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.github/copilot-instructions.md

Copilot instructions for Kotlin

GitHub Copilot reads `.github/copilot-instructions.md` and applies it across the repository. It is the place for build commands, review rules, and stack conventions Copilot should not invent. This copy is written for a Kotlin project. This repository is an Android app in Kotlin. Match Compose or Views, whichever the module uses. Keep disk and network work off the main thread.

The example uses a balanced, readable style, pragmatic tests, and comments only where the intent is not obvious. Open the generator to make the agent stricter, switch to test-first, quiet the comments, or pick a different file.

The example assumes Kotlin on Android. It does not assume Compose, Hilt, or a particular navigation library unless the Gradle module already depends on them.

Customize in the generatorBrowse the library

Example file

Balanced strictness, readable style, pragmatic tests. Download name: copilot-instructions.md

# GitHub Copilot instructions

These instructions apply to the whole Kotlin repository. Copilot reads them from `.github/copilot-instructions.md`.
Prefer the commands and layout below over guesses.

## Stack

This repository is an Android app in Kotlin. Match Compose or Views, whichever the module uses. Keep disk and network work off the main thread.

## Layout

- UI lives in the feature module that already owns the screen.
- ViewModels expose state. They do not hold a Context that can leak an Activity.
- Data sources sit behind the repository or data layer the app already has.

## Commands

- Unit tests: `./gradlew test`
- Lint: `./gradlew lint`
- Assemble: `./gradlew assembleDebug`

Use the script the repo already defines when it differs from the command above.

## Conventions

- Use coroutines with a scope that is cancelled. Do not use GlobalScope.
- Collect flows in lifecycle-aware scopes.
- Keep Compose functions pure. Side effects go in LaunchedEffect or a ViewModel.
- If the screen is XML, do not rewrite it into Compose unless the task is that migration.
- Prefer the project's dependency-injection style. Do not add a second one.
- String resources go in `strings.xml` when the screen is localized.

## Testing

Add or update tests when behavior changes.

Add a JVM unit test for the ViewModel or use case. Use instrumented tests only when you need the framework.

## Style

- Optimize for the next reader over the shortest diff.
- Comment only when the why is non-obvious.
- Name things the way neighboring files already do.
- Do not reformat code you did not change.

## Errors

- Fail at the boundary. Do not swallow errors.
- Expose an error state the UI can render. Do not swallow a cancellation or a failed network call.

## Scope

- Do the requested task. Do not refactor unrelated code.
- Match the rigor already in the repo. Fix what you touch.
- Ask one clarifying question only when the task cannot be finished without it. Otherwise state the assumption and continue.

## Avoid

- Do not touch views from a background dispatcher.
- Do not store a Context in a singleton.
- Do not ignore a failing Gradle warning you introduced.
- Do not hard-code an API host that the build flavors already provide.

## Done when

- The requested behavior works.
- `./gradlew test` passes for the module you changed.
- The diff stays inside the task.
- You list anything you could not run.

## Review checklist

- The change matches the commands and layout in this file.
- No new dependency was added without a reason already present in the repo.
- Do not ship secrets in the APK. Use the backend or the secrets gradle plugin the project already has.
- Use HTTPS. Do not add a permissive network security config.
- Validate intent extras. Other apps can start your activity.

Add it to the project

  1. 01

    Copy a starting file

    Copy the example Copilot instructions on this page, or open the generator if you want different testing, strictness, or comment rules.

  2. 02

    Save it at .github/copilot-instructions.md

    Save it as `.github/copilot-instructions.md` in the Kotlin repo. Create the `.github` folder if it is missing. Commit the file so Copilot sees it for every collaborator.

  3. 03

    Start a fresh agent session

    Rules files are read when a session starts. A chat that is already open may still be using the old instructions.

  4. 04

    Give it one small task

    Ask for one change a Kotlin agent often gets wrong, such as a ViewModel that exposes state and does not hold an Activity reference. If it ignores the file, confirm the path and start a new session.

Questions about this file

Where do I put Copilot instructions in a Kotlin repo?

Save it as `.github/copilot-instructions.md` in the Kotlin repo. Create the `.github` folder if it is missing. Commit the file so Copilot sees it for every collaborator.

Which tools read this Copilot instructions?

GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Visual Studio, and Copilot cloud agents read this file. Other agents will not load it automatically, so keep an AGENTS.md too if more than one tool edits the repo.

What does the Kotlin example assume?

The example assumes Kotlin on Android. It does not assume Compose, Hilt, or a particular navigation library unless the Gradle module already depends on them.

Does VibeSpell upload my repository?

No. Recipe pages are static, and the generator builds the file in your browser from the options you pick. Your source code never leaves the machine.

Other files for Kotlin

Copilot instructions for other stacks