Search for a command to run...
Cursor, Bolt.new, Vercel v0, Codeium, Claude, and ChatGPT changed the way I write software
I decided to take a career break and try out building apps using Generative AI. I am also learning NextJS and developing LaunchStack, starter code which I will use for my web projects
No comments yet. Be the first to comment.
In this series, I'll show examples on how to use Generative APIs from different providers. We'll use a variety of languages like Python, Go and Javascript. Articles in this series can you get started with Generative AI.
Recently, Lee Robinson of Vercel gave a tutorial on how to self-host NextJS in a VPS. He used DigitalOcean. I also tried it in Hetzner using Ubuntu instance and it worked. The example used Docker to deploy NextJS. It has all the dependencies like Ngi...
I’ve been exploring the Claude Agent SDK, and I had this idea — why not use it for non-coding workflows instead of relying on other agent frameworks like CrewAI or LangChain? To validate the idea, I built a simple example: a news researcher agent tha...
Introduction In the rapidly evolving world of AI, developers often need to integrate multiple AI providers into their applications. Whether you're using local models with Ollama, cloud services like OpenAI, or planning to add Anthropic or Google's Ge...
Introduction: Java’s Role in Enterprise AI Java has long been the backbone of enterprise systems, valued for its security, reliability, scalability, and platform independence. These very qualities that made Java the “engine of the enterprise” are now...
Email is essential for modern communication, but it often takes up more time than it should. Crafting thoughtful replies, keeping the right tone, and managing dozens of threads can quickly become overwhelming. This is where AI can step in and make a ...
OpenAI unveiled its latest innovation: OpenAI o3-mini. This new model is a major leap forward in efficient, high-quality reasoning—especially in STEM fields such as science, mathematics, and coding. Today, we explore what makes o3-mini so exciting, i...
AI tools are revolutionizing software development by offering a range of capabilities, from code completion and generation to UI design and code review, with notable tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor AI, and Vercel v0 providing unique features such as real-time suggestions and AI-powered UI generation. Meanwhile, platforms like Codeium, Continue.dev, and Bolt.new focus on privacy, open-source integration, and web-based coding assistance, catering to diverse developer needs and enhancing productivity across various stages of the development process.
AI coding copilots have revolutionized software development, offering a range of features to enhance productivity and code quality. Here's a more detailed look at some of the leading AI-powered coding assistants:
Built on Visual Studio Code for a familiar interface
Offers deep AI integration for code generation and refactoring
Analyzes entire codebases for context-aware suggestions
Provides in-line documentation and explanations
Supports natural language prompts for code generation
Integrates with various IDEs including VS Code, JetBrains, and Vim/Neovim
Provides real-time code suggestions based on context
Excels in generating boilerplate code and completing repetitive tasks
Trained on a vast repository of open-source code
Offers a chat interface for more complex coding queries
Specializes in UI generation, transforming text descriptions into functional React components
Provides real-time preview of generated UI components
Supports integration with popular frontend frameworks and libraries
Offers accessibility considerations in generated components
Allows for easy deployment and integration with existing projects
Supports 70+ programming languages
Offers in-line Fill-in-the-Middle technology for improved accuracy
Emphasizes privacy and security with options for on-premise deployment
Provides natural language processing for code generation
Integrates with popular IDEs and code editors
Open-source AI coding assistant
Supports multiple AI models, including local LLMs
Integrates with existing IDEs for seamless workflow
Allows querying of API endpoints for flexible AI assistance
Focuses on customizability and developer control
Specializes in AI-assisted code review and bug detection
Helps improve code quality by catching potential issues early
Offers suggestions for code optimization and best practices
Integrates with version control systems for streamlined workflows
Provides detailed explanations for detected issues and suggested fixes
Web-based AI coding assistant for rapid prototyping
Supports natural language prompting for code generation
Offers multi-framework support for various web technologies
Provides integrated deployment options
Features an AI-powered chat interface for coding assistance
These AI copilots cater to different aspects of the development workflow, from code generation and completion to UI design and code review, offering developers a comprehensive toolkit to streamline their coding process and enhance productivity.
I leverage a powerful combination of AI-powered development tools to streamline my coding workflow. Cursor serves as my primary IDE, offering intelligent code suggestions and comprehensive codebase analysis while maintaining a familiar VS Code-like environment.
For rapid prototyping and web development, I use Bolt.new's web-based interface, which excels at quickly turning ideas into functional applications with its natural language prompting and seamless deployment capabilities.
