The GitHub Blog has announced the general availability of code referencing in GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Azure AI, enabling developers to permit code suggestions containing public code matches while receiving detailed information about the match. This new feature aims to enhance transparency and knowledge sharing within the developer community.

How Code Referencing Works

With billions of files to index and a latency budget of only 10-20ms, finding specific matches is a significant engineering achievement. When a match is found, a notification appears in the editor, displaying the matching code, the file where that code appears, and any detected licensing information. This information is shown for all public code matches detected in a model response.

GitHub has partnered with Microsoft Azure to make the code referencing API available on Azure AI Content Safety. Users can leverage this feature via the protected material detection for code filter, ensuring that this capability is accessible to a broad audience.

Why Code Referencing Matters

The Power of Code Referencing for Individual Developers

For individual developers using GitHub Copilot, this feature adds a layer of transparency and control. Developers can either block suggestions containing matching code or allow them with detailed information about the matches. This helps developers make informed decisions, enhancing their confidence in using Copilot.

The Power of Code Referencing for Businesses

For businesses, GitHub Copilot helps organizations innovate faster. To ensure responsible innovation, admins have the option to block suggestions matching public code, protecting customers through GitHub’s indemnification commitment. GitHub’s indemnity now extends to the use of code referencing for GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise customers who comply with cited licenses, enabling teams to benefit from enhanced context, use, and effectiveness.

The introduction of code referencing reflects the values of the open-source community, emphasizing transparency and knowledge sharing. As GitHub continues to grow its AI capabilities, it aims to empower developers with greater tools for innovation.

Learn more about code referencing.

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