GitHub Copilot refactor & modernise a legacy COBOL app into modern Node.js.

Welcome to GitHub Copilot - Modernise Your Legacy Code with GitHub Copilot

Join us for a community-led developer event on 6 May 2026 focused on AI-assisted coding with GitHub Copilot. This event brings together developers to explore practical workflows, real-world use cases, and hands-on experiences using GitHub Copilot.

The DevOps & GitHub Meetup Brighton will be hosting an exciting session on how to modernise old legacy applications such as COBOL into more modern Node,js which will be a hands-on lab, followed by another session on GitHub Copilot CLI where we add safety guardrails to AI-Generated Terminal Commands

Event Agenda

Session 1 - 18:00pm
GitHub Copilot Hands-On Lab session:
*In this exciting Hands on lab we will leverage GitHub Copilot to refactor and modernise a school's legacy COBOL accounting system into modern Node.js*

In this exercise, you will:

1. Explain the current state of your legacy code.
2. Create a diagram of the data flow in your code.
3. Identify areas of your legacy code that can be improved.
4. Use GitHub Copilot to generate modern code snippets.
5. Replace the old code with the new snippets and test the changes.

• Level: Beginner/Intermediate
• Duration: 60-Min
• Speaker: Marcel Lupo (DevOps MVP - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-pwd9000/)

Session 2 - 19:00pm
Copilot CLI Without Fear: Adding Safety Guardrails to AI-Generated Terminal Commands
GitHub Copilot CLI can generate powerful terminal commands instantly' but those commands can also be risky or destructive in real environments.
This session demonstrates how to extend Copilot CLI with a lightweight safety layer that intercepts commands before execution, enforcing policies and preventing dangerous operations.
Through live demos, we’ll explore real DevOps scenarios including system administration, repository management, and infrastructure tasks, showing how AI assistance can be used safely in production contexts.
Attendees will learn practical techniques to combine speed and control when using AI in the terminal, along with patterns they can adopt immediately in their own workflows.

• Level: Beginner/Intermediate
• Duration: 60-Min
• Speaker: Jared Pleva (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-pleva/)