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2.1 General-Purpose Tools in Action

mindmap
  root((AI Dev Tools 🛠️))
    GitHub Copilot
      Inline suggestions
      Tab to accept
      Ghost text
      "Your AI pair programmer"
    ChatGPT & Friends
      Chat interface
      Copy-paste code
      Debugging buddy
      "The wise mentor"
    Cursor IDE
      Full codebase context
      Multi-file edits
      Natural language
      "The AI-native beast"
    Claude/Gemini
      Long context windows
      Artifact generation
      Technical depth
      "The analytical thinker"

Key Points to Cover:

GitHub Copilot

  • Code Completion
  • Real-time inline suggestions
  • Multi-line and function-level completions
  • Context awareness from surrounding code

  • Language-specific capabilities

  • Test Generation

  • Automatic test case generation
  • Coverage improvements

  • Different testing frameworks support

  • Code Explanation

  • Inline documentation generation
  • Complex code breakdown

  • Understanding legacy code

  • Best Practices with Copilot

  • When to accept vs. modify suggestions
  • Using comments to guide generation
  • Reviewing security implications

ChatGPT/Gemini & Co.

  • Debugging Assistance
  • Error message interpretation
  • Stack trace analysis
  • Bug fix suggestions

  • Root cause analysis

  • Refactoring Support

  • Code modernization
  • Design pattern implementation
  • Performance optimization suggestions

  • Code smell identification

  • Boilerplate Code Generation

  • API endpoints and routes
  • CRUD operations
  • Configuration files

  • Database schemas

  • Effective Usage Strategies

  • Sharing relevant context
  • Asking follow-up questions
  • Validating and testing suggestions

Cursor & AI-Native IDEs

  • What Makes an IDE "AI-Native"?
  • Deep integration vs. plugin approach
  • Continuous context awareness

  • Multi-file understanding

  • Unique Advantages

  • Codebase-wide context
  • Intelligent refactoring across files
  • Natural language commands

  • AI-powered search and navigation

  • Comparison with Traditional IDEs

  • Workflow differences
  • Learning curve considerations
  • When to use which tool