Randy Pagels explains how to leverage GitHub Copilot to update and refactor legacy codebases, offering actionable prompts and stepwise workflows for modernizing outdated software.

Modernize Legacy Code with GitHub Copilot

Legacy code often creates maintenance and readability challenges, even when it’s not fundamentally broken. In this article, Randy Pagels outlines practical ways for developers and consultants to harness GitHub Copilot for refactoring and gradually upgrading older code.

Why Modernize Legacy Code?

  • Improve readability and maintainability
  • Update to follow current standards and best practices
  • Reduce technical debt by removing unused or outdated constructs

How GitHub Copilot Can Help

GitHub Copilot serves as an AI-powered partner, suggesting modern solutions and helping eliminate legacy patterns:

1. Copilot Chat: Modernization Requests

Use Copilot Chat to ask targeted upgrade questions, such as:

# Update this function to use async/await instead of callbacks

Copilot will suggest a replacement using the more modern async/await approach, making your code easier to understand and maintain.

2. Copilot Edit: Inline Refactoring

Highlight blocks of legacy code and use descriptive comments to prompt Copilot Edit:

# Refactor this to use modern Python practices

Copilot will suggest edits that streamline and modernize your code within the editor.

3. Updating Libraries and APIs

Keep your code current by requesting that Copilot update outdated APIs or deprecated methods:

# Rewrite this to use the latest version of the fetch API and remove deprecated methods

This is especially useful when libraries evolve and old patterns become obsolete.

Additional Prompt Ideas

  • # Clean up this loop using modern JavaScript
  • # Remove unused variables and simplify logic
  • # Rewrite this component using React Hooks
  • # Update this SQL query using modern JOIN syntax

Key Takeaways

  • GitHub Copilot can streamline the process of bringing legacy code up to modern standards.
  • Use chat and inline prompts to refactor, simplify, and update code incrementally.
  • This approach enables technical teams to modernize without complete rewrites, saving time and reducing risk.

Upgrade your projects one suggestion at a time and let GitHub Copilot be your guide to cleaner, more future-proof code.

This post appeared first on “Randy Pagels’s Blog”. Read the entire article here