GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2022 will feature Agent Mode with a built-in planning function. This allows the AI assistant to break complex programming tasks into manageable steps and execute them step by step. Microsoft promises greater predictability and transparency for developers.
Simple prompts work well for small adjustments, but fall short on larger projects. Until now, developers had to rewrite instructions and constantly make adjustments. Agent Mode offers a solution by introducing planning.
Copilot creates a plan that examines your codebase, breaks down large tasks, and executes them step by step. The system adjusts the plan during work based on the new context. Everything happens in a markdown file that is stored in a temporary folder.
The feature has been available in public preview since Visual Studio 2022 version 17.14. Microsoft is rolling it out gradually. If you don’t have it yet, you can enable it via Tools > Options > Copilot > Enable Planning.
Transparent tool calls
Planning works with tool calls that handle each complex request in a structured way. Copilot automatically determines whether a question gets an immediate answer or requires planning. For multi-step tasks, a markdown file is created that includes the task, research steps, and progress updates.
While working, Copilot reviews the plan and adjusts it based on new results. The system writes everything to %TEMP%VisualStudiocopilot-vs. If you want to reuse the plan in multiple threads, you must manually add it to the repository.
Edits during a running response do not always take effect immediately. Developers must stop the response, modify the file or prompt, and restart. Microsoft is investigating how to make edits during execution smoother.