly detatch the knowledge base or select a different one.
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{% data reusables.copilot.chat-conversation-buttons %}
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## Asking questions about specific pieces of code
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You can chat with {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about a file in your repository, or about specific lines of code within a file.
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1. On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, navigate to a repository and open a file.
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1. Do one of the following:
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- To ask a question about the entire file, click the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon ({% octicon "copilot" aria-hidden="true" %}) at the top right of the file view.
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- To ask a question about specific lines within the file:
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1. Select the lines by clicking the line number for the first line you want to select, holding down <kbd>Shift</kbd> and clicking the line number for the last line you want to select.
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1. To ask your own question about the selected lines, click the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon ({% octicon "copilot" aria-hidden="true" %}) to the right of your selection.
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This displays the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel with the selected lines indicated as the context of your question.
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1. To ask a predefined question, click the downward-pointing button beside the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon, then choose one of the options.
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1. If you clicked the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon, type a question in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box at the bottom of the chat panel and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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For example, if you are asking about the entire file, you could enter:
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- Explain this file.
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- How could I improve this code?
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- How can I test this script?
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If you are asking about specific lines, you could enter:
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- Explain the function at the selected lines.
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- How could I improve this class?
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- Add error handling to this code.
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- Write a unit test for this method.
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{% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} responds to your request in the panel.
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1. You can continue the conversation by asking a follow-up question. For example, you could type "tell me more" to get {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to expand on its last comment.
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1. To clear, delete, or rename the current conversation thread, or to start a new thread, type `/` in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box, select from the options that are displayed, then press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
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1. To view a conversation in immersive mode, displaying just the conversation thread, click the dashed box icon at the top right of the conversation thread.
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## Finding out about the changes in a pull request
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You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} to explain what's changed in any of the files in a pull request.
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1. On {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}, navigate to a pull request in a repository.
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1. Click the **Files changed** tab.
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1. Do one of the following:
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- To ask a question about a file that's being changed by a pull request, click {% octicon "kebab-horizontal" aria-label="Show options" %} at the top right of the file, then click **Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about this diff**.
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- To ask a question about specific lines within a file in the pull request:
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1. Select the lines by clicking the line number for the first line you want to select, holding down <kbd>Shift</kbd> and clicking the line number for the last line you want to select.
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1. To ask your own question about the selected lines, click the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon ({% octicon "copilot" aria-hidden="true" %}) to the right of your selection.
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This displays the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel with the selected lines indicated as the context of your question.
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1. To ask a predefined question, click the downward-pointing button beside the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon and click **Explain**.
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1. If you clicked the {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} icon, or you chose **Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} about this diff**, type a question in the "Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}" box at the bottom of the chat panel and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>. For example, you could enter:
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- Why has this module been included?
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- What is `actorData` in this line?
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- Explain this `do..end` block.
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- What's the purpose of this file?
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## Accessing {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} from the search bar
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You can ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} a question about an entire repository by typing your question in the main search box of the repository.
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1. Navigate to a repository on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}.
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1. Press <kbd>/</kbd>, or click in the main search box at the top of the page.
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1. In the search box, after `repo:OWNER/REPO`, type the question you want to ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}.
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For example, you could enter:
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- What does this repo do?
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- Where is authentication implemented in this codebase?
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- How does license file detection work in this repo?
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1. Click **Ask {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}**.
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The {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat %} panel is displayed and {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} responds to your request.
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## Sharing feedback about {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_dotcom %}
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To give feedback about a particular {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} response:
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1. Click either the thumbs up or thumbs down icon at the bottom of each chat response.
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1. Optionally, provide information about why you liked or disliked the response.
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1. Click **Submit feedback**.
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To give feedback about {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_chat_short %} in general, click the "Give feedback" link at the top right of any {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} page on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %}.
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