As a .NET developer, productivity and problem-solving are at the heart of your workflow. GitHub Copilot Chat offers two powerful modes, Ask Mode and Agent Mode, that can dramatically accelerate your development, but knowing when to use each is essential to getting the most out of this tool. In this post, we’ll break down the differences, help you understand the strengths of each mode, and provide concrete examples tailored to common .NET scenarios.

Understanding Ask Mode

Ask Mode is your go-to setting when you need quick, conversational support—think of it as asking an experienced developer for advice, troubleshooting, or code samples. In ask mode, Copilot Chat doesn’t directly interact with your workspace files; instead, it provides responses based on the context you provide.

This mode is best suited for:

• Getting explanations or clarifications about C#/.NET concepts
• Requesting code snippets for specific tasks
• Learning best practices or design patterns
• Asking for documentation summaries

Example Scenarios and Prompts for Ask Mode:

• “Can you explain the difference between Task and ValueTask in C#?”
• “Show me an example of dependency injection in ASP.NET Core.”
• “What is the best way to implement logging in a .NET 8 Web API?”
• “Summarize the IDisposable pattern in .NET.”
• “How do I use LINQ to group a list of objects by property?”

Ask Mode is perfect when you’re exploring concepts or looking for quick code reference without needing Copilot to analyze or manipulate your actual project files.

Understanding Agent Mode

Agent Mode takes things a step further by allowing Copilot Chat to act as an intelligent agent within your codebase. Here, Copilot can reason about your actual project files, execute commands, make edits, and even help refactor or generate new code directly in your solution.

Agent Mode is best for:

• Refactoring existing code in your solution
• Generating tests for your methods or classes
• Automating repetitive tasks (updating namespaces, renaming variables, etc.)
• Finding and fixing bugs based on your project’s actual structure
• Performing code analysis based on your codebase context

Example Scenarios and Prompts for Agent Mode:

• “Refactor the selected method to use async/await.”
• “Generate unit tests for MyService in the current project.”
• “Find all uses of the obsolete method ‘CalculateTax’ and update them to use ‘ComputeTax’.”
• “Identify possible null reference exceptions in this file and suggest fixes.”
• “Add XML documentation to all public methods in this class.”

In Agent Mode, Copilot becomes a coding partner working within your actual codebase, helping you automate tasks, maintain quality, and speed up development.

Choosing the Right Mode: A Summary

• Use Ask Mode when you want to learn, ask general C#/.NET questions, or need code samples that aren’t tied to your specific project files.
• Use Agent Mode when you want Copilot to interact with, analyze, or modify your actual codebase—such as refactoring code, generating tests, or making bulk updates.

Conclusion

Mastering when to use Ask Mode versus Agent Mode in GitHub Copilot Chat will make you a more powerful and efficient .NET developer. Whether you’re seeking instant expertise or practical hands-on help in your codebase, Copilot Chat adapts to your needs—putting the right knowledge and capabilities at your fingertips.

Try experimenting with both modes on your next .NET project and watch your productivity soar!