Wendy Breiding presents experimental custom GitHub Copilot agents for .NET developers—C# Expert and WinForms Expert—designed to enhance code quality, architecture, and workflow in C# and WinForms projects.

Custom Agents for .NET Developers: C# Expert and WinForms Expert

Author: Wendy Breiding

GitHub Copilot has introduced experimental custom agents to further automate and streamline .NET development. Specifically, the new C# Expert and WinForms Expert agents enhance Copilot’s ability to provide best-in-class support for C# and Windows Forms applications.

C# Expert Agent

  • Core C# Development: Adheres to modern, idiomatic C# coding standards, taking into account repository preferences.
  • Code Integrity: Suggests efficient, minimal code changes, prioritizing async/await usage, reliable cancellation, and exception handling.
  • Testing Support: Encourages behavior-driven unit testing, integration tests, and TDD workflows.

WinForms Expert Agent

  • UI Design Patterns: Implements proven UI architectures like MVVM and MVP, promoting maintainability.
  • Event Handling: Assists with complex event management and robust state management.
  • Tool Integrity: Protects .Designer.cs files, ensuring continued compatibility with Visual Studio Designer after Copilot’s changes.

Getting Started

  1. Download CSharpExpert.agent.md and WinFormsExpert.agent.md from @github/awesome-copilot.
  2. Add them to your repository’s .github/agents folder.

How to Use Custom Agents

  • Assigning Tasks: Use Copilot’s issue assignment to select the C# or WinForms Expert agent for specialized advice.
  • Copilot CLI: Support for /agent command (coming soon).
  • Visual Studio Code: Available in Insiders edition under the Agent dropdown.
  • Visual Studio: Automatic agent suggestions for your project (coming in v17.14.21, behind a feature flag).

Improvements and Developer Feedback

  • Reduced Unused Code: C# Expert reduces unnecessary interfaces and parameters, cutting down on technical debt.
  • Designer File Safety: WinForms Expert guards against breaking .Designer.cs files, preserving workflow with the Visual Studio Designer.

Learn More

Explore more sample agents and provide feedback via @github/awesome-copilot and GitHub Community. Official documentation is available at gh.io/customagents.

This post appeared first on “Microsoft .NET Blog”. Read the entire article here