Session 3: Dances with Copilot
Date: September 5, 2025
Duration: 1 hour
Speakers: Merlin Chen, Quinn Jiao Recording: Watch Session Recording
📋 Overview
This session focused on practical applications of AI prompt engineering and Copilot tools in daily software development. Quinn Jiao demonstrated how to configure and leverage WTG AI Prompt projects within VS Code for efficient code generation and business logic automation, emphasizing iterative prompt development and knowledge sharing. Merlin Chen introduced advanced integrations, including building chatbot agents with Copilot Studio, maintaining GitHub Knowledge Bases, and utilizing MCP server for agent-mode workflows.
🎯 Key Topics Covered
1. Practical Prompt Engineering in VS Code
- WTG AI Prompt Project Setup
- Step-by-step configuration of prompt repositories in VS Code workspace.
- Customizing prompt file locations and integrating with Copilot chat.
- Prompt-Driven Development
- Using prompts to automate business logic, e.g., volumetric weight calculation for logistics.
- Generating, saving, and reusing prompts for recurring business scenarios.
- Iterative prompt refinement based on team feedback and business needs.
- Prompt Engineering Best Practices
- Structuring prompts for clarity and context.
- Differentiating between instructions and prompts for various coding tasks.
- Sharing and maintaining prompt templates within team repositories.
2. Advanced AI Integrations & Knowledge Management
- Copilot Studio Agent Creation
- Building Teams-integrated chatbot agents for product and documentation Q&A.
- Connecting agents to SharePoint and other knowledge bases for real-time answers.
- GitHub Knowledge Base Management
- Creating dedicated content repositories with standardized naming and structure.
- Migrating and cleaning up markdown documentation for AI-friendly retrieval.
- Avoiding image-heavy docs; using mermaid diagrams and text-based explanations.
- Publishing documentation to SharePoint for non-technical stakeholders.
- Content Review & Automation
- Implementing repository rules for file types, size, and review processes.
- Leveraging automation tools for syncing DevOps wiki to GitHub and SharePoint.
3. MCP Server & Agent-Mode Workflows
- MCP Server Integration
- Setting up MCP server in VS Code for agent-mode operations.
- Configuring server endpoints and authentication for local and shared environments.
- Agent-Mode Use Cases
- Summarizing work items, incidents, and staff reports using AI-driven prompts.
- Automating board status reports and risk analysis for team management.
- Combining multiple MCP servers for cross-system data retrieval (e.g., Kafka, Glow).
- Performance & Troubleshooting
- Addressing performance impacts when connecting multiple tools.
- Handling authentication errors and optimizing server configurations.
4. Copilot Model Selection & Usage Tips
- Model Selection
- Comparing Copilot models (Claude 4, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Pro) for different tasks.
- Choosing models based on context window size and code complexity.
- Multi-Repo & Context Management
- Attaching multiple repositories for broader codebase coverage.
- Organizing workspace for efficient prompt and knowledge base access.
- Prompt Writing Guidelines
- Writing comprehensive, context-rich prompts for better AI output.
- Using markdown and reference sections to guide AI responses.
5. Interactive Learning & Team Engagement
- Live Quiz Session
- Reinforcing session knowledge through real-time quizzes.
- Questions covering prompt engineering, Copilot configuration, and workflow automation.
- Knowledge Sharing
- Encouraging team contributions to prompt repositories and knowledge bases.
- Sharing session materials and best practices for ongoing learning.
🔗 Featured Resources
- Dances with Copilot - IL Core.pptx
- Customize Copilot and Create Agents - Microsoft Copilot Studio
- Rating.Tools.EdiProd
- VS Instructions Guide
- VS Prompt Guide
- Personal Prompt
🏆 Quiz Results & Winners
🥇 First Place
Winner: Damien Li
🥈 Second Place
Winner: Dane Dai
🥉 Third Place
Winner: Chico Xie
📊 Full Results
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Damien Li |
| 🥈 2 | Dane Dai |
| 🥉 3 | Chico Xie |
| 4 | Edward Liu |
| 5 | Terry Tang |
Session 3 | September 5, 2025 | [Topic] | Crossroad AI Team