Copilot Build Instructions

.github/copilot-instructions.md

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+# Copilot Instructions for grpc-device Repository
+
+## Building the Project
+
+This repository requires specific environment setup before building. **Always** follow these guidelines when running build commands.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+1. **Visual Studio Build Tools**: Ensure Visual Studio Build Tools are installed with C++ development components
+2. **CMake**: Make sure CMake is available in the system PATH
+
+### Critical: Preferred Build Method
+
+**Always use the copilot-build.ps1 script for all builds (recommended for Copilot):**
+
+```powershell
+# Default Debug build
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1
+
+# Release build
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1 --config Release
+
+# RelWithDebInfo build
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1 --config RelWithDebInfo
+
+# Other cmake arguments
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1 --target clean --config Debug
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1 --parallel 4 --config Release
+```
+
+This script automatically handles the Visual Studio environment setup and is much more Copilot-friendly since it avoids complex command chaining that often requires manual approval.
+Any parameters you pass into this script will be passed along into the cmake command. However, you should prefer to do simple full builds instead of targetted builds. Ninja is good
+at doing incremental builds quickly.
+
+### Testing
+
+To run tests after building:
+
+```powershell
+# Run unit tests
+.\build\Debug\UnitTestsRunner.exe
+
+# Run system tests
+.\build\Debug\SystemTestsRunner.exe
+```
+
+Or use the build script to build first, then run tests:
+
+```powershell
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1 --config Debug
+.\build\Debug\UnitTestsRunner.exe
+.\build\Debug\SystemTestsRunner.exe
+```
+
+### Clean Build
+
+**WARNING: Never perform a clean build without asking the user first.** Full builds take a very long time and are almost never needed. Most issues can be resolved with a regular incremental build.
+
+If a clean build is specifically requested:
+
+```powershell
+# Using the build script (preferred)
+.\utils\copilot-build.ps1 --target clean --config Debug
+
+# Or manually
+cmd.exe /c "call `"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat`" && cd /d `"%cd%\build`" && cmake --build . --target clean && cmake --build . --config Debug"
+```
+
+## Repository Structure Notes
+
+- Source code is in the `source/` directory
+- Examples are in the `examples/` directory  
+- Generated code is in the `generated/` directory
+- Build artifacts go in the `build/` directory
+- The project uses gRPC and Protocol Buffers for communication
+
+## Python Components
+
+This repository also contains Python components. When working with Python:
+
+1. Use the virtual environment created by the build system
+2. Install dependencies from `python_build_requirements.txt`
+3. Python examples are located in the `examples/` directory

utils/copilot-build.ps1

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+#!/usr/bin/env pwsh
+# Build script for grpc-device project
+# This script sets up the Visual Studio environment and builds the project
+#
+# This script is particularly useful for GitHub Copilot since the complex
+# cmd.exe command with vcvars64.bat setup often requires manual approval.
+# Using this script allows for easier auto-approval of build commands.
+
+param(
+    [Parameter(ValueFromRemainingArguments = $true)]
+    [string[]]$BuildArgs
+)
+
+# Convert BuildArgs array to a single string for passing to cmake
+$cmakeArgs = if ($BuildArgs) { $BuildArgs -join " " } else { "--config Debug" }
+
+# Run the build command with Visual Studio environment setup
+$command = "call `"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat`" && cd /d `"$PWD\build`" && cmake --build . $cmakeArgs"
+
+Write-Host "Running build command: cmake --build . $cmakeArgs"
+Write-Host "Setting up Visual Studio environment and building..."
+
+cmd.exe /c $command