An essay argues Markdown is becoming source code rather than documentation, and proposes checking it into a /src/md directory next to the code it produces, with code and tests derived from that Markdown instead of ephemeral prompts. The proposed convention includes README.md, TODO.md, OVERVIEW.md, and per-feature files, authored and curated mainly by humans.
htmx
npx @buildinternet/releases get htmxRecently shipped Markdown in /src, an essay arguing that Markdown now counts as source, not documentation.
Markdown belongs next to the code it produces. The essay's claims:
- Check Markdown into
/src, alongside the code it generates - Derive code and tests from that Markdown rather than from ephemeral prompts
- Persist prompt sessions as Markdown so they outlive the session
AI maintenance still needs a human in the loop. "Working With AI: A Concrete Example" walks through a real maintenance session on hyperscript, showing where AI helped and where it nearly led into The Sorcerer's Apprentice trap — reliance without understanding. Earlier essays cover related ground: "Code is Cheap(er)" on understanding becoming the scarce skill, and a piece on what AI means for CS programs.
Sources
I am, generally, ambivalent towards AI. There is no doubt it has become a very powerful tool for development in the last year, but it also comes with many dangers, both for us individually (e.g. the slow dulling of our intellects) as well as collectively (e.g. environmental…
As I mentioned in “Yes, And”, I teach computer science at Montana State University.
There is no getting around the fact that, in the last year, code has gotten much cheaper to create. AI is able to generate reams and reams of code, often of reasonably decent quality, incredibly quickly. There is no point in pretending that this isn’t the case.
I am working on speedystride.com, a programming tool that helps athletes quickly input workouts on their Apple and Garmin watches.
I teach computer science at Montana State University. I am the father of three sons who all know I am a computer programmer and one of whom, at least, has expressed interest in the field. I love computer programming and try to communicate that…
Leonard Richardson is a long time programmer and author and was the creator of what came to be termed the Richardson Maturity Model (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardson_Maturity_Model), a system for classifying Web…
“Vendoring” software is a technique where you copy the source of another project directly into your own project.
I’m delighted to be able to interview Makinde Adeagbo, one of the creators of Primer, an hypermedia-oriented javascript library that was being used at Facebook in the 2000s.
Mike Amundsen is a computer programmer, author and speaker, and is one of the world leading experts on REST & hypermedia. He has been writing about REST and Hypermedia since 2008 and has published two books on the ideas:
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In The Beginning…
This is a “quirks” page, based on SQLite’s “Quirks, Caveats, and Gotchas In SQLite” page.
Or, Watching Myself Lose My Mind In Real Time…
People interested in htmx often ask us about component libraries. React and other JavaScript frameworks have great ecosystems of pre-built components that can be imported into your project; htmx doesn’t really have anything similar.