git-worktrees

How to build interactive experiences with canvases (opens in new tab)

Canvases extend GitHub Copilot beyond text-based conversations by providing shared, interactive workspaces where developers and agents can visualize information and take action together. They are useful for tasks such as triaging issues, exploring code architecture, managing worktrees, and searching organizational knowledge. The article concludes that canvases make AI workflows more engaging, practical, and easier to iterate on. ## How canvases work - Canvas extensions are interactive surfaces within the GitHub Copilot app. - Agents can update the canvas while users interact through clicks, edits, swipes, and other controls. - User actions may be sent back to the agent or handled locally. - Developers create one by running `/create-canvas` in a Copilot agent session and describing the desired interface and capabilities. - Canvases can evolve through follow-up prompts that add features or refine existing behavior. ## Visual issue triage - A card-based interface displays GitHub Issues one at a time. - Users swipe right to ship an issue or left to reject it. - The canvas updates immediately, organizing issues into decision-based categories. - This replaces a slower, text-heavy review process with direct visual interaction. ## Interactive codebase diagrams - A generated diagram represents components of a project as connected nodes. - Users can hover over, drag, and filter elements to explore relationships and architectural layers. - The interface turns static codebase documentation into an explorable model. ## Managing sessions and worktrees - A canvas can display active GitHub Copilot sessions and their associated Git worktrees. - It distinguishes active, stale, and orphaned worktrees. - Cleanup actions are available directly from the interface, reducing manual maintenance. ## Improving agent prompts - The prompt coach reviews previous agent interactions. - It identifies issues such as unclear context, spelling mistakes, and syntax problems. - It suggests ways to make prompts more precise and improve future agent results. ## Finding organizational knowledge - A knowledge finder can search sources such as Slack, Teams, email, and documentation. - It identifies people connected to a file or topic. - Results explain both who has relevant context and where that connection was found, making it easier to locate the right expert. ## Getting started Canvases are best suited to workflows where visual understanding and direct manipulation are more effective than sequential prompts. Developers can try them in the GitHub Copilot app by using `/create-canvas`, then iterating with the agent to build a workspace tailored to their task.

What are git worktrees, and why should I use them? (opens in new tab)

Git worktrees let developers check out multiple branches simultaneously in separate directories, avoiding the stash-and-switch cycle. They preserve editor state, reduce context-switching friction, and make parallel work—especially AI-assisted development—much easier. Their main drawbacks are dependency duplication, folder cleanup, and restrictions on checking out the same branch twice. ## Switching Contexts with Branches and Stashing - Traditional urgent-work flow often requires: - Stashing unfinished changes. - Checking out and updating `main`. - Creating a hotfix branch. - Committing, pushing, and merging the fix. - Returning to the original branch and restoring the stash. - This process creates mental overhead and may involve reloading files, reinstalling dependencies, or resolving stash conflicts. - Some developers compensate with multiple repository clones or increasingly complex stash commands. ## Working in Parallel with Worktrees - A worktree creates another working directory connected to the same Git repository: ```bash git worktree add ../hotfix-workspace -b hotfix-bug main ``` - The original feature branch and editor remain untouched while the hotfix is developed in a separate folder. - After merging, the temporary worktree can be removed: ```bash git worktree remove ../hotfix-workspace ``` - Worktrees eliminate stash conflicts and support truly parallel development. - Tools such as VS Code provide built-in worktree support. ## Why Worktrees Are More Popular Now - Worktrees have existed since 2015 but were historically overlooked because Git GUIs offered limited support. - Developers increasingly run multiple tasks, coding sessions, reviews, and AI agents simultaneously. - Modern tools, including the GitHub Copilot app, use worktrees as a default way to isolate parallel sessions. ## Limitations to Consider - **Dependency bloat:** Each worktree may contain its own `node_modules`, Python packages, or other dependencies. - **Folder management:** Temporary worktrees must be deleted to prevent clutter. - **`.gitignore` concerns:** Worktrees created inside the repository may need to be ignored; placing them outside the repository avoids this issue. - **One-branch restriction:** Git prevents the same branch from being checked out in multiple worktrees simultaneously. ## Worktrees in the GitHub Copilot App - New Copilot sessions can be created in a new worktree by default. - The app displays the generated worktree name, location, associated project, and changes. - Worktree management is integrated into the session workflow. Worktrees are especially useful for parallel development and AI-assisted workflows, but they are not mandatory. Developers can use worktrees, traditional branching and stashing, or a combination depending on their workflow and resource constraints.