Add GitHub Copilot instruction files for PowerShell CI build system by Copilot · Pull Request #26253 · PowerShell/PowerShell

Copilot · 2025-10-20T22:38:17Z

Overview

This PR adds comprehensive GitHub Copilot instruction files that provide guidance for working with the PowerShell CI build system. All files follow GitHub's custom instructions format with proper naming convention and frontmatter.

Instruction Files Created

build-checkout-prerequisites.instructions.md - Documents checkout configuration and tag synchronization requirements:
- Why fetch-depth: 1000 is required across all CI workflows
- How Sync-PSTags synchronizes Git tags from the upstream repository
- Best practices for maintaining proper Git history for version calculation
build-configuration-guide.instructions.md - Explains build configuration best practices:
- Choosing the right configuration for different scenarios (Debug, Release, CodeCoverage)
- Platform considerations
- Output locations
start-psbuild-basics.instructions.md - Covers Start-PSBuild usage:
- Default usage and common configurations
- Common parameters and their purposes
- Workflow examples
troubleshooting-builds.instructions.md - Documents common build issues and solutions:
- Git describe errors
- Version information problems
- Module restore issues
- Bootstrap failures
instruction-file-format.instructions.md - Format guide for maintaining instruction files:
- File naming convention (.instructions.md suffix)
- Required frontmatter structure with applyTo patterns
- Content structure best practices
- Guidelines for when to create, update, merge, or delete instruction files

Format Compliance

All instruction files follow GitHub's custom instructions guidelines:

✅ Proper .instructions.md naming convention
✅ YAML frontmatter with applyTo sections to scope instructions to relevant files
✅ Clear, actionable guidance with code examples
✅ No duplicate content across files

Changes Made

Analyzed existing instruction files and removed duplicates (git-requirements-for-builds.md, workflow-prerequisites.md)
Renamed files to follow .instructions.md convention
Added applyTo frontmatter to all instruction files
Created format guide to ensure consistency for future instruction files

Original prompt

Analyze how .github/actions/build/ci/action.yml uses sync-pstags for building, also look at the fetch depth in checkout

create a .gihub/instructions/build-checkout-prerequisites.instructions.md to describe this for other github copilot session.

reference
https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/configure-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions#writing-your-own-copilot-instructionsmd-file

💬 Share your feedback on Copilot coding agent for the chance to win a $200 gift card! Click here to start the survey.

Co-authored-by: TravisEz13 <10873629+TravisEz13@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot

Pull Request Overview

This PR adds comprehensive documentation about build and checkout prerequisites for PowerShell's CI workflows, specifically targeting GitHub Copilot sessions. The documentation explains the critical relationship between Git fetch depth and the Sync-PSTags operation used for version calculation across all CI platforms.

Key Changes:

Documents why fetch-depth: 1000 is used across all CI build and test jobs
Explains the Sync-PSTags function's role in fetching tags for version calculation
Provides best practices for working with PowerShell's CI system

_{Tip: Customize your code reviews with copilot-instructions.md. Create the file or learn how to get started.}

TravisEz13 · 2025-10-20T23:06:17Z

@copilot analyze all the file in .github/instructions and remove duplicate information and make sure they all follow the guideline at https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/configure-custom-instructions/add-repository-instructions#writing-your-own-copilot-instructionsmd-file

GitHub Docs
Adding repository custom instructions for GitHub Copilot - GitHub Docs
Create repository custom instructions files that give Copilot additional context on how to understand your project and how to build, test and validate its changes.

- Remove duplicate files (git-requirements-for-builds.md, workflow-prerequisites.md) - Rename all instruction files to use .instructions.md suffix - Add applyTo frontmatter to all instruction files - Create instruction-file-format.instructions.md guide Co-authored-by: TravisEz13 <10873629+TravisEz13@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2025-10-20T23:11:40Z

@copilot analyze all the file in .github/instructions and remove duplicate information and make sure they all follow the guideline at https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/configure-custom-inst...