Vercel v0 handles my UI component generation needs, transforming text descriptions into polished React components with built-in accessibility features.
Complementing these, Codeium provides robust code completion across multiple languages, with its Fill-in-the-Middle technology offering accurate suggestions. This combination creates a powerful ecosystem that enhances productivity across different aspects of the development lifecycle, from initial prototyping to polished implementation.
I also regularly chat with Claude AI and ChatGPT when I need help solving tricky coding problems or want to understand complex concepts better. While I need to copy-paste code from these chat AIs, their help with debugging and explaining things clearly makes them essential to my workflow.
Cursor AI, available at cursor.com, is a cutting-edge AI-powered code editor that has gained significant traction among developers for its innovative features and seamless integration of artificial intelligence into the coding process.
Built on top of Visual Studio Code, Cursor AI combines the familiarity of a traditional IDE with advanced AI capabilities, offering a unique coding experience. The editor provides context-aware code suggestions and completions, significantly enhancing developer productivity. It can generate entire functions, classes, and code blocks based on natural language prompts, allowing developers to express their ideas in plain English and have them translated into functional code.
One of Cursor AI's standout features is its ability to understand and analyze the entire codebase, providing suggestions and insights that are relevant to the project as a whole, not just the current file. This comprehensive understanding enables more accurate and contextually appropriate code generation and refactoring suggestions.
Cursor AI also excels in code documentation and explanation. It can automatically generate meaningful comments and documentation for existing code, saving developers significant time and improving code maintainability. Additionally, it offers an integrated AI chat feature that allows developers to ask questions about their code or request explanations for complex functions without leaving the editor.
The platform prioritizes privacy and security, offering a privacy mode where none of the user's code is stored by the company. This feature, along with its SOC 2 certification, makes Cursor AI a viable option for developers working on sensitive projects or within organizations with strict data protection requirements
Cursor AI offers a free 2-week trial with full-features. Paid plans starting at $20 per month for individuals and $40 per month for businesses. The business plan includes additional features such as organization-wide enforced privacy mode and an admin dashboard for project management You can also use your own OpenAI or Anthropic Claude API key with Cursor.
Bolt.new is a powerful web-based AI coding assistant that stands out among other AI tools for software development. Unlike traditional IDEs or code editors, Bolt.new operates entirely in the browser, offering a unique and accessible approach to AI-assisted coding1.Key features of Bolt.new include:
Rapid prototyping: Bolt.new excels at quickly turning ideas into functional web applications, allowing developers to create and deploy projects in minutes.
Natural language prompting: Users can describe their desired application in plain English, and Bolt.new will generate the corresponding code and project structure1.
Multi-framework support: Bolt.new can work with various web frameworks, including Next.js, React, and others, adapting to different project requirements.
Integrated deployment: The platform offers one-click deployment to Netlify, streamlining the process of making applications live on the internet.
AI-powered chat: With the recent addition of "Ask Bolt," developers can now interact with AI directly within the editor, enhancing the coding experience.
Code generation and completion: Bolt.new provides context-aware code suggestions and can generate entire functions or components based on user prompts.
Beginner-friendly interface: The platform's UI is designed to be accessible to newcomers, resembling familiar chat interfaces like ChatGPT or Claude.
Bolt.new's web-based nature sets it apart from standalone editors like Cursor AI or IDE plugins like GitHub Copilot. It offers a more integrated experience, handling everything from initial code generation to deployment within a single platform. This makes it particularly useful for rapid prototyping and idea validation, allowing developers to quickly bring concepts to life without the need for extensive setup or local development environments.
Vercel v0 is a groundbreaking AI-powered UI generation tool that transforms natural language descriptions into functional React code. Launched by Vercel, v0 streamlines the process of creating user interfaces by leveraging generative AI technology to produce high-quality, customizable components based on shadcn/ui.Key features of Vercel v0 include:
Text-to-UI conversion: Users can describe their desired interface in plain English, and v0 generates corresponding React components.
Real-time preview: As code is generated, v0 provides an instant visual representation of the UI, allowing for immediate feedback and iteration4.
Code customization: Developers can refine and modify the generated code directly within the v0 interface.
Integration with popular frameworks: v0 produces code compatible with React and Next.js, making it easy to incorporate into existing projects.
Support for third-party libraries: The tool can integrate components from various libraries, including Material UI and react-three-fiber for 3D graphics.
