context-engineering
Guidelines for structuring code and projects so that GitHub Copilot has better context and works more effectively.
- Kind
- Rules
- Works with
- GitHub Copilot
- Source
- Awesome Copilot @ d85f762d6e52
- Path
- instructions/context-engineering.instructions.md
- License
- MIT
- Jobs
- Context management
InstallCopy it from the source repository, or sign in and let the assistant adapt it for your project.
# Context Engineering Principles for helping GitHub Copilot understand your codebase and provide better suggestions. ## Project Structure - **Use descriptive file paths**: `src/auth/middleware.ts` > `src/utils/m.ts`. Copilot uses paths to infer intent. - **Colocate related code**: Keep components, tests, types, and hooks together. One search pattern should find everything related. - **Export public APIs from index files**: What's exported is the contract; what's not is internal. This helps Copilot understand boundaries. ## Code Patterns - **Prefer explicit types over inference**: Type annotations are context. `function getUser(id: string): Promise<User>` tells Copilot more than `function getUser(id)`. - **Use semantic names**: `activeAdultUsers` > `x`. Self-documenting code is AI-readable code. - **Define constants**: `MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS = 3` > magic number `3`. Named values carry meaning. ## Working with Copilot - **Keep relevant files open in tabs**: Copilot uses open tabs as context signals. Working on auth? Open auth-related files. - **Position cursor intentionally**: Copilot prioritizes code near your cursor. Put cursor where context matters. …