AI Coding Assistants: Use Them Well and Review Them Hard

Learn how AI coding assistants work, how to prompt and test with them, how to catch their mistakes, and how to use them safely while still learning.

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Syllabus

What Coding Assistants Are

1. Autocomplete, Chat and Agents
2. How They Work
3. Strengths and Limits
4. Choosing and Configuring a Tool

Prompting for Code

1. Context Is Everything
2. Requirements and Constraints
3. Tests First, Code Second
4. Small Steps and Iteration

Everyday Workflows

1. Explaining Unfamiliar Code
2. Writing Functions and Boilerplate
3. Debugging with an Assistant
4. Refactoring and Migrating

Tests and Documentation

1. Generating Tests That Mean Something
2. Docs, Comments and Commit Messages

Reviewing AI-Written Code

1. Hallucinated APIs and Packages
2. Subtle Logic Bugs
3. Security Flaws in Generated Code
4. A Practical Review Checklist

Privacy, Licensing and Safety

1. Secrets and Private Code
2. Licensing and Ownership
3. Safe Use of Agents and Injection

Learning and Working in Teams

1. Learning Without a Crutch
2. Adopting Assistants in a Team

Putting It Together

1. Case Study: Adding a Feature
2. Revision: Cheat Sheet and Self-Check