Copilot ChatModes PowerShell Module

A PowerShell module for interacting with GitHub Copilot chat modes, providing easy discovery, installation, and analysis of chat mode configurations.

Overview

This module allows you to:

Discover available chat modes from multiple repositories
- dfinke/awesome-copilot-chatmodes
- github/awesome-copilot
Install chat modes to your local .github/chatmodes directory
Analyze tools and capabilities across different chat modes
Search for specific tools or chat modes using wildcards

Installation

From the PowerShell Gallery:

Install-Module -Name copilot-chatmodes

From Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dfinke/copilot-chatmodes.git
cd copilot-chatmodes

# Import the module
Import-Module .\copilot-chatmodes.psd1

Requirements

PowerShell 5.1 or higher
Internet connection for GitHub API access
Optional: GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable for higher API rate limits

Repository scripts

Public helper scripts (in Public/) provide small, focused tasks you can run directly from the repo root:

Public/Get-Chatmode.ps1 — Wrapper to call Get-Chatmode from the module or from source.
Public/Get-ChatmodeContent.ps1 — Fetch and display chatmode content.
Public/Get-ChatmodeTool.ps1 — Run Get-ChatmodeTool quickly from the repository.
Public/Install-Chatmode.ps1 — Installs a chatmode file into a local .github/chatmodes folder.
Public/Show-ChatmodeWebsite.ps1 — Opens the awesome-copilot chatmodes website in your browser.

Functions

Aliases

Show-ChatmodeWebsite

Opens the default "awesome chatmodes" website in your browser, or a custom URL if provided.

# Open the awesome chatmodes page (default)
Show-ChatmodeWebsite

Use this function to quickly access the main resource for chatmodes.

The module provides convenient aliases for commonly used functions:

gcmt → Get-ChatmodeTool - Quick access to tool analysis and search

Get-Chatmode

Discovers available chat modes from the GitHub repository.

New: Multiple ChatModeName Support

You can now pass multiple names or patterns to Get-Chatmode (as separate arguments, not as an array). This allows you to search for several chat modes in a single call.

# Get all available chat modes
Get-Chatmode

# Search for specific chat modes (supports wildcards)
Get-Chatmode genui*
Get-Chatmode python*

# Search for multiple patterns at once (comma-separated, no quotes needed)
Get-Chatmode *azure*,python*,bicep*

Output Example:

Files in 'chatmodes' directory of github/awesome-copilot matching '*azure*':
azure-architect.md
azure-developer.md
Files in 'chatmodes' directory of github/awesome-copilot matching 'python*':
python-expert.md
#### Owner filtering (new)
You can restrict discovery to a specific GitHub owner using the `-Owner` parameter. When provided, `Get-Chatmode` will only search the repo(s) associated with the owner (via the module's owner->repo mapping or the default repo list). This is useful when you want to limit results to a single maintainer's chatmodes.

```powershell
# List all chatmodes in owner 'dfinke' (uses dfinke/awesome-copilot-chatmodes)
Get-Chatmode -Owner dfinke

# Search only dfinke's repo for chatmodes starting with 'genui'
Get-Chatmode -Owner dfinke 'genui*'

# Search multiple owners (comma-separated or as an array)
Get-Chatmode -Owner dfinke,github '*azure*'

# Install only chatmodes from a specific owner (filter + install)
Get-Chatmode -Owner dfinke | Install-Chatmode -Owner dfinke

# Or rely on the piped object's Owner property (Install-Chatmode will respect the object's Owner)
Get-Chatmode -Owner dfinke | Install-Chatmode

Note: If an owner isn't present in the module's RepoMap or default Repos list, Get-Chatmode will warn and skip that owner. If you'd like dynamic owner->repo discovery, I can add an option to query GitHub for the owner's repositories.


### Install-Chatmode
Downloads and installs chat modes to your local `.github/chatmodes` directory.

```powershell
# Install a specific chat mode
Install-Chatmode genui

# Install multiple chat modes via pipeline
Get-Chatmode *azure* | Install-Chatmode

Get-ChatmodeTool

Analyzes and searches tools across chat modes with multiple operation modes.

Alias: gcmt (shorthand for Get-ChatmodeTool)

Enhanced: Multiple Patterns for Name and Mode

You can now pass multiple tool names or patterns to the -Name parameter, and multiple chat mode patterns to the -Mode parameter. Both parameters accept:

Multiple arguments (space-separated)
Comma-separated values (e.g. editFiles,run*)
Wildcards (* and ?)

This allows you to search for several tools or chat modes in a single call, with flexible pattern matching.

