Is copilot any good for GitHub actions?

[Arisfx]

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Hi all, i work daily with GitHub actions making workflows for the developers. After long time using paid version of chat gpt, i tried today the paid version of vscode copilot. I had very high expectations and thought that as both copilot and actions are microsoft products, copilot would be far superior than gpt, but that was not the case unfortunately, i was actually very disappointed, as i tried 10 different variations over a paragraph of yaml code (it was mostly embedding bash script inside it to be honest) and all resulted in syntax errors, (meaning that it didnt even understand basic yaml suntax embedding bash rules) should i continue trying or go back to chat gpt? Thanks!

[INAHIDC]

Copilot can help, but for complex GitHub Actions with bash google might be better. maybe this will help https://stackoverflow.com/questions/77275063/syntax-error-with-simple-pipeline-suggests-an-error-with-the-file-but-works-wh

[kalix127]

Totally agree with you

[ValentinoSpirito]

Hi Arisfx,

I understand your frustration. GitHub Copilot is great for straightforward completions, but it often struggles with YAML, especially when embedding Bash scripts. This is because YAML is very sensitive to indentation and structure, which can lead to syntax errors.

From my experience:

ChatGPT: Works better for complex cases and specific explanations, like embedding scripts correctly in YAML. If you need precision, it's more reliable.
Copilot: Useful for general coding suggestions, but not always precise for strict syntaxes like YAML.
I'd recommend using ChatGPT for detailed queries about YAML and Bash, and Copilot for simpler tasks or getting ideas. Together, they can complement each other well.

Hope this helps!

[Arisfx]

hi valentino, thanks for your response... well my job is 90% doing GitHub actions, so its all about yaml + bash, so i guess i should cancel my copilot subscription and keep only the gpt one

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