Sure, here’s an article that explains the GitHub Copilot tips in a way that children can understand, and encourages interest in science:
Your Super Smart Coding Buddy: How to Talk to Copilot!
Imagine you have a super-duper smart friend who knows all about building amazing things with computers. This friend can help you draw pictures, write stories, and even create games! That’s a little bit like GitHub Copilot.
Copilot is like a special helper for people who write computer code. Code is like a secret language that tells computers what to do. Writing code can be tricky, but Copilot makes it easier and more fun, especially if you’re just starting out!
Recently, the smart people at GitHub shared some “5 Tips for Writing Better Custom Instructions for Copilot.” These are like tips for talking to your super smart coding buddy so it can help you even better. Let’s learn about them and see how they can make you a science superstar!
What are “Custom Instructions”?
Think of it like this: you want to build a magnificent sandcastle. You can tell your friend, “Build me a sandcastle!” But if you say, “Build me a tall sandcastle with a moat and a flag on top,” your friend knows exactly what you want!
“Custom Instructions” are the special words you give to Copilot to tell it what kind of code you want it to help you with. The better your instructions, the better Copilot can help you build your computer creations!
Let’s Learn the 5 Tips!
Here are the 5 tips from GitHub, explained in a way that will make you excited about science and coding:
Tip 1: Be Super Clear About What You Want!
Imagine you want to draw a friendly robot. If you just say “Draw robot,” Copilot might draw a scary one! But if you say, “Draw a friendly robot with big, round eyes, a smiley face, and it’s wearing a red hat,” Copilot knows exactly what to do!
- Science Connection: In science, scientists are super careful with their words. If they say “water” and mean pure water, they don’t want it mixed with anything else! Being clear helps them get accurate results, just like clear instructions help Copilot create exactly what you imagine.
Tip 2: Give It Examples!
Sometimes, it’s hard to explain something with just words. Think about how you learned to ride a bike. Maybe someone showed you, or you watched them! Showing Copilot an example is like that.
If you want Copilot to write code that makes a ball bounce, you can give it a small piece of code that already makes a ball bounce. Then, you can say, “Make it bounce higher and change color!”
- Science Connection: Scientists often use examples to understand things. When they discover a new animal, they compare it to other animals they already know to see what’s similar and what’s different. Showing Copilot examples helps it learn and create new things based on what it’s seen before.
Tip 3: Tell It Your “Rules” or “Style”!
Imagine you’re drawing a picture and you always use bright, happy colors. Or maybe you like to draw everything with very sharp lines. You can tell Copilot your “style”!
You could say, “I want the code to be easy to read, with clear names for everything, and I like using blue and green colors for my designs.” This tells Copilot how you want your creations to look and feel.
- Science Connection: Scientists have different ways of doing experiments or recording their findings. Some might be very meticulous and write down every single tiny detail, while others might focus on the big picture. Having a “style” or a set of rules helps them organize their work and understand it better.
Tip 4: Break Down Big Jobs into Smaller Steps!
Building a giant castle can seem overwhelming! But if you break it down, it becomes easier: first build the main tower, then the walls, then add the moat.
The same goes for coding. If you want to make a game where a character can jump, you can tell Copilot to first help you make the character appear on the screen. Then, you can ask it to help with making it move. Finally, you can ask it to help with the jumping!
- Science Connection: When scientists want to solve a big mystery, like how planets move or how living things change over time, they don’t try to figure it all out at once! They break the big problem into smaller questions and solve them one by one. This makes complex science much more manageable.
Tip 5: Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment and Try Again!
Sometimes, even with the best instructions, Copilot might not get it exactly right. That’s okay! It’s like when you’re learning to bake. Your first cookies might not be perfect, but you learn what to do differently next time.
If Copilot gives you something you don’t quite like, you can tweak your instructions and try again. Maybe you need to be clearer, or give a different example.
- Science Connection: Science is all about trying new things and learning from mistakes! Every experiment is a chance to discover something new. Scientists don’t get discouraged if an experiment doesn’t work as planned; they see it as an opportunity to learn and improve.
Become a Science Explorer with Copilot!
Using Copilot and learning how to give it good instructions is like having a special key to unlock the world of creating with computers. And this world is full of amazing science!
You can use Copilot to:
- Build simulations: Imagine creating a simulation of how plants grow, or how a volcano erupts!
- Visualize data: Turn boring numbers into colorful charts and graphs to understand scientific discoveries.
- Create educational games: Make fun games that teach your friends about planets, animals, or even the human body!
- Explore your curiosity: If you have a question about science, you can try to code something that helps you find the answer!
So, don’t be shy! Start playing with Copilot. Practice writing clear instructions, giving examples, and experimenting. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at telling your super smart coding buddy exactly what you need. And who knows? You might just discover a passion for science and become the next great innovator!
5 tips for writing better custom instructions for Copilot
The AI has delivered the news.
The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-09-03 16:00, GitHub published ‘5 tips for writing better custom instructions for Copilot’. Please write a detailed article with related information, in simple language that children and students can understand, to encourage more children to be interested in science. Please provide only the article in English.