Johnathon Williams
@johnofhousejohn.bsky.social
My dad got me a computer when I was 8 and everything that's happened since is plainly his fault. Building my WordPress plugin store in public. https://oddjar.com
The existential risk to WordPress isn't our drama -- it's that a sufficiently advanced AI chatbot is the end of commodity software.
Talk me out of this. Tell me I'm wrong. I just launched a plugin store. I want to be wrong.
Talk me out of this. Tell me I'm wrong. I just launched a plugin store. I want to be wrong.
December 7, 2024 at 1:03 AM
The existential risk to WordPress isn't our drama -- it's that a sufficiently advanced AI chatbot is the end of commodity software.
Talk me out of this. Tell me I'm wrong. I just launched a plugin store. I want to be wrong.
Talk me out of this. Tell me I'm wrong. I just launched a plugin store. I want to be wrong.
And your monthly AI bill will be much less than the cost of any combination of premium WP plugins.
We've had a lot of drama in our community recently, and one side effect has been to take our collective eye off the ball.
We've had a lot of drama in our community recently, and one side effect has been to take our collective eye off the ball.
December 7, 2024 at 1:03 AM
And your monthly AI bill will be much less than the cost of any combination of premium WP plugins.
We've had a lot of drama in our community recently, and one side effect has been to take our collective eye off the ball.
We've had a lot of drama in our community recently, and one side effect has been to take our collective eye off the ball.
But what happens when you can type your feature needs into a box at Replit (or some other AI) and get everything in one shot? Not just for a single plugin, but for the entire codebase plus your needed extra feature.
December 7, 2024 at 1:03 AM
But what happens when you can type your feature needs into a box at Replit (or some other AI) and get everything in one shot? Not just for a single plugin, but for the entire codebase plus your needed extra feature.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Now, recommend a new way that you have not yet tried to solve this problem."
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Now, recommend a new way that you have not yet tried to solve this problem."
"Let's start over. Go step by step through my original requirements, and think carefully about how to fix this error. You are free to suggest more complicated solutions if they will solve this problem. Review your previous suggestions so that you don't repeat yourself.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
"Let's start over. Go step by step through my original requirements, and think carefully about how to fix this error. You are free to suggest more complicated solutions if they will solve this problem. Review your previous suggestions so that you don't repeat yourself.
But before you start from scratch, try this last ditch prompt:
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
But before you start from scratch, try this last ditch prompt:
And remember, different AI models have different strengths. Trying another model can make all the difference.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
And remember, different AI models have different strengths. Trying another model can make all the difference.
Experienced coders can read the AI's output and suggest specifics as to where it went wrong, but if you're new to development, you might get there faster by loading a fresh session and starting again.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Experienced coders can read the AI's output and suggest specifics as to where it went wrong, but if you're new to development, you might get there faster by loading a fresh session and starting again.
5. Start over (with a different AI)
This can be particularly helpful for new developers who aren't familiar with PHP or javascript.
This can be particularly helpful for new developers who aren't familiar with PHP or javascript.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
5. Start over (with a different AI)
This can be particularly helpful for new developers who aren't familiar with PHP or javascript.
This can be particularly helpful for new developers who aren't familiar with PHP or javascript.
- "Make sure your changes fit within the plugin's existing structure."
- "Make this change as conservatively as possible and take care not to break anything that already works."
- "Add this feature by making as few changes to my codebase as possible.
- "Make this change as conservatively as possible and take care not to break anything that already works."
- "Add this feature by making as few changes to my codebase as possible.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
- "Make sure your changes fit within the plugin's existing structure."
- "Make this change as conservatively as possible and take care not to break anything that already works."
- "Add this feature by making as few changes to my codebase as possible.
- "Make this change as conservatively as possible and take care not to break anything that already works."
- "Add this feature by making as few changes to my codebase as possible.
The second way is through prompting.
Once I get a plugin stable or at least the structure built out, I start adding prompts like this:
Once I get a plugin stable or at least the structure built out, I start adding prompts like this:
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
The second way is through prompting.
Once I get a plugin stable or at least the structure built out, I start adding prompts like this:
Once I get a plugin stable or at least the structure built out, I start adding prompts like this:
As you complete and test each feature, make sure to save a copy of the plugin – even if you're just duplicating the folder and dragging it away for safe keeping.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
As you complete and test each feature, make sure to save a copy of the plugin – even if you're just duplicating the folder and dragging it away for safe keeping.
The first way to avoid this is to use some kind of version control. Version control doesn't have to be a full blown solution like Github, either.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
The first way to avoid this is to use some kind of version control. Version control doesn't have to be a full blown solution like Github, either.
Then, you ask for what you think is a simple change, and everything that was already working breaks.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Then, you ask for what you think is a simple change, and everything that was already working breaks.
4. Protect your progress
Everyone coding with AI eventually hits the same wall. At first, your project is coming along fine. You're scratching features off your MVP list with a quickness and marveling at how useful your coding assistant is.
Everyone coding with AI eventually hits the same wall. At first, your project is coming along fine. You're scratching features off your MVP list with a quickness and marveling at how useful your coding assistant is.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
4. Protect your progress
Everyone coding with AI eventually hits the same wall. At first, your project is coming along fine. You're scratching features off your MVP list with a quickness and marveling at how useful your coding assistant is.
Everyone coding with AI eventually hits the same wall. At first, your project is coming along fine. You're scratching features off your MVP list with a quickness and marveling at how useful your coding assistant is.
3. Provide a list of no-nos
If you don't want your plugin to use jQuery, say so. If you don't want your plugin to use React, say so. If you hate the very sight of a node_modules folder, say so.
Can you tell how much I love javascript?
If you don't want your plugin to use jQuery, say so. If you don't want your plugin to use React, say so. If you hate the very sight of a node_modules folder, say so.
Can you tell how much I love javascript?
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
3. Provide a list of no-nos
If you don't want your plugin to use jQuery, say so. If you don't want your plugin to use React, say so. If you hate the very sight of a node_modules folder, say so.
Can you tell how much I love javascript?
If you don't want your plugin to use jQuery, say so. If you don't want your plugin to use React, say so. If you hate the very sight of a node_modules folder, say so.
Can you tell how much I love javascript?
Whenever possible, you use native APIs and methods within WordPress rather than creating them from scratch."
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Whenever possible, you use native APIs and methods within WordPress rather than creating them from scratch."
"You are an expert WordPress plugin developer. You follow WordPress best practices for creating secure, performant plugins that extend WordPress in novel ways. You format all code according to WordPress coding standards.
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
"You are an expert WordPress plugin developer. You follow WordPress best practices for creating secure, performant plugins that extend WordPress in novel ways. You format all code according to WordPress coding standards.
2. Insist on standards
Front load your prompts with your expectations for code quality. My general starting point with WordPress plugins is this:
Front load your prompts with your expectations for code quality. My general starting point with WordPress plugins is this:
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
2. Insist on standards
Front load your prompts with your expectations for code quality. My general starting point with WordPress plugins is this:
Front load your prompts with your expectations for code quality. My general starting point with WordPress plugins is this:
(Projects in Claude are great for saving documents like this for further use, as is the docs indexing feature in Cursor.)
December 2, 2024 at 7:30 PM
(Projects in Claude are great for saving documents like this for further use, as is the docs indexing feature in Cursor.)