CoPilot not suggesting multiple lines of code.

[Simple2Sample]

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Bug

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So whenever I use CoPilot, it seems to no longer suggest multiple lines of code. It only suggests one line at a time regardless of how relevant having multiple lines of code is for the suggestion. It's been a while since I used CoPilot, but I remember this being a thing. I'm using VS Code and programming in Javascript and using Prettier.

I see that someone else has posted a similar bug, but it's half a year old https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/13303

[Akash1134]

Hi @Simple2Sample , please check that you are using the latest version of VSCode and Copilot. If so, restart both apps and see if that helps. Thanks!

[Simple2Sample]

I have manually checked VSCode for any updates, same with Copilot. Restarted VSCode. Only one suggested line is given still :c

[iamcjwilliams]

@Simple2Sample Are you experiencing this with multiple function comments?

[Simple2Sample]

It's happening with every single Copilot suggestion

[pfpt-andrew]

I am experience this as well. Every single suggestion. Most suggestions are just repeating what I already provided.

[sammcj]

I'm experiencing this as well - it's really painful!

• VSCode 1.73.1
• Language all

[kimadeline]

Hi everyone!

Could you provide a few more details on how this can be replicated? Sample project, other tabs you might have open, if it happens for specifically one language?

[mstoyanovv]

vsc version 1.73.1
CoPilot latest version
mac os 13 (M1 pro)
JS project
all other extensions disabled and CoPilot still suggests one line

[sammcj]

• vsc: 1.73.1
• macOS: 13.0.1
• copilot: both stable and nightly have the issue
• hardware: 2021 MacBook Pro M1 Pro
• network: Cabled Ethernet -> 1000/50Mbit ISP (with good peering).
• location: Melbourne Australia
• It only completes a single line about 80% of the time.
• There doesn't seem to be any difference between things that it only completes on a single line, and a very occasional multiline completion.
• When writing a comment, for example "create a function at prints hello world to the screen and a file" - it only does one line at a time except for very occasionally where it will do all 4~ lines.
• It occurs with just a single tab open, or with many.
• The machine is not under significant load at the time.

It also occurs on my other machine which is an M1 MacBook Air, running the same OS/vsc etc...

[brtang63]

I experienced it as well. Disabling almost all extensions in VS Code worked for me.

[sammcj]

On the odd chance it's location (latency) based - what geographic region are you in?

[Akash1134]

Hi @Simple2Sample @brtang63 @sammcj @pfpt-andrew We're sorry that you're facing this issue using Copilot. I've reported this issue to the product team and will update you all once I hear back from them.

[nishantgerald]

How has this still not been resolved? It's about to reach the 60-day mark since this was reported.

[mikkelhl]

Hey @Akash1134, Are there still no updates on this?

[endcycles]

Hey @mikkelhl, did you hear back from @Akash1134 about this issue still being unresolved?

[mikkelhl]

@endcycles No and I don't really believe they will ever fix this...

[52617365]

@mikkelhl They still haven't. Have you found any good alternatives? I would unsub immediately.

[daniti]

Same here. VSCode updated and Copilot reinstalled. I tried disabling most other extensions as well.
(Just paid for the annual plan, as well 😄)

[arshbot]

Yep, brand new copilot user who just signed up for the trial and seems to be happening to me too

[kimadeline]

@daniti and @arshbot, could you answer the following questions:

• If you have the possibility to try it out on an IDE of the IntelliJ family, does this issue happen as well?
• Could you provide a few more details on how this can be replicated? Sample project/code, other tabs you might have open, if it happens for specifically one language?

Thanks!

[daniti]

I haven't tried in another IDE, but it looks like it's working at least for some PHP files, while it isn't for Python.
One way to reliably reproduce it is to open a new .py file, and write a comment instruction (eg. "# Create a function that reads all lines in a file and returns them as a list"). The suggestion will be one line at a time.

[daniti]

I take that back... Even with PHP it seems to suggest single lines depending on the file. I'm not sure when or why.

[lukewatts]

It happens for me on PHPStorm and VS Code. I only ever get 1 line suggested. Have to tab through line by line to do even basic repeated code. And comment/prompting is the same.

Location

Clare, Ireland.

