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DanWahlin merged 1 commit into from
Feb 26, 2026
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docs: add /research slash command to course content #6

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2 changes: 2 additions & 0 deletions 01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md
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Expand Up @@ -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 |
Comment on lines 362 to 364
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Copilot AI Feb 26, 2026

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The surrounding text now conflicts with the table: it says “Start with just these four”, but adding /research makes the list longer (and the “five commands above” note in the Additional Commands section is also now off-by-one). Please update the counts/wording so the guidance matches the table contents.

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| `/exit` | End the session | When you're done |

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -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
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17 changes: 17 additions & 0 deletions 03-development-workflows/README.md
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Expand Up @@ -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.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -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:
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10 changes: 5 additions & 5 deletions 07-putting-it-together/README.md
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Expand Up @@ -139,20 +139,20 @@ 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)
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Minor grammar: “Research best practice” reads awkwardly in this context; “best practices” is more standard when referring to general guidance.

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# PHASE 2: Research best practice (deep research with web + GitHub sources)
# PHASE 2: Research best practices (deep research with web + GitHub sources)

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> /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"

> Analyze this method for issues with partial name matching

# 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

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