Analyzed all instruction files and made the following changes:

Removed duplicates:

git-requirements-for-builds.md (duplicated fetch-depth and Sync-PSTags info from build-checkout-prerequisites)
workflow-prerequisites.md (duplicated workflow setup info)

Ensured proper format:

Renamed 3 files to use .instructions.md suffix (build-configuration-guide, start-psbuild-basics, troubleshooting-builds)
Added applyTo frontmatter to all instruction files

Added format guide:

Created instruction-file-format.instructions.md documenting the format guidelines per the GitHub docs

Final result: 5 instruction files, all following naming convention, all with proper frontmatter, no duplicate content. Commit: [short hash will be in next message]

Copilot

Pull Request Overview

Copilot reviewed 7 out of 7 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

_{Tip: Customize your code reviews with copilot-instructions.md. Create the file or learn how to get started.}

microsoft-github-policy-service · 2025-10-21T19:45:41Z

📣 Hey @@Copilot, how did we do? We would love to hear your feedback with the link below! 🗣️

🔗 https://aka.ms/PSRepoFeedback

Microsoft Forms

…owerShell#26253) Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: TravisEz13 <10873629+TravisEz13@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Travis Plunk <travis.plunk@microsoft.com>

Initial plan

66c09d3

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and TravisEz13 Oct 20, 2025

Copilot started work on behalf of TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 22:38 View session

Add build-checkout-prerequisites.instructions.md documentation

6bc0e3f

Co-authored-by: TravisEz13 <10873629+TravisEz13@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Analyze usage of sync-pstags in build action~~ Add build and checkout prerequisites documentation for GitHub Copilot sessions Oct 20, 2025

Copilot AI requested a review from TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 22:48

Copilot finished work on behalf of TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 22:48

TravisEz13 reviewed Oct 20, 2025

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Comment thread .github/instructions/build-checkout-prerequisites.instructions.md

Copilot started work on behalf of TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 22:53 View session

Add applyTo frontmatter to build-checkout-prerequisites.instructions.md

78c2cf1

Co-authored-by: TravisEz13 <10873629+TravisEz13@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI requested a review from TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 22:55

Copilot finished work on behalf of TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 22:55

TravisEz13 approved these changes Oct 20, 2025

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TravisEz13 marked this pull request as ready for review October 20, 2025 22:56

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings October 20, 2025 22:56

Copilot AI reviewed Oct 20, 2025

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TravisEz13 added the CL-Docs Indicates that a PR should be marked as a documentation change in the Change Log label Oct 20, 2025

TravisEz13 enabled auto-merge (squash) October 20, 2025 22:58

Merge branch 'master' into copilot/analyze-action-usage-sync-pstags

31be1ee

Copilot started work on behalf of TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 23:07 View session

auto-merge was automatically disabled October 20, 2025 23:11
Head branch was pushed to by a user without write access

Copilot AI changed the title ~~Add build and checkout prerequisites documentation for GitHub Copilot sessions~~ Add GitHub Copilot instruction files for PowerShell CI build system Oct 20, 2025

Copilot AI requested a review from TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 23:12

Copilot finished work on behalf of TravisEz13 October 20, 2025 23:12

TravisEz13 approved these changes Oct 20, 2025

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TravisEz13 requested a review from Copilot October 20, 2025 23:15

Copilot AI reviewed Oct 20, 2025

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Comment thread .github/instructions/instruction-file-format.instructions.md

Comment thread .github/instructions/build-checkout-prerequisites.instructions.md

TravisEz13 enabled auto-merge (squash) October 20, 2025 23:15

Merge branch 'master' into copilot/analyze-action-usage-sync-pstags

2296a5d

adityapatwardhan approved these changes Oct 21, 2025

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SeeminglyScience approved these changes Oct 21, 2025

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TravisEz13 merged commit eeefcd7 into master Oct 21, 2025
33 checks passed

TravisEz13 deleted the copilot/analyze-action-usage-sync-pstags branch October 21, 2025 19:45

iSazonov mentioned this pull request Oct 22, 2025

✨ Set up Copilot instructions #26259

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Add GitHub Copilot instruction files for PowerShell CI build system#26253

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TravisEz13 merged 6 commits into
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