---
id: post/thinkaboutit-be/7402
type: post
title: A Practical Mental Model for Using GitHub Copilot in AL Development
summary: A mental model for using GitHub Copilot effectively in AL development, focusing on when to use each of five modes (Plan, Agent, Edit, Ask, Chat) to maintain control and predictability rather than treating Copilot as magic.
tier: community
language: en
tags:
  - github copilot
  - al development
  - code generation
  - developer workflow
  - intent-driven development
  - ai-assisted coding
system: development
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    url: https://thinkaboutit.be/2025/12/a-practical-mental-model-for-using-github-copilot-in-al-development/
    title: A Practical Mental Model for Using GitHub Copilot in AL Development
    date: "2025-12-27"
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    t: null
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  - kind: blog
    url: https://thinkaboutit.be/2025/12/a-practical-mental-model-for-using-github-copilot-in-al-development/
    title: A Practical Mental Model for Using GitHub Copilot in AL Development
    date: "2025-12-27"
    commit: null
    t: null
    quote: Most frustration comes from using the right tool at the wrong moment.
  - kind: blog
    url: https://thinkaboutit.be/2025/12/a-practical-mental-model-for-using-github-copilot-in-al-development/
    title: A Practical Mental Model for Using GitHub Copilot in AL Development
    date: "2025-12-27"
    commit: null
    t: null
    quote: Copilot works best when it supports how you already think about software.
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post_id: "7402"
source_id: thinkaboutit-be
source_name: think about IT - Steven Renders
url: https://thinkaboutit.be/2025/12/a-practical-mental-model-for-using-github-copilot-in-al-development/
published_at: "2025-12-27T14:30:30.000Z"
author: Steven Renders
full_text: false
words: 671
quotes:
  - text: Most frustration comes from using the right tool at the wrong moment.
    why_it_matters: Identifies the core issue - Copilot modes are complementary but must be applied in the right context, not interchangeably.
  - text: Copilot works best when it supports how you already think about software.
    why_it_matters: Frames Copilot as an accelerator for existing thought processes, not a replacement for experience or design thinking.
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systems:
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  - copilot
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---

# A Practical Mental Model for Using GitHub Copilot in AL Development

[Read the post](https://thinkaboutit.be/2025/12/a-practical-mental-model-for-using-github-copilot-in-al-development/) · think about IT - Steven Renders (Steven Renders) · 2025-12-27 · 671 words · tier community · reviewed (checked by Opus)

> A mental model for using GitHub Copilot effectively in AL development, focusing on when to use each of five modes (Plan, Agent, Edit, Ask, Chat) to maintain control and predictability rather than treating Copilot as magic.

## Key points

- Copilot has five complementary modes - Plan, Agent, Edit, Ask, and Chat - each supporting different intents in development.
- Using the right mode at the wrong moment causes most frustration; effectiveness comes from intentional combination rather than individual features.
- Success requires clarifying intent and architecture upfront before asking Copilot to implement, keeping design decisions explicit.
- Copilot amplifies structural concerns around logic placement, responsibility separation, and how extensions evolve over time.

## Quotes

- "Most frustration comes from using the right tool at the wrong moment." (Identifies the core issue - Copilot modes are complementary but must be applied in the right context, not interchangeably.)
- "Copilot works best when it supports how you already think about software." (Frames Copilot as an accelerator for existing thought processes, not a replacement for experience or design thinking.)

## Context

- Features: Copilot Chat mode, Copilot Ask mode, Copilot Edit mode, Copilot Agent mode, Copilot Plan mode

Source: think about IT - Steven Renders, community blog. Summary, key points and quotes are derived (CONTENT-NOTICE.md); read the original for the full text.