Manual to Magical: AI in Developer Tooling

RedwoodJS is a JavaScript and TypeScript framework designed for productivity in one-person projects or projects at smaller companies, providing a quick setup for full stack applications.

RedwoodJS uses code mods to help users upgrade from one version to the next, ensuring they can benefit from the latest features and security updates.

Code mods are important because they help users keep their RedwoodJS applications updated with the latest features and security patches without manual effort.

Toby uses the OpenAI SDK to generate code mods, leveraging AI to make the process quicker and more efficient.

Toby found that some AI frameworks like LangChain and Llama Index had limited TypeScript support, leading him to choose OpenAI for better documentation and quicker iteration.

Codemodder is a CLI tool developed by Toby to assist with generating code mods using AI, particularly through the OpenAI SDK.

The temperature setting in AI models affects the creativity of the output. For programming, a setting of 1 is recommended for balanced results.

Static analysis tools like ESLint, Prettier, and the TypeScript compiler are used to verify the correctness of AI-generated code mods, helping to identify errors.

The key strategy is to iterate and collaborate with AI, using static analysis tools and reinforcement techniques to refine outputs.

Users can contact Toby via his website tobi.dev or on Twitter as @tobi_dev.