Code Like a Pirate with AI

Aug 4 Aug 4 Code like a pirate with AI Source image by Reiterlied, licensed under Creative Commons Ahoy, maties! Cap’n Long John Arundel here with more tips on sailing the good ship Go. This time, we’ll lay aloft to the crow’s nest and turn our spyglass on AI tools. Arrr ye ready to vibe-code like a pirate? Let’s weigh anchor and see what booty we can find on the AI seas. For this tutorial, I be using Junie, the JetBrains AI coding agent, but the same workflows and prompts apply to Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, or any other scurvy tool ye fancy. Technically, it’s not necessary to prompt them using pirate speak (but it’s a lot more fun, and works just fine). Flying the black flag Your first voyage with AI development tools can be a perilous one, veering from calm seas of code to storms of syntax errors and test failures. So, will your AI agent be a trusty first mate, or just an unpredictable stochastic parrot squawking nonsense from your shoulder? Junie is pretty smart, and she can tackle any task you choose, but she needs the guidance of a good cap’n. To help you stay on course, I’ve put together a handy six-step workflow I like to call “Code like a PIRATE”. Aye, ‘tis another o’ my made-up acronyms—but ye’ll find it easy to remember, me hearties [Are we doing the pirate thing for the whole article?—Ed.] “P” is for Plan Every good voyage begins with a map. When you set Junie a task, tell her where the ship’s headed, so she’ll know which direction to steer. (I’m sure Junie won’t mind me calling her “she”; fun fact, lots of pirates were women—including quite a few of the men). Ask Junie to draw up a quick chart for the voyage, but not to set sail until you’ve approved it: It’s important to get this stuff right before you even leave the dock, so don’t be afeared to spend a bit of time refining the plan. [I’m “afeared” we might be wearing out the salty sea-dog bit already—Ed.] “I” is for Iterate Even the boldest captains don’t try to cross an ocean in a single leap. It’s more effective to island-hop, sailing a short distance at a time and checking you’re still on course. Give Junie one small task at a time, starting with the simplest possible program that could be useful: With too vague a heading, Junie can end up going a bit adrift, like any of us: don’t hesitate to cry “Avast heaving there!” and interrupt her if that happens. Rowing back when the project has gone too far in the wrong direction will cost you a lot of time and doubloons [Seriously, clap a stopper on the pirate speak for now—Ed.]. Sorry, I meant to say “tokens”. “R” is for Review Once Junie has completed each iteration, go through the code line by line to check and review her work. She’s pretty good at delivering what you asked for, but she doesn’t necessarily know how you want it. For example: When giving feedback, bundle all your comments together in one message. This lets Junie generate the new version of the program in a single step, saving tokens. If you keep making small comments and asking her to rebuild the whole program each time, you’ll find your pieces of eight—I mean, credits—dwindling rapidly. Good programs have a harmonious architecture that makes overall sense: everything works the same way everywhere and it all seems to fit together neatly. Junie can’t achieve this without your guidance, so keep a hand on the tiller and help her ensure things slot neatly into a unified structure. “A” is for Assess Once Junie has finished the step you asked for, don’t just glance at the code and move on—take a moment to assess whether it actually does what it should. Does the program run cleanly? Do the functions behave as expected? Are there strange side effects lurking in the bilges, waiting to sink your ship later? [What did I just say?—Ed.] Now that you can see the program in action, you might realise it’s not quite what you want. If so, now’s the time to adjust course, either with Junie’s help or by making little steering inputs yourself. If you’re happy with the assessment, though, you can move on to the next iterative step towards the final program: “T” is for Test No old salt trusts a ship that hasn’t been through its sea-trials, and nor should you. As you and Junie build the program, check each new plank is watertight by adding tests to accompany each function. That way, you’ll know as soon as something springs a leak. Junie can be a helpful shipmate when it comes to drafting tests, but don’t just accept her handiwork blindly. Ask yourself: What is this really testing? Are there hidden reefs—edge cases—that we’re missing? And, when the tests fail (they’re no use otherwise) do they print something helpful? “E” is for Evaluate Machine learning is fine, but human learning is even better. After each task, take a little time to analyse what worked, and what could have gone better. Were your prompts detailed enough? Did Junie sail safely into harbour, or did she end up grounded on a sandbar because her pilot was too busy splicing the mainbrace? Every voyage is a lesson that’ll help you sharpen your prompting skills, anticipate pitfalls, and become a steadier pirate cap’n for the next expedition. If you remember the chart we’ve drawn here and use it to navigate your next project, with the help of Junie or your AI shipmate o’choice, you’ll be ready to truly code like a PIRATE [That’s it, you’re walking the plank—Ed.]. Anchors aweigh Check out the booty calculator project to see what Junie and I built together—try using it to divvy up your own pirate booty with friends. (It’s also kind of fun to say “booty”.) Until next time, shipmates, wishin’ ye fair winds and full sails! Legal disclaimer: Bitfield Consulting does not advocate piracy, illegal seizure of vessels on the high seas, or the consumption of rum. Please swashbuckle responsibly. Jul 13 Castle building for beginners: marketing yourself Related Posts