Accessibility considerations: v0 generates components with built-in accessibility features, adhering to WAI-ARIA guidelines.
Deployment options: Users can copy the generated code or install it directly into their codebase using the shadcn CLI.
v0 excels in rapid prototyping and UI experimentation, allowing developers and designers to quickly iterate on ideas without writing extensive code from scratch. It's particularly useful for creating landing pages, pricing tables, and other common web components.While v0 is primarily focused on frontend development, it also offers some backend integration capabilities, such as fetching data from external sources.
The tool is continually evolving, with plans to add support for custom design systems, theming, and image-to-code transformations.Vercel v0 is available in both free and paid tiers, with subscription plans offering increased generation credits and additional features. As the tool transitions from Alpha to Beta, it's gaining popularity among developers for its ability to accelerate the UI design and development process
Codeium is a powerful AI-powered code completion tool that offers functionality similar to GitHub Copilot, but with some unique features and advantages. It provides context-aware suggestions and multi-line code generation across 70+ programming languages. Codeium's autocomplete feature is designed to be faster than thought, producing high-quality suggestions with incredibly low latencies.Key features of Codeium include:
In-line Fill-in-the-Middle (FIM) technology, which improves the accuracy of code completion by considering surrounding context.
Integration with popular IDEs and code editors such as Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, Sublime Text, and more.
A free version for individual developers, with paid plans starting at $12 per user per month for additional features.
Privacy-focused approach, analyzing only necessary code and offering options for on-premise deployment.
Natural language processing capabilities, allowing developers to turn plain text prompts into code4.
Unlike GitHub Copilot, Codeium emphasizes its commitment to user privacy and offers flexible deployment options, making it an attractive alternative for developers and organizations with specific security requirements.
Claude AI and ChatGPT are powerful AI chat tools that can assist with coding tasks, but they require manual code transfer. Unlike integrated development environments (IDEs) with AI plugins, these models operate through chat interfaces, necessitating a copy-paste workflow for code implementation. When using Claude or ChatGPT for coding:
Describe your coding task or problem in natural language, providing context and specific requirements.
The AI will generate code snippets or explanations based on your prompt.
Manually copy the generated code from the chat interface.
Paste the code into your preferred IDE or code editor for testing and integration.
Iterate by asking follow-up questions or requesting modifications to refine the code.
This process allows for flexible problem-solving and learning, as you can engage in a dialogue about the code, ask for explanations, or request optimizations. However, it requires more manual effort compared to integrated AI coding assistants. Users must carefully review and test the pasted code, as these models may occasionally produce errors or outdated syntax.
Despite this limitation, ChatGPT and Claude Sonnet offer valuable coding assistance, especially for conceptual understanding, algorithm design, and troubleshooting complex issues. I rely on this whenever I wanted to understand concepts and generate sample code for m problem.
Claude AI's Artifacts feature represents a significant advancement in AI-assisted coding and data visualization. Artifacts allow Claude to generate and display substantial, standalone content in a dedicated window separate from the main conversation. This feature is particularly useful for coding tasks, as it enables real-time visualization and iteration of code snippets, documents, and even interactive components.
For coding, Artifacts can display various types of content:
Code snippets in multiple programming languages
HTML webpages with integrated CSS and JavaScript
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) images
Mermaid diagrams for visualizing workflows and processes
React components that run directly in the browser
Claude's ability to generate and manipulate charts and graphs within Artifacts is especially noteworthy. Users can request data visualizations, and Claude will create interactive charts using libraries like Recharts. This capability extends to creating infographics and other visual representations of data, making it a powerful tool for data analysis and presentation.
The Artifacts feature also supports version control, allowing users to switch between different iterations of the generated content. This functionality, combined with Claude's ability to understand and analyze entire codebases, makes it a versatile assistant for complex coding tasks and data-driven projects.
Today's AI tools have transformed how I write code. My daily workflow combines specialized coding assistants that help me write, analyze, and improve code with great efficiency. From intelligent code suggestions in my editor to rapid prototyping and UI generation, these tools handle the heavy lifting of routine tasks. While dedicated development tools manage most of my coding needs, I still regularly turn to AI language models for problem-solving, debugging, and understanding complex concepts. This combination of specialized coding tools and AI assistants has significantly improved my development speed and code quality. The future of coding is here, and it's powered by AI - not to replace developers, but to enhance our capabilities and let us focus on what matters most: solving real problems and building great software.