# Use the full function name
Get-ChatmodeTool

# Or use the convenient alias
gcmt

# Both work the same way
gcmt *azure*
Get-ChatmodeTool *azure*

# Pass multiple tool names or patterns (space or comma separated)
Get-ChatmodeTool -Name editFiles run* *azure*
Get-ChatmodeTool -Name editFiles,run*,*azure*
gcmt -Name editFiles run* *azure*
gcmt -Name editFiles,run*

# Combine with Mode filtering (also supports multiple/comma-separated patterns)
Get-ChatmodeTool -Name editFiles run* -Mode *bicep*,azure-*
gcmt -Name editFiles,run* -Mode *bicep*,azure-*

List All Chat Modes (Default)

Get-ChatmodeTool
# Or use the alias
gcmt

Output:

Filename                                  Tools
--------                                  -----
azure-principal-architect.chatmode        {changes, codebase, editFiles, extensions...}
azure-saas-architect.chatmode             {changes, codebase, editFiles, extensions...}

Search Tools by Name

# Find tools starting with "edit"
Get-ChatmodeTool edit*
# Or using the alias
gcmt edit*

# Find tools containing "azure"
gcmt *azure*

# Find exact tool match
gcmt "microsoft.docs.mcp"

Output:

Type     Name      Source
----     ----      ------
Chatmode editFiles azure-principal-architect.chatmode
Chatmode editFiles azure-saas-architect.chatmode

List Tools by Chat Mode

# Get all tools from a specific chat mode
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode azure-saas-architect.chatmode

# Get tools from multiple chat modes using wildcards
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode *bicep*
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode azure-verified*

Output:

Type     Name                                Source
----     ----                                ------
Chatmode changes                             azure-saas-architect.chatmode
Chatmode codebase                            azure-saas-architect.chatmode
Chatmode editFiles                           azure-saas-architect.chatmode
...

Combined Search (Name + Mode)

Search for specific tools within specific chat modes by combining both parameters:

# Find "run" tools in bicep-related chat modes
Get-ChatmodeTool run* -Mode *bicep*

# Find Azure tools in terraform chat modes  
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode *terraform* azure*

# Find edit tools in SaaS architect chat mode
Get-ChatmodeTool edit* -Mode azure-saas*

Output:

Type     Name        Source
----     ----        ------
Chatmode runCommands azure-verified-modules-bicep.chatmode
Chatmode runTasks    azure-verified-modules-bicep.chatmode
Chatmode runTests    azure-verified-modules-bicep.chatmode

Advanced Search Capabilities

The Get-ChatmodeTool function provides powerful search capabilities with four distinct modes:

1. List Mode (No Parameters)

Returns overview of all chat modes with their tool collections:

Get-ChatmodeTool

2. Tool Search (Name Parameter)

Search for tools across all chat modes. The Name parameter now accepts one or more strings or comma-separated patterns:

# Single pattern or name
Get-ChatmodeTool run*          # Find all tools starting with "run"
Get-ChatmodeTool *azure*       # Find all tools containing "azure"
Get-ChatmodeTool editFiles     # Find exact tool matches

# Multiple patterns/names (space or comma separated)
Get-ChatmodeTool -Name editFiles run* *azure*
Get-ChatmodeTool -Name editFiles,run*,*azure*

3. Chat Mode Filter (Mode Parameter)

List all tools from specific chat modes. The -Mode parameter also supports multiple or comma-separated patterns:

Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode *bicep*                    # All tools from bicep chat modes
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode azure-saas-architect       # All tools from specific mode
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode azure-verified*            # All tools from matching modes
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode azure-verified*,*bicep*    # Multiple patterns (comma separated)

4. Combined Search (Both Parameters)

The most powerful feature - search for specific tools within specific chat modes. Both parameters accept multiple/comma-separated patterns:

Get-ChatmodeTool run* -Mode *bicep*                       # Run tools in bicep modes
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode *terraform* azure*                 # Azure tools in terraform modes
Get-ChatmodeTool microsoft* -Mode *architect*             # Microsoft tools in architect modes
Get-ChatmodeTool -Name run*,editFiles -Mode *bicep*,*terraform*  # Multiple tool and mode patterns

Key Benefits:

Precision: Find exactly what you need with targeted searches
Flexibility: Parameters work in any order and combination
Wildcards: Full wildcard support for both tool names and chat mode names
Consistency: Same output format regardless of search complexity

