From f92ee6b5687dc770fc3833aaf4404db7cc99bdea Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Dan Wahlin Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:11:38 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add /research slash command to course content Integrate the /research command across three chapters: - Ch 01: Add to essential and additional slash command tables - Ch 03: Add 'Quick Tip: Research Before You Code' section with example and link in Choose Your Own Adventure table - Ch 07: Use /research in Bug Investigation workflow (Phase 2, before switching to an agent) Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --- 01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md | 2 ++ 03-development-workflows/README.md | 17 +++++++++++++++++ 07-putting-it-together/README.md | 10 +++++----- 3 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md index 4731691..196c481 100644 --- a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md +++ b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md @@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ These commands work in interactive mode. **Start with just these four** - they c | `/help` | Show all available commands | When you forget a command | | `/clear` | Clear conversation and start fresh | When switching topics | | `/plan` | Plan your work out before coding | For more complex features | +| `/research` | Deep research using GitHub and web sources | When you need to investigate a topic before coding | | `/model` | Show or switch AI model | When you want to change the AI model | | `/exit` | End the session | When you're done | @@ -398,6 +399,7 @@ That's it for getting started! As you become comfortable, you can explore additi |---------|--------------| | `/diff` | Review the changes made in the current directory | | `/review` | Run the code-review agent to analyze changes | +| `/research` | Run deep research investigation using GitHub and web sources | | `/terminal-setup` | Enable multiline input support (shift+enter and ctrl+enter) | ### Permissions diff --git a/03-development-workflows/README.md b/03-development-workflows/README.md index 465df04..d78affc 100644 --- a/03-development-workflows/README.md +++ b/03-development-workflows/README.md @@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ This chapter covers five workflows that developers typically use. **However, you | Track down and fix a bug | [Workflow 3: Debugging](#workflow-3-debugging) | | Generate tests for my code | [Workflow 4: Test Generation](#workflow-4-test-generation) | | Write better commits and PRs | [Workflow 5: Git Integration](#workflow-5-git-integration) | +| Research before coding | [Quick Tip: Research Before You Plan or Code](#quick-tip-research-before-you-plan-or-code) | | See a full bug-fix workflow end to end | [Putting It All Together](#putting-it-all-together-bug-fix-workflow) | **Select a workflow below to expand it** and see how GitHub Copilot CLI can enhance your development process in that area. @@ -685,6 +686,22 @@ copilot --- +## Quick Tip: Research Before You Plan or Code + +When you need to investigate a library, understand best practices, or explore an unfamiliar topic, use `/research` to run a deep research investigation before writing any code: + +```bash +copilot + +> /research What are the best Python libraries for validating user input in CLI apps? +``` + +Copilot searches GitHub repositories and web sources, then returns a summary with references. This is useful when you're about to start a new feature and want to make informed decisions first. You can share the results using `/share`. + +> 💡 **Tip**: `/research` works well *before* `/plan`. Research the approach, then plan the implementation. + +--- + ## Putting It All Together: Bug Fix Workflow Here's a complete workflow for fixing a reported bug: diff --git a/07-putting-it-together/README.md b/07-putting-it-together/README.md index 4029c6d..90ea6d8 100644 --- a/07-putting-it-together/README.md +++ b/07-putting-it-together/README.md @@ -139,10 +139,13 @@ copilot # Learn: "find_by_author doesn't work with partial names" -# PHASE 2: Find related code +# PHASE 2: Research best practice (deep research with web + GitHub sources) +> /research Best practices for Python case-insensitive string matching + +# PHASE 3: Find related code > @samples/book-app-project/books.py Show me the find_by_author method -# PHASE 3: Get expert analysis +# PHASE 4: Get expert analysis > /agent # Select "python-reviewer" @@ -150,9 +153,6 @@ copilot # Agent identifies: Method uses exact equality instead of substring matching -# PHASE 4: Research best practice -> What are the best practices for Python case-insensitive string matching? - # PHASE 5: Fix with agent guidance > Implement the fix using lowercase comparison and 'in' operator