Copilot Kanban

A VS Code extension which allows a visual kanban board to be integrated with the github copilot agent chat. This allows for real time task creation by the agent, updation and completion all while you observing what the agent is doing.

How It Works

When you use Copilot Chat, it can automatically create and update tasks on a Kanban board to show you what it's working on.

Testing with Copilot Chat

Step 1: Launch Extension

1. Press F5 in VS Code
2. Extension Development Host window will open

Step 2: Enable the Tools

1. Open Copilot Chat (click chat icon or Ctrl+Alt+I)
2. Click the tools icon (checklist) in the chat input
3. You should see 4 Kanban tools:
   • kanban_create - Create tasks
   • kanban_update - Update task status
   • kanban_get - Get tasks
   • kanban_reset - Reset board
4. Make sure they are enabled (checked)

Step 3: Ask Copilot to Use the Board

Try these prompts in Copilot Chat:

Start a new task list:

@workspace Using the kanban tools, create a task list for building a REST API with user authentication

Update task progress:

Using kanban_get to see tasks, then update the first task to in_progress

Check task status:

Show me all tasks on the kanban board

View the board:

Show the kanban board

Then use Command Palette: Copilot Kanban: Show Agent Kanban Board

What You'll See

✅ Board opens as an editor tab ✅ Tasks appear in 4 columns: Ready → In Progress → In Review → Done
✅ Only one task can be "In Progress" at a time
✅ Tasks persist in .vscode/kanban-agent.json
✅ Copilot can create/update tasks as it works

Manual Testing

You can also manually invoke commands in Debug Console:

// Create tasks
vscode.commands.executeCommand('copilot-kanban.createTasks', [
  { title: 'Set up database', order: 1 },
  { title: 'Create API', order: 2 }
]);

// Show board
vscode.commands.executeCommand('copilot-kanban.showBoard');

// Get tasks
vscode.commands.executeCommand('copilot-kanban.getTasks').then(console.log);

Requirements

• VS Code 1.107.0 or higher
• Copilot Chat subscription (for tool integration)

License

MIT