Something I've been trying recently for non-throwaway code is extensive refactoring, without typing any code myself but by closely directing the coding agent.
Prompts like "move the code relating to SQL query analysis into a new file", "look for opportunities to use pytest parametrize to remove duplication in that test", "rename method X to Y".
Early indications are that this is helping a lot with the problem where it's easy to churn out thousands of lines of code and not really have it stick in my head, even if I review every line of it.
Reviewing code and actively refactoring it is less tedious and more mentally engaging than reviewing code without changes.
If this was a human collaborator I'd be worried that I'm just creating busywork for them, but I don't care about busywork for LLMs!
The goal is to produce code that I understand and that I can remember just well enough that I get an updated mental model to help me productively make future decisions about the codebase.
Prompts like "move the code relating to SQL query analysis into a new file", "look for opportunities to use pytest parametrize to remove duplication in that test", "rename method X to Y".
Early indications are that this is helping a lot with the problem where it's easy to churn out thousands of lines of code and not really have it stick in my head, even if I review every line of it.
Reviewing code and actively refactoring it is less tedious and more mentally engaging than reviewing code without changes.
If this was a human collaborator I'd be worried that I'm just creating busywork for them, but I don't care about busywork for LLMs!
The goal is to produce code that I understand and that I can remember just well enough that I get an updated mental model to help me productively make future decisions about the codebase.