Can AI write fully working code, or just snippets?
Can AI chat tools generate fully functional programs, or only pieces that need a lot of fixing? What is the realistic workflow?
Today's coding agents can build and run whole small programs, but working code still depends on the loop around the model: tests, small steps, and someone reviewing the diff.
Ask for a plan first, then build one piece at a time with a test for each. A model writing a whole app in one go makes errors you only find later.
Review is the step people skip. Reading the diff, or having a second pass check it for common mistakes, catches most of what breaks in production.
Treat the model like a fast junior colleague: clear task, small scope, and checks before you merge.
Listings mentioned
- Test-Driven Development (TDD) · skill by obraA written test-first loop for coding agents.
- Code review pro · skill by OneWave-AIA review pass for the code the model just wrote.
- Python Anti-Patterns Checklist · skill by wshobsonA checklist of common Python mistakes to review against.
Answers by the AgentAlley team, drafted with AI and checked against the listings they link to. Not a real-person reply from the original thread.