C++ Code Editing Tools for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2026 Insiders Public Preview
Allison details new C++ code editing tools for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2026 Insiders, enabling deep code analysis and multi-file editing to improve developer workflows.
C++ Code Editing Tools for GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2026 Insiders
GitHub Copilot now offers powerful C++ code editing tools as part of the Visual Studio 2026 Insiders public preview. These enhancements provide developers with:
- Deep Symbol Awareness: Copilot can view all references for any symbol, understand type, declaration, scope, and access rich metadata across large codebases.
- Multi-file Editing Support: Edit and refactor code spanning multiple files reliably.
- Class and Inheritance Visualization: Visualize class inheritance hierarchies to better understand object relationships.
- Function Call Chain Tracing: Follow function call chains for improved code comprehension.
Getting Started
- Open your C++ project in Visual Studio 2026 Insiders.
- Enable the C++ code editing tools via Tools > Options > GitHub > Copilot.
- You may need to reopen your solution after enabling the tools.
- Launch Copilot Chat and activate the specific C++ tools using the Tools icon.
Once configured, GitHub Copilot leverages this toolset to provide more context-aware code completions and suggestions. For example, it can help update all instances of a function when parameters change, assisting with large code refactors and feature additions. The tools also support symbol information retrieval and advanced code insights to streamline complex changes.
Tip: For best results, pick a model optimized for tool calling and provide explicit symbols in prompts to receive precise suggestions from Copilot.
Feedback
Your input is welcome—use the Visual Studio feedback icon to report bugs or suggest improvements to the C++ Copilot experience.
This post appeared first on “The GitHub Blog”. Read the entire article here