How to build a rock, paper, scissors game with GitHub Copilot

In this tutorial, we will build a rock, paper, scissors game with GitHub Copilot. We will also explore GitHub Copilot, a cloud-based AI tool that assists users of various editors in suggesting lines of code and whole functions instantly. We will discuss how Copilot has redefined productivity for millions of developers, and the benefits it provides. This tutorial includes the use of CodeTour, a VS Code extension, that allows developers to create and follow a guided walkthrough of a codebase. Let's get started!

What is GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot has helped redefine productivity for millions of developers by introducing them to the magic of AI assistance. GitHub Copilot is a cloud-based artificial intelligence tool developed by GitHub and OpenAI to assist users of Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Neovim, and JetBrains by suggesting lines of code and whole functions instantly. With Copilot, you can write a regular expression or interact with an API for the first time without leaving your editor.

Why I love GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot boosts productivity because it helps developers spend more time thinking about the theory they are building than about the code itself.

However, beyond productivity, GitHub Copilot helps provide me with psychological safety. Psychological safety refers to the belief that you can speak up, ask questions, make mistakes, and contribute without fear of punishment or humiliation. When employees feel safe to learn, ask questions, contribute, and lead, it boosts the team’s and individual’s overall confidence, morale, and performance.

Unfortunately, the reality is psychological safety is not always common at work. When I’m feeling uncertain about asking for help, or I’m not even sure how to word my questions, I can use GitHub Copilot to help me:

Brainstorm ideas when I reach a mental block
Jog my memory
Retain focus
Determine if I’m going in the right direction

Why would I build a rock, paper, scissors game?

I did this for fun
I did this to build my Python skills. I’m a baby Pythonista. For the past 5 years, I’ve been writing different forms of JavaScript on the frontend and backend, but ever since I started using GitHub Copilot, I’ve taken up an interest in Python. And I want to continue to read, type, and navigate code written in Python. It’s a less verbose language than JavaScript, so it feels easy for me to learn.
I wanted to create a short, fun activity to help folks learn how to leverage GitHub Copilot because it’s not always obvious how to get started. Hint: Provide as much context as possible through comments and lines of code.
I remember building a rock, paper, scissors game when I was in a coding bootcamp back in 2018. At the time, the logic seemed so difficult. I’m hoping this can be a helpful tool for developers who are learning to code.
I want to continue to creatively use GitHub Copilot for different situations to understand its limitations and strengths.

To complete this tutorial, you will need:

Access to GitHub Copilot
Open this repository

https://github.com/blackgirlbytes/rock-paper-scissors-copilot

How does this work?

The CodeTour prompts developers to write comments and lines of code that trigger GitHub Copilot to generate code to create a rock, paper, scissors game.

What is CodeTour?

CodeTour is a VS Code extension developed by my amazing coworker, Jonathan Carter! It allows developers to create and follow a guided walkthrough of a codebase.

What you will find in this repository

In this repository, you will find:

a main.py file with no contents
a devcontainer that installs CodeTour and GitHub Copilot when the Codespace is created
a CodeTour to guide the developer through using GitHub Copilot to develop a rock, paper, scissors game.

How to use the guided CodeTour

Navigate to this repository that I created. Then follow the instructions below:

Step 1

Choose 'Use this template', and 'Open in a codespace'

Open in a codespace image

Step 2

Choose the “Explorer Icon” on the left sidebar of your editor.

Highlighting the Explorer Icon

Step 3

Toggle the CodeTour panel

Highlighting the Code Tour panel

Step 4

Press the “Play button” to start the tour.

Highlighting the Play button

Step 5

Your CodeTour will begin! Follow the CodeTour’s steps to learn how to use GitHub Copilot.

Highlighting the start of a CodeTour