Over the past few months, I've joined the growing community exploring "vibe coding"—a term used to describe the agile, creative, and AI-supported approach to modern programming. Inspired by the buzz, I decided to dive in and document my experience. Here's an expanded reflection on my journey and the valuable lessons I learned along the way.
Starting with the Stack
My project began with building a web application from scratch using Visual Studio 2022, leveraging C#, the MVC framework, and MariaDB. Development took place on a Windows machine, but with the intention to ultimately deploy on a Linux server. To ensure version control and streamline collaboration, I integrated GitHub both for managing the repository and for harnessing the power of GitHub Copilot as my coding assistant.
The Copilot Experience: Unexpected and Empowering
One of the most notable aspects of my journey was working with GitHub Copilot in agentic mode. The AI provided intelligent suggestions, helped fix bugs, and often supplied creative solutions I hadn't initially considered. Notably, Copilot was excellent at identifying and resolving UI challenges—sometimes even more adept than with backend functionality issues.
Whenever I encountered UI hurdles, Copilot's step-by-step guidance proved invaluable. Some interface problems that would have otherwise taken hours to untangle became manageable with the right AI prompts and clear iterative feedback. It offered actionable ideas, recommended optimized UI patterns, and streamlined CSS tweaks, all of which enhanced both user experience and productivity.
Challenges: Where the Human Touch Matters
While the Copilot experience was generally positive, several challenges emerged—reminding me that AI is still a tool best wielded with human oversight.
- Cross-Platform Nuances: Code that worked flawlessly on Windows didn't always perform as expected once deployed on Linux. Image rendering issues and database connectivity failures surfaced, often related to case sensitivity in file paths or environment-specific configurations. These situations required a thoughtful diagnosis beyond Copilot’s default suggestions.
- Security Blind Spots: GitHub Copilot doesn’t automatically prioritize security best practices. Recommendations about password management, authentication strategies, and data protection were either absent or generic. I had to research and implement robust solutions independently, emphasizing the importance of not relying solely on AI for critical security decisions.
- Holistic System Considerations: There was limited awareness from Copilot regarding overall system integration—such as how to block web crawlers, bots, and spiders effectively. While I did receive code-level advice on certain security aspects, Copilot seldom offered insights related to server-level artifacts, firewall configurations, or deployment architecture enhancements.
- Feature Implementation Gaps: For example, when I sought guidance on social preview implementation, Copilot could recommend the requisite code changes, but offered little about necessary firewall settings or server-specific modifications, highlighting its code-centric viewpoint.
Takeaways & Advice for Fellow Developers
- Leverage AI, But Stay Critical: Tools like GitHub Copilot can accelerate development, inspire new solutions, and troubleshoot efficiently. However, developers must remain mindful of platform-specific nuances and vigilant about areas Copilot may overlook, especially with regard to security.
- UI & UX Benefit Most: Copilot excels at suggesting interface improvements and solving frontend issues. Use AI support strategically where its strengths are most evident.
- Test Extensively: Especially when deploying cross-platform, thorough testing is vital. Anticipate and proactively resolve discrepancies that might not surface in development environments.
- Continue Learning: AI can augment our process, but it’s no substitute for staying current with best practices around security, scalability, and system integration.
In summary, my foray into vibe coding has been both rewarding and enlightening. The combination of creative human thinking and AI-powered assistance can be a force multiplier—provided we remain thoughtful, curious, and vigilant throughout the development process.