VSCode

Version: 1.77.3
Commit: 704ed70d4fd1c6bd6342c436f1ede30d1cff4710
Date: 2023-04-12T09:41:48.638Z
Electron: 19.1.11
Chromium: 102.0.5005.196
Node.js: 16.14.2
V8: 10.2.154.26-electron.0
OS: Darwin arm64 22.3.0
Sandboxed: No

VSCode - Github Copilot

v1.83.41

PHPStorm

PhpStorm 2022.3.3
Build #PS-223.8836.42, built on March 10, 2023
Licensed to Luke Watts
Subscription is active until May 12, 2023.
Runtime version: 17.0.6+1-b653.34 aarch64
VM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM by JetBrains s.r.o.
macOS 13.2.1
GC: G1 Young Generation, G1 Old Generation
Memory: 1024M
Cores: 8
Metal Rendering is ON
Registry:
editor.focus.mode.color.light=6a737d
ide.editor.tab.selection.animation=true
run.processes.with.pty=TRUE
ide.new.editor.tabs.vertical.borders=true
ide.balloon.shadow.size=0
editor.focus.mode.color.dark=6a737d

Non-Bundled Plugins:
com.github.copilot (1.2.5.2507)
com.github.catppuccin.jetbrains (2.0.9)
com.intellij.ideolog (203.0.30.0)
com.github.today-.theme.spaceday (1.12)
com.chrisrm.idea.MaterialThemeUI (8.4.1)
ru.adelf.idea.dotenv (2022.3)
de.espend.idea.php.annotation (9.2.0)
org.sonarlint.idea (8.1.0.65508)
zielu.gittoolbox (500.0.5+213)

[AFIDclan]

I'm having the same problem here. Latest version of VSCode, latest version of co-pilot.
Extentions:

1. Dev Containers
2. Remote - SSH
3. Remote - SSH: Editing Configuration Files
4. Remote Development
5. Remote Explorer
6. WSL
7. vscode-color-picker

[sammcj]

On the odd chance it's location (latency) based - what geographic region are you in?

[knagode]

It is happening to me to. I installed both vscode & copilot just yesterday (everything is fresh and no other extensions are used except default ones).

[kimadeline]

@knagode, which language(s) is this happening with? Do you have any examples I could use to repro the issue? If you have the possibility to try it out on any other IDE that supports Copilot (IntelliJ, Visual Studio, Neovim), does this issue happen as well?

[knagode]

I was testing in .rb & .js files. I played a little bit more and figured that sometimes it actually works (sometimes I get multiline suggestions). It seems to me that larger files are causing more issues with this, however I replicated the issue within small files as well (maybe because copilot is using "problematic" files to learn from).

I created new file (in VSCode), name it test.js and then wrote:

(multiline suggestion did NOT work, but later I received some multiline suggestions too)

But I also create test.rb and did something similar

(multiline suggestion worked, but later issues reappeared too)

I tested in VSCode and RubyMine and experienced same issues (maybe it is worth noting that I was playing with files within larger project).

[wilfredjonathanjames]

Also happening with a fresh install of the neovim plugin here: https://github.com/github/copilot.vim

There doesn't seem to be a setting for this, so I assume this is a bug rather than user error.

[wilfredjonathanjames]

Ok some interesting results.

With the function calculateDaysBetweenDates example, VSCode provides a multiline suggestion only if I add the opening ( of the parameters list.

vs

While nvim only provides a single line suggestion

vs

From what I can see the t.forEach example I was using only provides a single line suggestion in both VSCode and nvim.

[wilfredjonathanjames]

I'm running

[email protected] (latest stable)
copilot.vim@324ec9e (latest stable)
[email protected] (latest stable)
VSCode GitHub [email protected] (latest stable)

[Nico-Guyon]

Same problem with neovim and copilot.vim plugin.
Only :Copilot panel gives multilines suggestions.

This was working fine some time ago, so it feels like a regression or a missing parameter somewhere to enable / disable single line suggestion.

[kimadeline]

@Nico-Guyon Thank you for noting that the panel still provides multiline completions 👍 Which language(s) is this happening with? Do you have any examples I could use to repro the issue? If you have the possibility to try it out on any other IDE that supports Copilot (VS Code, IntelliJ, Visual Studio), does this issue happen as well?

[Nico-Guyon]

I noticed this problem on a typescript project.
I'll investigate some more and come back to you with a test repo and more infos as soon as I can.

