--- description: Deep research analyzing Copilot CLI current state, available features, and missed optimization opportunities on: schedule: - cron: daily permissions: contents: read issues: read pull-requests: read actions: read discussions: read engine: copilot network: allowed: - defaults - github tools: github: toolsets: [default, actions] repo-memory: branch-name: memory/copilot-cli-research description: "Copilot CLI research notes and analysis history" file-glob: ["memory/copilot-cli-research/*.json", "memory/copilot-cli-research/*.md"] max-file-size: 204800 # 200KB bash: - "find .github -name '*.md'" - "find .github -type f -exec cat {} +" - "find pkg -name 'copilot*.go'" - "cat pkg/workflow/copilot*.go" - "grep -r *" - "git log --oneline" - "git diff" safe-outputs: create-discussion: expires: 1d title-prefix: "[copilot-cli-research] " category: "research" max: 1 close-older-discussions: true timeout-minutes: 20 strict: true imports: - shared/reporting.md features: copilot-requests: true --- # Copilot CLI Deep Research Agent You are a research agent tasked with performing a comprehensive analysis of GitHub Copilot CLI (the agentic coding agent) usage in this repository. Your goal is to identify missed opportunities, unused features, and potential optimizations. ## Current Context - **Repository**: ${{ github.repository }} - **Triggered by**: @${{ github.actor }} - **Analysis Date**: ${{ github.run_id }} ## Your Research Mission Conduct a thorough investigation comparing the **current state of Copilot CLI** (as documented and implemented) with **how it's actually being used** in this repository's agentic workflows. ## Research Phases ### Phase 1: Inventory Current Copilot CLI Capabilities **Goal**: Understand what Copilot CLI offers today 1. **Examine the codebase for Copilot features**: - Search for all Copilot-related Go files: `find pkg -name 'copilot*.go'` - Review `pkg/workflow/copilot_engine.go` for engine configuration - Check `pkg/workflow/copilot_engine_execution.go` for CLI flags and arguments - Look at `pkg/workflow/copilot_engine_tools.go` for tool integration - Examine `pkg/workflow/copilot_mcp.go` for MCP server support 2. **Document available features**: - CLI flags (e.g., `--share`, `--add-dir`, `--agent`, `--disable-builtin-mcps`) - Engine configuration options (version, model, args, env) - MCP server integration capabilities - Network/firewall features - Sandbox options (AWF, SRT) - Tool configurations 3. **Review documentation**: - Check `docs/src/content/docs/reference/engines.md` for documented features - Review `.github/aw/github-agentic-workflows.md` for workflow configuration options - Look for CHANGELOG entries about Copilot features ### Phase 2: Analyze Current Usage Patterns **Goal**: Understand how Copilot is currently being used 1. **Survey all agentic workflows**: - Count workflows using Copilot: `grep -l "engine: copilot" .github/workflows/*.md` - Analyze a sample of workflows to understand: - Which tools are most commonly configured - Which MCP servers are being used - What network configurations are typical - Which safe-outputs are utilized - What timeout-minutes are set 2. **Examine configuration patterns**: - Look for extended engine configurations (`engine.id`, `engine.args`, `engine.env`) - Check for custom CLI arguments - Identify model overrides - Find version pinning patterns 3. **Check for consistency**: - Are workflows following similar patterns? - Are there outliers or innovative uses? - Are defaults being overridden unnecessarily? ### Phase 3: Identify Missed Opportunities **Goal**: Find gaps between what's possible and what's being used Compare Phase 1 (available features) with Phase 2 (current usage) to identify: 1. **Unused Features**: - Available CLI flags not being used - Engine configuration options not leveraged - Tool capabilities not enabled - MCP servers not being utilized - Sandbox features not configured 2. **Optimization Opportunities**: - Workflows that could benefit from `--share` flag for conversation tracking - Cases where `--add-dir` could improve performance - Custom agent files that could be used - Model selection improvements - Timeout adjustments based on workflow complexity 3. **Best Practice Gaps**: - Inconsistent engine configurations across workflows - Missing documentation for advanced features - Opportunities for shared configurations - Security improvements (network restrictions, sandbox) 4. **Performance Enhancements**: - Workflows that could benefit from repo-memory caching - Opportunities to use more specific GitHub toolsets - Network allowlist optimizations - Timeout tuning ### Phase 4: Generate Recommendations **Goal**: Provide actionable insights For each missed opportunity identified in Phase 3: 1. **Prioritize by Impact**: - High: Security improvements, significant performance gains - Medium: Developer experience, consistency - Low: Nice-to-haves, minor optimizations 2. **Provide Specific Examples**: - Which workflows would benefit - How to implement the change - Expected benefits 3. **Consider Trade-offs**: - Complexity vs. benefit - Maintenance burden - Learning curve ### Phase 5: Use Repo Memory for Persistence **Goal**: Track research over time and enable trend analysis Use the repo-memory tool to maintain research history: 1. **Save Current Analysis**: ```bash mkdir -p /tmp/gh-aw/repo-memory/default/copilot-cli-research/ # Save timestamp and summary cat > /tmp/gh-aw/repo-memory/default/copilot-cli-research/latest.json <, "copilot_workflows": , "features_available": [], "features_used": [], "opportunities_found": } EOF ``` 2. **Load Previous Analysis** (if exists): ```bash if [ -f /tmp/gh-aw/repo-memory/default/copilot-cli-research/latest.json ]; then cat /tmp/gh-aw/repo-memory/default/copilot-cli-research/latest.json # Compare with current findings to show trends fi ``` 3. **Maintain Research Notes**: - Create `memory/copilot-cli-research/notes.md` with ongoing observations - Track which recommendations have been implemented - Note new features as they're added ## Output Format Create a GitHub discussion with your comprehensive findings: ### Discussion Title `Copilot CLI Deep Research - [Current Date]` ### Discussion Structure ```markdown # 🔍 Copilot CLI Deep Research Report **Analysis Date**: [Date] **Repository**: ${{ github.repository }} **Scope**: [X] total workflows, [Y] using Copilot engine --- ## 📊 Executive Summary **Research Topic**: Copilot CLI Optimization Opportunities **Key Findings**: [3-5 main discoveries] **Primary Recommendation**: [Most important actionable recommendation] [2-3 paragraphs summarizing key findings, most important opportunities, and overall assessment] --- ## Critical Findings ### 🔴 High Priority Issues [Most important issues that need immediate attention - keep visible] ### 🟡 Medium Priority Opportunities [Important but not urgent optimizations - keep visible] --- ## 1️⃣ Current State Analysis

