Chapter 3: Development Practices

A Guide to Building with AI

This guide will show you how to effectively build features, manage code quality, and work with AI tools in your development process. You'll learn practical approaches to minimize technical debt while maximizing productivity.

What You'll Learn

  • How to implement the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach
  • Techniques for managing technical debt effectively
  • Best practices for AI-assisted development
  • Strategies for testing and validation
  • Methods for continuous improvement

Quick Start

  1. Start with MVP (Minimum Viable Product) planning
  2. Break down features into small, testable chunks
  3. Write and test incrementally
  4. Document as you build

Why This Matters

Good development practices are like having a well-organized workshop - they help you build better software faster and with fewer mistakes. When working with AI, these practices become even more important.

Building Features: The MVP Approach

Start with this template to plan your feature:

# Feature: [Name]

## Core Functionality
- What problem does this solve?
- Who needs this feature?
- What's the simplest solution?

## MVP Requirements
Must Have:
- [ ] Core feature 1
- [ ] Core feature 2

Nice to Have (Future):
- [ ] Enhancement 1
- [ ] Enhancement 2

## Technical Considerations
- Dependencies needed
- Security implications
- Performance impact

Prioritization Framework

Use this decision matrix for features:

Priority Matrix:
┌─────────────┬────────────────┬────────────────┐
│ Impact      │ Low Effort     │ High Effort    │
├─────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┤
│ High Value  │ Do Now         │ Plan Carefully │
├─────────────┼────────────────┼────────────────┤
│ Low Value   │ Do If Time     │ Skip           │
└─────────────┴────────────────┴────────────────┘

Breaking Down Features

Example breakdown of a user authentication feature:

1. Phase 1: Basic Auth
   - [ ] Login form
   - [ ] Password validation
   - [ ] Session management
   Test after each component

2. Phase 2: Security
   - [ ] Password rules
   - [ ] Rate limiting
   - [ ] Error handling
   Test security features thoroughly

3. Phase 3: UX
   - [ ] Error messages
   - [ ] Loading states
   - [ ] Success feedback
   Get user feedback early

Managing Technical Debt

# Technical Debt Indicators

## Code Smells
- [ ] Functions longer than 20 lines
- [ ] Duplicate code blocks
- [ ] Unclear variable names
- [ ] Missing documentation
- [ ] Hardcoded values

## Architecture Issues
- [ ] Tight coupling
- [ ] Circular dependencies
- [ ] Inconsistent patterns
- [ ] Mixed responsibilities

Requirements Documentation

# Feature Requirements

## User Story
As a [user type]
I want to [action]
So that [benefit]

## Acceptance Criteria
1. Given [context]
   When [action]
   Then [result]

## Technical Notes
- Dependencies
- Constraints
- Performance requirements

Code Style Guide

# Style Guide

## Naming
- Components: PascalCase
- Functions: camelCase
- Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE

## Structure
- One component per file
- Group related functions
- Order imports consistently

## Documentation
- JSDoc for functions
- Inline comments for complexity
- README for setup

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Overcomplicating Solutions

Start with the simplest solution that works. You can always enhance it later based on real needs.

Skipping Documentation

  • Document as you code
  • Keep documentation close to code
  • Update docs with changes
  • Use clear examples

Quick Tips

Development Flow

  • Plan before coding
  • Write tests early
  • Commit frequently
  • Review your own code

Code Quality

  • Follow style guides
  • Keep functions small
  • Use meaningful names
  • Add helpful comments
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