By the way :

• I was using copilot with the same kind of setup (neovim / copilot.vim) until the end of the preview and I was definitely getting multi-lines suggestions back then.
• I started using it again recently and found strange that I was always getting single line suggestions, cannot say for sure that I never got one multi-line suggestion since I registered but it's at least the case for this week.

[ridwansameer]

Brand new Copilot user and running into the same issue. Could definitely be me that's the problem since I'm first starting out, but here's a little more info if it helps

If I start writing const it would then complete my function defintion including name, and end at the opening curly brace, like so:

If I hit tab and let it autocomplete, thats the end of it. Then hit enter and go to a new line, it will again suggest code for only that specific line

And this will go on line by line, suggesting one at a time, and needing me to press enter after each one.

If however, I complete the first line, then add a closing bracket, move my cursor to the middle and then press enter (Basically putting my cursor in the meat of the function, it will suggest the entire thing

Hopefully that helps, or someone figures what I'm doing wrong, since I've seen people not having to do this to get complete function suggestions.

[ridwansameer]

To add-on, something I figured out while experimenting. If I ask copilot to go to the "Next suggestion" (Option (⌥) + ] in mac OS), it will suggest a more completed one. So the issue could be that the first suggestion copilot offers is just the first line

Normal:

After pressing Option (⌥) + ]

[AmirL]

I'm trying Copilot, and facing the same problem. It shows only one line at the time.

[oscarsanchezt]

Response #2

[wolvido]

In my Visual Studio 2022 it works only if copilot is in the dock.

When I remove the dock, its back to line by line.

[JKHSDTV]

I can exactly reproduce this: view open: multi line suggestions, view closed: only single line suggestions

[LDLutton]

This didn't fix the issue for me, but it did make me aware of the completions panel (the aforementioned "dock" here). For those that didn't know about this like myself, click on the Copilot icon in the bottom right of VS Code and you should get a list of options which includes "Open Completions Panel".
The reason this is useful is that while the ghost text is still single-line on the code I'm testing, the completions panel gives me the multi-line blocks that I want...So it's not perfect but the best workaround I've found so far.

[wolvido]

Sorry, I failed to clarify some things. Let me provide some additional details:

Just to clarify, this is Visual Studio 2022, not VS Code or Visual Studio for Mac.

Also, it works not just as docked, but also when in a separate document, a hidden dock, or a floating state. For example:

Hidden dock (top right):

Floating:

Separate document:

Essentially, it will suggest multi-line as long as a copilot suggestions tab is actively running simultaneously somewhere.

[denglert23]

Hi Joel, Seems to me that 200 people isn’t indicative of how big the problem may be. Where I work most people didn’t even think this was a problem since they never saw it working correctly in the first place. Or just gave up in general, canceled CoPilot, maybe some fixed it on their own. Either way it’s a problem. Just my 2c Daniel Daniel Englert Associate Director of Technology AREA 23 | An IPG Health Company M +1 917 853 5794<tel:+19178535794> www.area23hc.com<http://www.area23hc.com> From: JoelAzaria ***@***.***> Date: Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 3:29 PM To: community/community ***@***.***> Cc: Englert, Daniel (NYC-ART) ***@***.***>, Comment ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [community/community] CoPilot not suggesting multiple lines of code. (Discussion #40522) If over a million users are using it and in a year only 200 people have complained, it's clearly a very isolated, very small problem in the scheme of things. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving If over a million users are using it and in a year only 200 people have complained, it's clearly a very isolated, very small problem in the scheme of things. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/github.com/orgs/community/discussions/40522*discussioncomment-7813348__;Iw!!N96JrnIq8IfO5w!nqyHEUYccUU6dyo2bzGCMPUc3ux4tSpWGnYkpcQJW7-D6iSari24OQ4xGEWySOxfDVfqw4EkengAYb7oqdtawbuUTabXpQA$>, or unsubscribe<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A3JDJE6AHYCXA3YCKU432WTYIYLRNAVCNFSM6AAAAAASQQD5HOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43SRDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHM3TQMJTGM2DQ__;!!N96JrnIq8IfO5w!nqyHEUYccUU6dyo2bzGCMPUc3ux4tSpWGnYkpcQJW7-D6iSari24OQ4xGEWySOxfDVfqw4EkengAYb7oqdtawbuUjlmc2Dw$>. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***> This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorized to receive this message for the intended recipient), you may not use, copy, disseminate or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and delete the message. Thank you very much.

