Ask HN: What AI tool to use for coding in 2025?
4 comments
Add OpenAI Codex extension to VScode. Setup the ExecPlan instructions as described in [1].
Then start by writing a spec.md file where you describe what should be built. Write like you would write to a smart developer.
Then use the highest thinking model available with prompt "Create ExecPlan for the task @spec.md and write it to file". It will think a while and create the file.
Take a quick look at the generated file. It may have some open questions or surprises you want to review and write some answers to.
For the implemenatation I usually switch to medium. Then request with something like "Implement @execplan.md". If it has numbered steps, it seems to help to say "Impelement steps 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 on @execplan.md" - this way the agent is more likely to complete the whole plan in one pass.
[1] https://cookbook.openai.com/articles/codex_exec_plans
Then start by writing a spec.md file where you describe what should be built. Write like you would write to a smart developer.
Then use the highest thinking model available with prompt "Create ExecPlan for the task @spec.md and write it to file". It will think a while and create the file.
Take a quick look at the generated file. It may have some open questions or surprises you want to review and write some answers to.
For the implemenatation I usually switch to medium. Then request with something like "Implement @execplan.md". If it has numbered steps, it seems to help to say "Impelement steps 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 on @execplan.md" - this way the agent is more likely to complete the whole plan in one pass.
[1] https://cookbook.openai.com/articles/codex_exec_plans
Interesting, thank you. Did you compare it to other methods and found it better?
But lately I have taken more and more to ask ChatGPT 5.1-Thinking for code, and I have to reluctantly admit that it spits out useful code. And yes, much much faster than me.
So I feel I now need to use a proper AI assistant to assist in coding.
At that point, I am mainly interested in using AI for small to medium flutter apps.
Can anyone with a bit of experience with these tools give me some recommendation as to what the best tools are?
As far as I can see there are 2 dimensions (Integration and AI Model), with the top contenders being:
1) Integration
2) AI Model
My criteria are code success (meaning I want the setup to spit out code that actually solves the task) and privacy (probably a tall order, but I'd like a setup that does not openly send companies the inner details of my code, my secret keys, etc).
I also wonder about costs, in particular if I'll have to duplicate subscriptions (e.g. have a chatgpt subscription + a cursor one, or if I can use an existing chatgpt subscription with an integration solution without paying an additional subscription).
I would be grateful for any recommendation/feedback/random thoughts.