Copilot Chat for Neovim

Note

Plugin was rewritten to Lua from Python. Please check the migration guide from version 1 to version 2 for more information.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

Neovim stable (0.9.5) or nightly.

Optional:

tiktoken_core: sudo luarocks install --lua-version 5.1 tiktoken_core. Alternatively, download a pre-built binary from lua-tiktoken releases
You can check your Lua PATH in Neovim by doing :lua print(package.cpath). Save the binary as tiktoken_core.so in any of the given paths.

Installation

Lazy.nvim

return {
  {
    "CopilotC-Nvim/CopilotChat.nvim",
    branch = "canary",
    dependencies = {
      { "zbirenbaum/copilot.lua" }, -- or github/copilot.vim
      { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" }, -- for curl, log wrapper
    },
    opts = {
      debug = true, -- Enable debugging
      -- See Configuration section for rest
    },
    -- See Commands section for default commands if you want to lazy load on them
  },
}

See @jellydn for configuration

Vim-Plug

Similar to the lazy setup, you can use the following configuration:

call plug#begin()
Plug 'zbirenbaum/copilot.lua'
Plug 'nvim-lua/plenary.nvim'
Plug 'CopilotC-Nvim/CopilotChat.nvim', { 'branch': 'canary' }
call plug#end()

lua << EOF
require("CopilotChat").setup {
  debug = true, -- Enable debugging
  -- See Configuration section for rest
}
EOF

Manual

Put the files in the right place

mkdir -p ~/.config/nvim/pack/copilotchat/start
cd ~/.config/nvim/pack/copilotchat/start

git clone https://github.com/zbirenbaum/copilot.lua
git clone https://github.com/nvim-lua/plenary.nvim

git clone -b canary https://github.com/CopilotC-Nvim/CopilotChat.nvim

Add to you configuration

require("CopilotChat").setup {
  debug = true, -- Enable debugging
  -- See Configuration section for rest
}

See @deathbeam for configuration

Usage

Commands

:CopilotChat <input>? - Open chat window with optional input
:CopilotChatOpen - Open chat window
:CopilotChatClose - Close chat window
:CopilotChatToggle - Toggle chat window
:CopilotChatReset - Reset chat window
:CopilotChatDebugInfo - Show debug information

Commands coming from default prompts

:CopilotChatExplain - Explain how it works
:CopilotChatTests - Briefly explain how selected code works then generate unit tests
:CopilotChatFix - There is a problem in this code. Rewrite the code to show it with the bug fixed.
:CopilotChatOptimize - Optimize the selected code to improve performance and readablilty.
:CopilotChatDocs - Write documentation for the selected code. The reply should be a codeblock containing the original code with the documentation added as comments. Use the most appropriate documentation style for the programming language used (e.g. JSDoc for JavaScript, docstrings for Python etc.
:CopilotChatFixDiagnostic - Please assist with the following diagnostic issue in file
:CopilotChatCommit - Write commit message for the change with commitizen convention
:CopilotChatCommitStaged - Write commit message for the change with commitizen convention

API

local chat = require("CopilotChat")

-- Open chat window
chat.open()

-- Open chat window with custom options
chat.open({
  window = {
    layout = 'float',
    title = 'My Title',
  },
})

-- Close chat window
chat.close()

-- Toggle chat window
chat.toggle()

-- Toggle chat window with custom options
chat.toggle({
  window = {
    layout = 'float',
    title = 'My Title',
  },
})

-- Reset chat window
chat.reset()

-- Ask a question
chat.ask("Explain how it works.")