[williamabunoone]

Select Topic Area

Bug

Body

So whenever I use CoPilot, it seems to no longer suggest multiple lines of code. It only suggests one line at a time regardless of how relevant having multiple lines of code is for the suggestion. It's been a while since I used CoPilot, but I remember this being a thing. I'm using VS Code and programming in Javascript and using Prettier.

I see that someone else has posted a similar bug, but it's half a year old https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/My-Boy!

Certainly! Here's a more detailed response:

It appears that your experience with CoPilot in VS Code might be influenced by settings and compatibility with Prettier. To address the issue of single-line suggestions, first, ensure your VS Code, CoPilot, and Prettier extensions are up-to-date. Review your VS Code settings, particularly those related to CoPilot, to confirm support for multi-line suggestions. Additionally, check Prettier configurations as it might impact code formatting, affecting CoPilot's suggestions. If the problem persists, exploring the GitHub repositories for CoPilot and Prettier could provide insights into ongoing discussions or updates that address this specific issue. Consider adjusting language-specific settings and experimenting with different coding scenarios to identify potential improvements. Keep an eye on release notes for both extensions, as developers often address and enhance such features in updates.

[Hi-ImKyle]

It happens in other programs too. I only ever get one line in all Jetbrains IDEs... I'm aware that they come with prettier but even with it disabled, the problem still occurs.

[fulldecent]

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

The limit on multiline responses in GitHub Copilot was introduced to dampen the effect on global unemployment.

You're welcome. Happy new year!

[JimmyJones97]

This is still happening, even with a clean VScode install (Windows) is there any official response on a ETA fix for this ?

I will be cancelling my auto renew for copilot as its just a waste of money and time to go line by line for any suggestions, i can do the same just pasting it into chat-gpt.

[TanOfAllCodes]

a Workaround: write the comment of what you want to do and the place the cursor there and press CTRL+Enter (for Visual Studio Code)

this will open the Github Copilot Completions Pane and is actually a bit more powerful.

Use this for other environments and shortcuts.

https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/configuring-github-copilot/configuring-github-copilot-in-your-environment?tool=vscode

[eduardolat]

It's still happening to me :/

[danieldourado]

Still happening to me. It is very frustrating. On the bright side, we will soon be able to sing a 2 year birthday party to this issue!

[nwiizo]

I got a temporary fix, but it's still happening to me :/

[djoodew]

I wanted to share that I had the same problem intermittently. I thought it might have something to do with formatting, so I used the VS Code option to format my document, and it began to suggest multi-line suggestions again.

[denglert23]

Hi djoodew, what do you mean by use VS Code to format your document? Thanks! Daniel This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorized to receive this message for the intended recipient), you may not use, copy, disseminate or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and delete the message. Thank you very much.

[djoodew]

Hi Daniel,

I simply right-clicked in a blank space in the open editor and chose the "Format Document" option. I believe it's a native option within VSCode, but it could be provided by an extension. I'm not sure.

Regardless, formatting the document probably lined up the inconsistencies with spacing and curly braces and whatnot throughout the file, I suppose allowing Github Copilot to "format" its own multi-line suggestions consistently with the document's formatting.

[Hi-ImKyle]

Everyone complaining about this happening in VSCode, I have this in JetBrains Rider. Though the same happens in VSCode for me too.

[52617365]

FYI, it's still happening (nvim)

[robkdev]

Still happening on out of the box Copilot for Business

out-of-box-bubblesort.mp4

[robkdev]

Did a bit more trial and error. In the previous video, suggestions may have been affected by the project's settings for indentations and line endings.

Got Copilot for Business to spit out more inline autosuggests and more than a single line at a time by resetting my user settings.json in VS Code and starting a new project, which did very little outside of resetting the default indentations from 2 to 4 spaces, and changing the line endings from LF to CRLF.

business-copilot-bubblesort.mp4

Its output is still limited compared to what I'd expect, which is what the interactive chat suggests and what the inline suggestions still show on my personal copilot account:

business-copilot-interactive-chat-bubblesort.mp4

personal-copilot-bubblesort.mp4

[improwise]

So, should we just assume that this issue will never be fixed and just go looking for some alternative considering it has been a known problem for many years?

[hyue418]

So, should we just assume that this issue will never be fixed and just go looking for some alternative considering it has been a known problem for many years?

Yes, I have become completely disillusioned with this team

[eduardolat]

What alternative do you recommend guys?