The art of simplicity

A while ago I blogged about how we could setup our own multi-agent workflow by using Git worktrees. With Git worktrees you can setup a branch as a separate folder. If you combine this with the GitHub Copilot CLI you could have multiple agents all working simultaneously on multiple branches while you can continue development as well. Although the process I described works quite well, it remained somewhat cumbersome and was not well integrated into the VSCode development experience. Not anymore with background agents… The problem with foreground-only agents By defaullt, the Copilot agent operates in the foreground. When you ask Copilot to refactor a function or write tests, you're essentially blocked until the task completes. Your editor is locked into that conversation, that context, that task. This works fine for quick queries, but what about: Running comprehensive test suites while you continue development Refactoring an entire module while you work on a new featu...

GHub Copilot gives you the option to create your own agents (before called chatmodes). Such a custom agent can pick up specific tasks and take on a role inside the development process e.g. a code reviewer, a tester, an architect, ... Custom agents are defined in an  .agent.md Markdown file and consists of the following elements: A name A description An (optional) model A set of tools that the agent can use And of course, a prompt Remark: For the full list of elements, have a look at the documentation here . Here is an example from the Awesome Copilot Github repo: Handoffs With the latest VSCode update an extra element was introduced, handoffs. Handoffs allow to create sequential workflows where after one agent has completed it’s job, it can handover the work to another agent. This handoff can happen automatically or through handoff buttons that let you choose how to continue. Let’s us create an example: First I create 2 agents   ...

There's a question that comes up in nearly every leadership workshop, every team development session, every coaching conversation about authenticity: Should I be thinking about my professional values or my personal values? It's an understandable question. We've been conditioned to believe in compartmentalization—that we can be one person at work and another at home, that we can hold one set of principles in the boardroom and a different set at the dinner table. But here's what Brené Brown names so clearly in Dare to Lead : We have only one set of values. Me and the other me The idea that we might have separate value systems for different areas of our lives is appealing. It would make things so much easier, wouldn't it? We could be competitive at work but collaborative at home. We could prioritize results over relations in business but reverse that in our personal relationships. Except that's not how integrity works. That's not how we work. ...

The recent software supply chain attacks proof again that having insights in own project dependencies is crucial. This is where GitHub's dependency graph can help. It maps every direct and transitive dependency in your project, giving you the visibility you need to understand, secure, and manage your software supply chain. What is the Dependency Graph? The dependency graph is a summary of the manifest and lock files stored in a repository, showing which packages depend on what, helping you identify risks, prioritize security fixes, and keep track of your project's true footprint. For each repository, the dependency graph shows: Dependencies : The ecosystems and packages your project relies on Version information : What versions you're using License details : The licensing terms of your dependencies Vulnerability status : Whether any dependencies have known security issues Transitive paths : For ecosystems that support it, you can see the entire ch...

Have you ever wondered what powers the cloud services you use every day? From video calls to online banking, from remote work to social media, there's a massive physical infrastructure humming away behind the scenes. Microsoft has opened the curtains on this hidden world through their Azure Global Infrastructure Experience—a virtual datacenter tour that offers an unprecedented look inside the technology that powers our digital lives. What is the Azure Global Infrastructure experience? The Azure Global Infrastructure Experience is an immersive, interactive 3D virtual tour that allows anyone to explore the inner workings of Microsoft's datacenter operations. Rather than requiring physical visits to secure facilities, this digital experience brings the datacenter to you, accessible from any PC or mobile device. The tour showcases infrastructure spanning over 60 datacenter regions and more than 300 datacenters globally, giving visitors insight into the sheer scale of Microsof...

At GitHub Universe, GitHub announced that you can use OpenAI Codex with your existing GitHub Copilot Pro+ subscription. Therefore we first need to install the OpenAI Codex extension and sign in with GitHub Copilot. Installation & configuration You can directly install the extension from the extensions or through the Agent sessions view: After the installation has completed, you need to sign in. You can either use your ChatGPT account or your (existing) GitHub Copilot subscription. Once signed in, we have an extra chat window available: There are a few things we can configure here: Environment: Local workspace: The agent will interact with your local machine and VSCode workspace. Connect Codex Web: Send the chat to the ChatGPT web interface. Send to cloud: The agent will operate in a sandboxed cloud environment.   Chat Mode (called approval modes in OpenAI Codex): Chat: Regular chat, doesn’t do any changes directly. ...