This is a submission for the GitHub Copilot CLI Challenge
🔗 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/wizzfi1/RepoSense
What I Built
I built RepoSense, a lightweight, terminal-first CLI tool that helps developers quickly understand, document, and improve any codebase using GitHub Copilot CLI.
RepoSense is intentionally simple. Instead of building custom analyzers or reimplementing repository scanning logic, it acts as a thin orchestration layer around Copilot CLI. Each command sends a focused, task-specific prompt to Copilot directly from the terminal, allowing it to explore the repository and generate meaningful output in real time.
The tool provides three core commands:
explain - explains a repository’s purpose, structure, and architecture
readme – generates a professional README.md from the existing codebase
suggest - surfaces prioritized, actionable improvement recommendations
RepoSense was designed collaboratively with GitHub Copilot CLI. I used Copilot to explore the initial idea, refine the scope into a minimal MVP, and validate the tool by running it against its own repository. The result is a practical example of how Copilot CLI can be used not just to write code but to guide design, documentation, and review workflows entirely from the terminal. RepoSense demonstrates how GitHub Copilot CLI can function as a true development partner in a terminal-first workflow.
Demo
RepoSense is best understood in action; the short video below shows how GitHub Copilot CLI powers each command directly from the terminal.
🎥 Video Demo (Loom):
https://www.loom.com/share/861f26217f32416d9aee50f931a4c37e
The video shows RepoSense in action:
- Explaining a repository using GitHub Copilot CLI
- Generating README documentation from the terminal
- Producing real, prioritized improvement suggestions
My Experience with GitHub Copilot CLI
Building RepoSense genuinely changed how I think about using AI in the terminal.
Before this project, I saw GitHub Copilot CLI mostly as a convenience, something helpful but passive. While working on RepoSense, that mindset shifted completely. I started treating Copilot CLI as an active collaborator throughout the entire process, from shaping the initial idea to validating the final result.
I began by asking Copilot CLI to design a repository analysis tool. Its first response was ambitious and wide-ranging, which naturally led to a back-and-forth where I had to make real engineering decisions. Together, we refined the scope down to a focused, buildable MVP. That iterative exchange influenced both the architecture and the command interface long before I wrote a single line of code.
As implementation progressed, RepoSense evolved into a lightweight orchestration layer rather than a traditional analyzer. Instead of duplicating logic or building custom scanners, each command simply delegates a clear, purpose-driven prompt to Copilot CLI. From the terminal, Copilot explores the repository, explains its structure, drafts documentation, and surfaces meaningful improvement suggestions in real time.
One of the most valuable moments came when I ran the suggest command against RepoSense itself. Copilot produced a prioritized improvement plan, calling out gaps in testing, CI/CD, and overall robustness. That feedback loop made it clear that Copilot CLI isn’t just useful for generating code; it’s equally powerful as a reviewer and reasoning partner.
Overall, GitHub Copilot CLI significantly accelerated my workflow, reduced context switching, and allowed design, implementation, and evaluation to happen entirely in the terminal. RepoSense exists because Copilot CLI made this style of development not only possible but also genuinely effective.
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