Codebase Is the Prompt (blog.exe.dev)

A recent insight in AI-driven coding emphasizes that a codebase itself serves as a crucial prompt for coding agents, like Claude. Instead of merely correcting the generated code, developers are encouraged to review and enhance the existing code that the AI models its outputs on. The article describes a situation where an end-to-end test suite was initially thought to be misinterpreted by Claude, which led to unnecessary corrections. However, by examining Claude's reasoning, it became clear that the AI was simply reflecting the patterns and practices embedded in the legacy code, notably executing direct database queries that weren't aligned with user-observable actions. This shift in perspective carries significant implications for the AI/ML community. It underscores the importance of maintaining clean and robust codebases, as AI agents rely on these existing patterns for generating code. Developers are urged to focus not just on the AI's output but also on the foundational code that influences its behavior, fostering a more collaborative relationship between humans and AI. Ultimately, this approach highlights the evolving dynamics of AI in software development, suggesting that the quality of the underlying code significantly impacts the effectiveness of coding agents.