VS Code supports user input as extra prompt instructions
Matt Olson discovered a powerful new GitHub Copilot feature in Visual Studio Code that allows users to set custom instructions to tailor Copilot’s suggestions. This feature addresses a common request from developers who want to avoid repeating the same prompts, such as specifying library preferences or language version constraints.
The setting github.copilot.chat.experimental.codeGeneration.instructions lets you define custom instructions either as text strings or import them from markdown files. These instructions can be set at the user, workspace, or even Codespaces/Dev Container level, making it easy to share preferences with teammates. This significantly streamlines workflows by providing consistent context to Copilot across all interactions.