Session M2-02: Agent mode in the IDE¶

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Module: Copilot in Practice Difficulty: Intermediate Prerequisites: Sessions M1-01 to M1-03, M2-01 Duration: 3 hours (1 hr trainer content + 2 hr lab)

Overview¶

Build and extend one Todo API with agent mode in an IDE. Compare Ask and Agent mode on the same feature, then redirect a multi-file change. At each checkpoint, decide whether to accept the work, revise it, or stop.

Learning outcomes¶

Explain the difference between assistant and agent workflows
Use agent mode in VS Code for multi-step, multi-file tasks
Use the agent loop: plan, act, observe, review, and revise
Know when to use agent mode, Chat, or inline suggestions
Use TODO code actions to bridge IDE and cloud agent workflows
Review plans, diffs, commands, and test output at each checkpoint

Session materials¶

Resource	Location
Lab exercises	`lab/`
Lab starter files	`lab/starter/`
Lab solution files	`lab/solution/`

Key topics¶

From autocomplete to assistant to agent
The agent loop: plan, act, observe, review, revise
Tool use: terminal commands, file operations, web search
Multi-file changes in agent mode
Trust boundaries and when to intervene
TODO code actions for cloud agent delegation
When to use Chat or Agent mode