GenAI Coding Tools, and the re-surfacing of Programming basics ?
As the world marvels at the impact of AI in programming, I find myself pondering: is this the return to basics I’ve always hoped for with newcomers entering the industry?
My pet peeve, ever since diving into JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js, has been the proliferation of libraries for even the most trivial tasks. Take, for example, this library (link: https://www.npmjs.com/package/is-odd). What’s more concerning is that developers frequently resort to using it. Just consider this: it boasts over 400k weekly downloads—yes, “every week.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated case. It seems that newer programmers tend to rely heavily on libraries, often learning from online tutorials. The tutorial writers prefer focusing on the core problem and delegating the rest to libraries.
Recently, I was working on a project and, to my surprise, discovered that free code completion functionality was enabled on the cloud-hosted GitLab. I hadn’t even realized it existed until it seamlessly integrated with my VS Code environment.
I was typing away when, after writing a comment, I had to pause briefly. When I returned to my screen, there it was—suggesting the code I should write. If this is the future, count me in! Instead of programmers searching for libraries on npmjs, the code will already be at their fingertips. No more unnecessary dependencies.
It feels like the next evolution of JetBrains IntelliJ, but it’s now available elsewhere too—possibly becoming commodity tech. The wave of innovation in this area might just be beginning.
Passionate computer science “students” like me will have even more powerful tools at their disposal.
What does this mean for those who love creating libraries for every conceivable need? Well, I’m excited that your talents can be channeled into solving more meaningful, high-level problems for the community.
Have you experienced “Copilot” yet?
