Agentic workflow Lab - GitHub Copilot

🎯 Lab Objectives

By completing this lab, you will learn how to:

• Set up project-wide context using custom instructions
• Create custom agents for planning and implementation
• Use prompt files to define reusable workflows
• Guide AI to generate high-quality, architecture-aligned code
• Leverage MCP servers for GitHub automation
• Utilize Copilot's coding agent for autonomous feature implementation and review

Prerequisites

To complete the hands-on labs, ensure you have the following:

Required Software

• Visual Studio Code (Latest) – Download here
• GitHub Copilot - VS Code extension (github.copilot v1.284.0 or later)
• GitHub Copilot Chat - VS Code extension (github.copilot-chat v0.25.1 or later)
• GitHub Pull Requests(optional) - VS Code extension (github.vscode-pull-request-github 0.120.0 or later)
• GitHub MCP Server - VS Code extension for agentic workflows (github.vscode-github-mcp)
• Git – Download here

Install the GitHub MCP server

1. Open the Extensions view

   • Press Ctrl+Shift+X.
   • In the search box, type @mcp GitHub.
   • Find GitHub — Official GitHub MCP Server and click Install.

2. Approve the authentication prompt

   • You will see a dialog, “The MCP Server Definition ‘github/github-mcp-server’ wants to authenticate to GitHub.”
   • Click Allow.

3. Pick your GitHub account

   • A quick pick appears asking which account to use.
   • Select your account, for example YKhadas.
   • VS Code will finish connecting the server.

4. Verify the server is running

   • Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) to open the Command Palette.
   • Type MCP: List Servers, then press Enter.
   • In the list, confirm github/github-mcp-server shows Running.

5. Enable the server in Copilot Chat tools

   • Open the GitHub Copilot Chat panel.
   • Click the Tools icon at the bottom right of the chat window. It opens the Configure Tools picker.
   • In the list, find MCP Server: github/github-mcp-server and make sure it is checked.
   • Click OK to save.

You are set. If github/github-mcp-server does not show as Running, run MCP: List Servers again, or reload the window with Developer: Reload Window, then repeat step 5 to confirm the tool is checked.

GitHub Repository Setup

1. Fork this repository to your GitHub account
2. Clone your fork locally:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/agentic-workflow-lab.git
   cd agentic-workflow-lab

3. Create a feature branch for your work:

   git checkout -b feature/task-manager
   git push -u origin feature/task-manager

Note: All changes you make will go on this feature branch. You'll create a Pull Request later to merge your work.

🏗️ Application Overview

In this lab, you'll implement a simple Task Manager CLI - a command-line task management application.

🚀 Labs Navigation

The full lab steps are now organized under labs/ for convenient navigation:

• Step 1 — Explore the Context Engineering Setup
• Step 2 — Add Custom Instructions for Testing Guidelines
• Step 3 — Create an Implementation Plan
• Step 4 — Implement Using Agent Mode
• Step 5 — Build and Test the Application
• Step 6 — Add a Document Agent
• Step 7 — Commit changes and create a PR
• Step 8 — Copilot as a Reviewer
• Step 9 — Merge PR to your fork's main branch
• Step 10 — Use the GitHub MCP Server
• Step 11 — Assign Coding agent for a selected issue