[Question]Does anyone need the `Source References` feature?

[tzengshinfu]

Question

Please forgive me if I use the wrong terminology.

Now I will write the following in the prompt:

If you mention any modifications to the program, you need to include the source code location in the format `{file_path}:{line_no}:{column_no}`.

For example:

1. Created source code file in {.\source.code}

2. The validation logic is in {.\source.code:1:2}

3. The calculation logic is in {.\source.code:3:4}

...

Copilot-CLI will reply as shown in the image below. I can click the hyperlink to view the affected part of the source code file.

I'm wondering how many people need this feature? Or could it be a built-in feature of Copilot-CLI? Or does it already exist?

(I am a beginner in Copilot-CLI and am still exploring. I may demonstrate and share with other members.)

[dogmatic69]

just use git status?

[tzengshinfu]

Hi, @dogmatic69

Sometimes Copilot-CLI modifies many files simultaneously. While git status or git diff commands show the changes, they can't trace the reason for the changes (or perhaps I'm not using them correctly). Sometimes it's a new repository, and you only see the entire newly added file, or even no repository at all, just a small script.

I thought of another use case: when a new colleague doesn't want to modify an existing code repository (e.g., with comments),

they can ask Copilot-CLI to list all important decision logic and add source references. This makes it easy to navigate and view the logic implementation (like indexes in a book). They can also write this separately in repo/copilot-instructions.md, and Copilot-CLI will read and update this file after subsequent changes, linking the intended requirements with the code implementation.