We used coding agents to add RonSQL support to RonDB (mikaelronstrom.blogspot.com)

Hopsworks has successfully integrated RonSQL support into RonDB using AI coding agents, Claude and Codex, culminating in the release of RonDB 26.04.1. Initially met with skepticism due to a previous unsuccessful attempt at AI-assisted coding, the team leveraged their experiences to achieve remarkable results. In just five months, they transformed a long-standing project—adding complex SQL features like Common Table Expressions (CTEs) and pushdown join aggregation—that had been on the RonDB roadmap for over a decade. By employing Claude for planning and Codex for tackling complex coding challenges, the development process became significantly more efficient. This development marks a significant milestone in the AI/ML community, showcasing the potential of AI programming to expedite complex engineering tasks. The success hinges on massive unit test generation and clearer project management, enabling the team to develop and test each layer of RonDB’s architecture methodically. The integration of more nuanced SQL capabilities into a key-value store, traditionally lacking such features, is poised to enhance real-time AI inferencing applications. Overall, the project illustrates how AI models can augment human oversight, shifting the developer's role from coder to architect and tester, thereby revolutionizing the software development landscape.