Customize Copilot Modernization Tasks

Not every modernization step should happen at once — and sometimes the right move is proving that now isn't the time. In this episode, learn how to customize GitHub Copilot's modernization tasks to match your team's real constraints: excluding risky upgrades, breaking work into smaller reviewable steps, and validating the current state before changing anything. In this episode, you'll learn: → How GitHub Copilot generates editable modernization task lists — a first draft, not a final decision → How to set explicit constraints — telling Copilot what NOT to do (e.g., exclude Java and Spring upgrades) → How to break large upgrades into smaller, reviewable tasks that match your team's risk tolerance → How to add custom requirements to the task list, just like a real engineering backlog → How Copilot handles pre-existing issues (like a failing Mockito test) without silently patching them → How Copilot surfaces CVEs while respecting your constraints — no silent changes, no unsafe assumptions 📺 This is Episode 5 of the Modernize Java Apps with AI series — a 9-part, hands-on guide to upgrading legacy Java applications using GitHub Copilot. 🔗 Series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlrxD0HtieHhaBJWlcxGd-kTDikSD4xyD 🔗 GitHub Copilot Modernization extension: https://aka.ms/GHCPMod-Java 👤 Presented by Sandra Ahlgrimm, Java & AI Advocate, Microsoft Java #GitHubCopilot #JavaModernization #CustomTasks #CVE #DeveloperWorkflow #AI #EnterpriseJava #LegacyCode #ModernizationStrategy