AI-assisted coding and maintenance · Module 1: AI-assisted coding and maintenance in practice
Give the assistant a repository map
Learning outcome: Supply relevant context without dumping the whole project.
An assistant modifying a codebase needs the project's entry points, conventions and relevant dependencies. A focused repository map tells it where the behaviour lives and where tests belong. More files are not always better context.
Read project instructions and inspect neighbouring implementations before editing. Identify generated files so the change is made in source rather than only in build output. Keep secrets and unrelated personal data out of prompts. Ask for a short change scope, then inspect the actual diff. A plausible file name in an explanation does not establish that the file exists or was changed.
Worked example
A fictional site generates static pages from lesson files. Editing the exported HTML changes one preview but the next build overwrites it. The useful map identifies the content directory, renderer and build command. The fix belongs in the source lesson or renderer, followed by a rebuild.
Try it yourself
Write a repository map for a hypothetical lesson site: source content, page renderer, tests and generated output. Mark which files should never be treated as the sole source of a fix.
You can do this exercise on paper. If using an assistant, keep to the fictional material and an approved tool.
Compare your approach
The map should make the build relationship explicit. Generated output is evidence of a build, while source is what must reproduce the change. Review both the intended edit and any unexpected extra files.
Check your understanding
A change exists only in generated HTML. What is the maintenance risk?
- It no longer needs testing
- A subsequent build can overwrite it
- It is automatically preserved in source
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: A subsequent build can overwrite it. Generated files are recreated from source. A fix made only in exported HTML can disappear on the next build, so the source must reproduce the intended change.
Workbook
Download the course workbook to record your answer and compare it after the knowledge check.