-- Ask a question with custom options
chat.ask("Explain how it works.", {
  selection = require("CopilotChat.select").buffer,
})

-- Get all available prompts (can be used for integrations like fzf/telescope)
local prompts = chat.prompts()

-- Pick a prompt using vim.ui.select
local actions = require("CopilotChat.actions")

-- Pick help actions
actions.pick(actions.help_actions())

-- Pick prompt actions
actions.pick(actions.prompt_actions())

Configuration

Default configuration

Also see here:

{
  system_prompt = prompts.COPILOT_INSTRUCTIONS, -- System prompt to use
  model = 'gpt-4', -- GPT model to use
  temperature = 0.1, -- GPT temperature
  context = 'manual', -- Context to use, 'buffers', 'buffer' or 'manual'
  proxy = nil, -- [protocol://]host[:port] Use this proxy
  allow_insecure = false, -- Allow insecure server connections
  debug = false, -- Enable debug logging
  show_user_selection = true, -- Shows user selection in chat
  show_system_prompt = false, -- Shows system prompt in chat
  show_folds = true, -- Shows folds for sections in chat
  clear_chat_on_new_prompt = false, -- Clears chat on every new prompt
  auto_follow_cursor = true, -- Auto-follow cursor in chat
  name = 'CopilotChat', -- Name to use in chat
  separator = '---', -- Separator to use in chat
  -- default prompts
  prompts = {
    Explain = {
      prompt = '/COPILOT_EXPLAIN Write an explanation for the code above as paragraphs of text.',
    },
    Tests = {
      prompt = '/COPILOT_TESTS Write a set of detailed unit test functions for the code above.',
    },
    Fix = {
      prompt = '/COPILOT_FIX There is a problem in this code. Rewrite the code to show it with the bug fixed.',
    },
    Optimize = {
      prompt = '/COPILOT_REFACTOR Optimize the selected code to improve performance and readablilty.',
    },
    Docs = {
      prompt = '/COPILOT_REFACTOR Write documentation for the selected code. The reply should be a codeblock containing the original code with the documentation added as comments. Use the most appropriate documentation style for the programming language used (e.g. JSDoc for JavaScript, docstrings for Python etc.',
    },
    FixDiagnostic = {
      prompt = 'Please assist with the following diagnostic issue in file:',
      selection = select.diagnostics,
    },
    Commit = {
      prompt = 'Write commit message for the change with commitizen convention. Make sure the title has maximum 50 characters and message is wrapped at 72 characters. Wrap the whole message in code block with language gitcommit.',
      selection = select.gitdiff,
    },
    CommitStaged = {
      prompt = 'Write commit message for the change with commitizen convention. Make sure the title has maximum 50 characters and message is wrapped at 72 characters. Wrap the whole message in code block with language gitcommit.',
      selection = function(source)
        return select.gitdiff(source, true)
      end,
    },
  },
  -- default selection (visual or line)
  selection = function(source)
    return select.visual(source) or select.line(source)
  end,
  -- default window options
  window = {
    layout = 'vertical', -- 'vertical', 'horizontal', 'float'
    -- Options below only apply to floating windows
    relative = 'editor', -- 'editor', 'win', 'cursor', 'mouse'
    border = 'single', -- 'none', single', 'double', 'rounded', 'solid', 'shadow'
    width = 0.8, -- fractional width of parent
    height = 0.6, -- fractional height of parent
    row = nil, -- row position of the window, default is centered
    col = nil, -- column position of the window, default is centered
    title = 'Copilot Chat', -- title of chat window
    footer = nil, -- footer of chat window
    zindex = 1, -- determines if window is on top or below other floating windows
  },
  -- default mappings
  mappings = {
    close = 'q',
    reset = '<C-l>',
    complete = '<Tab>',
    submit_prompt = '<CR>',
    accept_diff = '<C-y>',
    show_diff = '<C-d>',
  },
}

For further reference, you can view @jellydn's configuration.

Defining a prompt with command and keymap

This will define prompt that you can reference with /MyCustomPrompt in chat, call with :CopilotChatMyCustomPrompt or use the keymap <leader>ccmc. It will use visual selection as default selection. If you are using lazy.nvim and are already lazy loading based on Commands make sure to include the prompt commands and keymaps in cmd and keys respectively.

{
  prompts = {
    MyCustomPrompt = {
      prompt = 'Explain how it works.',
      mapping = '<leader>ccmc',
      description = 'My custom prompt description',
      selection = require('CopilotChat.select').visual,
    },
  },
}

Referencing system or user prompts

You can reference system or user prompts in your configuration or in chat with /PROMPT_NAME slash notation. For collection of default COPILOT_ (system) and USER_ (user) prompts, see here.