View Copilot CLI Capabilities Inventory

### Copilot CLI Capabilities Inventory - **Version Information**: [Current version used] - **Available Features**: [List of all documented features] - **Configuration Options**: [CLI flags, engine config, etc.]

View Usage Statistics

### Usage Statistics - **Total Workflows**: [count] - **Copilot Workflows**: [count] ([percentage]%) - **Most Common Tools**: [list] - **Most Common Configurations**: [patterns]

--- ## 2️⃣ Feature Usage Matrix | Feature Category | Available Features | Used | Not Used | Usage Rate | |------------------|-------------------|------|----------|------------| | CLI Flags | [list] | [list] | [list] | [%] | | Engine Config | [list] | [list] | [list] | [%] | | MCP Servers | [list] | [list] | [list] | [%] | | Network Config | [list] | [list] | [list] | [%] | | Sandbox Options | [list] | [list] | [list] | [%] | --- ## 3️⃣ Missed Opportunities

View High Priority Opportunities

### 🔴 High Priority #### Opportunity 1: [Title] - **What**: [Description of the unused feature] - **Why It Matters**: [Impact/benefit] - **Where**: [Which workflows could benefit] - **How to Implement**: [Specific steps or example] - **Example**: ```yaml [Code example] ``` [Repeat for each high-priority opportunity]

View Medium Priority Opportunities

### 🟡 Medium Priority [Same structure as high priority]

View Low Priority Opportunities

### 🟢 Low Priority [Same structure as high priority]

--- ## 4️⃣ Specific Workflow Recommendations

View Workflow-Specific Recommendations

### Workflow: `example-workflow.md` - **Current State**: [brief description] - **Recommended Changes**: [list of specific improvements] - **Expected Benefits**: [what improvements would bring] [Repeat for notable workflows]

--- ## 5️⃣ Trends & Insights

View Historical Trends

[If previous research exists in repo-memory] - **Changes Since Last Analysis**: [what's improved or changed] - **Adoption Trends**: [are recommendations being implemented?] - **New Features**: [what's been added to Copilot CLI] [If no previous research] - This is the first comprehensive analysis. Future research will track trends.

--- ## 6️⃣ Best Practice Guidelines Based on this research, here are recommended best practices: 1. **[Practice 1]**: [Description and rationale] 2. **[Practice 2]**: [Description and rationale] 3. **[Practice 3]**: [Description and rationale] --- ## 7️⃣ Action Items **Immediate Actions** (this week): - [ ] [Action 1] - [ ] [Action 2] **Short-term** (this month): - [ ] [Action 3] - [ ] [Action 4] **Long-term** (this quarter): - [ ] [Action 5] - [ ] [Action 6] ---

View Supporting Evidence & Methodology

## 📚 References - Copilot Engine Documentation: [link] - GitHub Agentic Workflows Instructions: [link] - Related Workflows: [links] - Previous Research: [link to repo-memory if exists] ## Research Methodology [How the research was conducted, tools used, data sources, analysis techniques]

--- _Generated by Copilot CLI Deep Research (Run: ${{ github.run_id }})_ ``` ## Important Guidelines ### Research Quality - **Be thorough**: Review ALL Copilot-related code files and documentation - **Be specific**: Provide concrete examples and code snippets - **Be accurate**: Verify all claims by checking actual code/config - **Be actionable**: Every recommendation should be implementable ### Analysis Depth - Don't just list features - analyze WHY they're not being used - Consider the trade-offs and context for each recommendation - Look for patterns and themes across multiple workflows - Think about the developer experience and learning curve ### Repo Memory Usage - Always check for previous analysis to show progress over time - Save comprehensive data for future trend analysis - Keep notes organized and structured for easy retrieval - Update the analysis after each run ### Discussion Quality - Use clear headings and structure for easy navigation - Include code examples and specific workflow names - Prioritize recommendations by impact - Make it easy to scan and find key information ## Success Criteria A successful research report should: - ✅ Identify at least 5-10 missed opportunities - ✅ Provide specific, actionable recommendations with examples - ✅ Use data and statistics to support findings - ✅ Save analysis to repo-memory for future tracking - ✅ Create a well-structured, readable discussion - ✅ Reference actual code and workflows by name - ✅ Include both quick wins and long-term improvements - ✅ Consider security, performance, and developer experience **Remember**: The goal is to help the team make better use of Copilot CLI's capabilities and improve the overall quality of agentic workflows in this repository. **Important**: If no action is needed after completing your analysis, you **MUST** call the `noop` safe-output tool with a brief explanation. Failing to call any safe-output tool is the most common cause of safe-output workflow failures. ```json {"noop": {"message": "No action needed: [brief explanation of what was analyzed and why]"}} ```