I find myself spending on average more time in LLM review/resolution loops than it would take for me to write the code by hand. Partially because once I'm in the flow I write very very quickly and the code pours out sometimes faster than I can write. But also because the LLM code on the first few tries is generally really really bad. What I find interesting though is that spending the time to personally review and di…
Using AI to write better code more slowly
211–220 of 511 posts
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#212Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#213Very much agreed. Something specific that has helped me a lot (beyond just automatic formatting, linting and testing) was putting a hard fail on any file with more than 1500 lines or so, with an allowlist for specific files with specific reasons for their length. I realized the agents were squirreling away code without wanting to do any sort of refactor. Every time one of these rat's nests has turned up, the codebase…
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#214Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#215I've hit this point with AI where it's not a simple process, but a long drawn out back and forth. I'll use AI to design the implementation of a medium sized, cross cutting feature. Review all the details, maybe iterate on just that. Then implement with Claude 4.7 Max - which runs slower, but does a better job. Then review the implementation, then have Codex GPT 5.5 xhigh fast review it - which almost always finds cor…
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#216I find myself spending on average more time in LLM review/resolution loops than it would take for me to write the code by hand. Partially because once I'm in the flow I write very very quickly and the code pours out sometimes faster than I can write. But also because the LLM code on the first few tries is generally really really bad. What I find interesting though is that spending the time to personally review and di…
But if you're not used to code reviewing, it can certainly help to still write yourself.
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#217Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think as long as it continues to be tangibly better these people will still exist and the intersection will continue to be valuable enough to survive.
> as long as it continues to be tangibly better these people will still exist Sure. But how long will that last? LLMs are getting better at programming much faster than I am. Imagine a plot with time on the X axis and LLM skill on the Y axis. The line goes up and to the right. On the left is GPT3, or GPT3.5 with the very first glimmers of programming ability just a few short years ago. In the middle is Opus 4.7 now.…
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#218Just dont use it lol, it does nothing you cant do by yourself. You're nerfing parts of your brain by relying on it.
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#219I've hit this point with AI where it's not a simple process, but a long drawn out back and forth. I'll use AI to design the implementation of a medium sized, cross cutting feature. Review all the details, maybe iterate on just that. Then implement with Claude 4.7 Max - which runs slower, but does a better job. Then review the implementation, then have Codex GPT 5.5 xhigh fast review it - which almost always finds cor…
1. I write a list of things I want to have without AI support
2. I discuss the list with an LLM, which occasionally reveals obviously missing things I hadn't thought about or just things that would be smart to have. Or sometimes the LLM doesn't get it and wants to funnel me down a commonly walked path, which is a non-goal
3. From that list I draft an implementation plan containing things like how the code shall be structured, which language, libraries, build systems, etc to use. This may even contain some data models and considerations that are more detailed, like for example ideas about how a specific interaction shall be event sourced. I work on that, till I feel a satisfactory level of clarity has been reached
4. Actual writing of code as a back and forth between manual writing, letting an LLM write something and so on. LLMs suck at writing CSS that feels like good UX design to me, so usually templates, layout and CSS will be (re)written entirely by hand
5. Bug-hunting and guessing potential edge cases is one thing where LLMs really shine. Often if the work before that was quality the LLM has an okay time coming up with fixes that are no worse than what I would have done.
Re: Using AI to write better code more slowly
#220Earlier quoted context omitted.
congratulations on your soon to be coming burnout. Keeping that many tasks in parallel, running all the time will kill you.
It's great to work from home so you can take nice little micro naps while code's generating, reviewing, building, and deploying. A calm attentive alternative of vibe coding: restful coding. It's much easier to read and review code after a refreshing cat nap, especially with a real cat. Too bad that's not usually acceptable to do that in the office. It should be! Slacking off by sword fighting all day is too exhaustin…