{
  prompts = {
    MyCustomPrompt = {
      prompt = '/COPILOT_EXPLAIN Explain how it works.',
    },
    MyCustomPrompt2 = {
      prompt = '/MyCustomPrompt Include some additional context.',
    },
  },
}

Custom system prompts

You can define custom system prompts by using system_prompt property when passing config around.

{
  system_prompt = 'Your name is Github Copilot and you are a AI assistant for developers.',
  prompts = {
    MyCustomPromptWithCustomSystemPrompt = {
      system_prompt = 'Your name is Johny Microsoft and you are not an AI assistant for developers.',
      prompt = 'Explain how it works.',
    },
  },
}

Tips

Quick chat with your buffer

To chat with Copilot using the entire content of the buffer, you can add the following configuration to your keymap:

-- lazy.nvim keys

  -- Quick chat with Copilot
  {
    "<leader>ccq",
    function()
      local input = vim.fn.input("Quick Chat: ")
      if input ~= "" then
        require("CopilotChat").ask(input, { selection = require("CopilotChat.select").buffer })
      end
    end,
    desc = "CopilotChat - Quick chat",
  }

Inline chat

Change the window layout to float and position relative to cursor to make the window look like inline chat. This will allow you to chat with Copilot without opening a new window.

-- lazy.nvim opts

  {
    window = {
      layout = 'float',
      relative = 'cursor',
      width = 1,
      height = 0.4,
      row = 1
    }
  }

Telescope integration

Requires telescope.nvim plugin to be installed.

-- lazy.nvim keys

  -- Show help actions with telescope
  {
    "<leader>cch",
    function()
      local actions = require("CopilotChat.actions")
      require("CopilotChat.integrations.telescope").pick(actions.help_actions())
    end,
    desc = "CopilotChat - Help actions",
  },
  -- Show prompts actions with telescope
  {
    "<leader>ccp",
    function()
      local actions = require("CopilotChat.actions")
      require("CopilotChat.integrations.telescope").pick(actions.prompt_actions())
    end,
    desc = "CopilotChat - Prompt actions",
  },

fzf-lua integration

Requires fzf-lua plugin to be installed.

-- lazy.nvim keys

  -- Show help actions with fzf-lua
  {
    "<leader>cch",
    function()
      local actions = require("CopilotChat.actions")
      require("CopilotChat.integrations.fzflua").pick(actions.help_actions())
    end,
    desc = "CopilotChat - Help actions",
  },
  -- Show prompts actions with fzf-lua
  {
    "<leader>ccp",
    function()
      local actions = require("CopilotChat.actions")
      require("CopilotChat.integrations.fzflua").pick(actions.prompt_actions())
    end,
    desc = "CopilotChat - Prompt actions",
  },

Roadmap (Wishlist)

Use indexed vector database with current workspace for better context selection
General QOL improvements

Development

Installing Pre-commit Tool

For development, you can use the provided Makefile command to install the pre-commit tool:

make install-pre-commit

This will install the pre-commit tool and the pre-commit hooks.

Contributors ✨

If you want to contribute to this project, please read the CONTRIBUTING.md file.

Thanks goes to these wonderful people (emoji key):

_gptlang 💻 📖	_{Dung Duc Huynh (Kaka)} 💻 📖	_{Ahmed Haracic} 💻	_{Trí Thiện Nguyễn} 💻	_{He Zhizhou} 💻	_{Guruprakash Rajakkannu} 💻	_kristofka 💻
_{PostCyberPunk} 📖	_{Katsuhiko Nishimra} 💻	_{Erno Hopearuoho} 💻	_{Shaun Garwood} 💻	_neutrinoA4 💻 📖	_{Jack Muratore} 💻	_{Adriel Velazquez} 💻 📖
_{Tomas Slusny} 💻 📖	_Nisal 📖	_{Tobias Gårdhus} 📖