Usage Examples

Discover and Install Azure-Related Chat Modes

# Find all Azure-related chat modes
Get-Chatmode "*azure*"

# Install all Azure chat modes
Get-Chatmode "*azure*" | Install-Chatmode

# Verify installation
Get-ChildItem .\.github\chatmodes\

Analyze Tool Usage Across Chat Modes

# Find which chat modes use specific tools
gcmt "azure_design_architecture"

# Count tools per chat mode
gcmt | ForEach-Object { "$($_.Filename): $($_.Tools.Count) tools" }

# Get unique tools across all chat modes
gcmt -Mode "*" | Select-Object Name -Unique | Sort-Object Name

Find Chat Modes with Specific Capabilities

# Find chat modes that can edit files
gcmt editFiles

# Find chat modes with Azure-specific tools
gcmt *azure* | Group-Object Source

# Explore tools in bicep-related chat modes
gcmt -Mode *bicep*

# Find specific tools in specific chat modes
gcmt run* -Mode *terraform*
gcmt microsoft* -Mode azure-saas*

Authentication

For better performance and higher API rate limits, set your GitHub token:

# Set GitHub token (optional but recommended)
$env:GITHUB_TOKEN = "your-github-token-here"

# Or set it permanently in your PowerShell profile
Add-Content $PROFILE '$env:GITHUB_TOKEN = "your-github-token-here"'

Directory Structure

When you install chat modes, they are organized as follows:

.github/
└── chatmodes/
    ├── azure-architect.md
    ├── python-expert.chatmode.md
    └── other-chatmode.md

Advanced Usage

Pipeline Operations

# Chain operations together
Get-Chatmode "*python*" | 
    Install-Chatmode | 
    ForEach-Object { Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode $_.Name }

# Find and analyze specific tool patterns
Get-ChatmodeTool *test* | 
    Group-Object Source | 
    Sort-Object Count -Descending

# Advanced combined searches
Get-ChatmodeTool azure* -Mode *architect* | 
    Group-Object Name | 
    Sort-Object Count -Descending

Filtering and Analysis

# Find chat modes with the most tools
Get-ChatmodeTool | 
    Sort-Object { $_.Tools.Count } -Descending | 
    Select-Object -First 5

# Export tool analysis to CSV
Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode "*" | 
    Export-Csv -Path "chatmode-tools.csv" -NoTypeInformation

# Compare tools between specific chat mode types
Get-ChatmodeTool azure* -Mode *bicep* | Select-Object Name
Get-ChatmodeTool azure* -Mode *terraform* | Select-Object Name

# Find common tools across multiple chat modes
$bicepTools = Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode *bicep* | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
$terraformTools = Get-ChatmodeTool -Mode *terraform* | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
$bicepTools | Where-Object { $_ -in $terraformTools }

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Rate Limit Exceeded: Set the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable
Network Connectivity: Ensure internet access to api.github.com
Permission Issues: Run PowerShell as Administrator if directory creation fails

Verbose Output

# Enable verbose output for debugging
Get-Chatmode -Verbose
Get-ChatmodeTool -Verbose -Mode "*azure*"

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Add tests if applicable
Submit a pull request

Module Information

Version: 0.1.0
Author: Doug Finke
PowerShell Version: 5.1+
Dependencies: None (uses built-in cmdlets)

Related Resources

License

This project is licensed under the terms specified in the LICENSE file.

Happy coding with GitHub Copilot chat modes! 🚀

Changelog

2025-08-18: Added repository helper scripts (InstallModule.ps1, PublishToGallery.ps1) and Public/ helper scripts; enhanced search and pattern support across discovery functions.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 24 Commits
Public		Public
InstallModule.ps1		InstallModule.ps1
LICENSE		LICENSE
PublishToGallery.ps1		PublishToGallery.ps1
README.md		README.md
copilot-chatmodes.psd1		copilot-chatmodes.psd1
copilot-chatmodes.psm1		copilot-chatmodes.psm1

License

dfinke/copilot-chatmodes

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Latest commit

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Copilot ChatModes PowerShell Module

Overview

Installation

From Source

Requirements

Repository scripts

Functions

Aliases

Show-ChatmodeWebsite

Get-Chatmode

New: Multiple ChatModeName Support

Get-ChatmodeTool

Enhanced: Multiple Patterns for Name and Mode

List All Chat Modes (Default)

Search Tools by Name

List Tools by Chat Mode

Combined Search (Name + Mode)

Advanced Search Capabilities

1. List Mode (No Parameters)

2. Tool Search (Name Parameter)

3. Chat Mode Filter (Mode Parameter)

4. Combined Search (Both Parameters)

Usage Examples

Discover and Install Azure-Related Chat Modes

Analyze Tool Usage Across Chat Modes

Find Chat Modes with Specific Capabilities

Authentication

Directory Structure

Advanced Usage

Pipeline Operations

Filtering and Analysis

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Verbose Output

Contributing

Module Information

Related Resources

License

Changelog

About

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