980 sats \ 2 replies \ @nullcount 7 Mar \ on: Does anyone here EXTENSIVELY use AI to help them write/debug code? devs
I use https://cursor.sh a fork of VScode with AI built-in. I can highlight a block of code and ask GPT to adjust it. Then I get an inline diff with the option to ACK/NACK or follow-up all without leaving the editor.
I found GPT is useful when:
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I know exactly what to write. And it would take fewer keystrokes to command GPT to write it instead. All I have to do is review and accept. (Boilerplate, Type/Interface definitions, formating, repetitive tasks)
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I'm exploring an idea or looking for existing tools/methods. I use the Chat feature like a search engine/wiki to assist in exploration. GPT helps me bridge small gaps in knowledge.
I have found GPT is NOT useful when:
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I have large gaps in knowledge
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The work is novel or less researched/documented.
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Also, I notice that GPT will usually default to the most generic and general way to solve a problem, not necessarily the best way. For example, it will reinvent the wheel by implementing a complex algorithm poorly rather than use a library or existing method that is more efficient. I have yo specifically ask if there are any libraries that would simplify things.
In summary, GPT will not turn non-devs into devs overnight. If however, you already understand a problem and already know how to solve it, GPT will make light work of actually getting it done.
Another cursor.sh user here (and subscriber to the service, for the 500 fast gpt requests per month).
I had to do power shell scripts for the first time ever and without GPT4 or other AI the learning curve to get what I needed would have been too high to justify the effort.
The final result after hundreds of hours is maybe just 20% of the code today was generated from GPT. But when I was starting on it, nearly 100% of the code was from my prompts, exclusively.
Then for python, for example, my go-to tool, gpt is much less of a timesaver, and fairly often a time waster. At least for composing the code. For getting syntax and such though, I use the chat more than the code editor, and save seconds at a time versus opening a browser tab to Google stuff.
But the tell is ... I was paying out of pocket for the service, before asking to have it paid by my company. And if it was $100 / month rather than $20, I would still have paid it. It is so worth, for me at least.
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