Zstdify: Pure TypeScript Zstd
Today, I built a pure-TypeScript Zstandard implementation (library + CLI + dictionary training + interop tests) in just 4 hours using OpenAI Codex 5.3.
Posts tagged: ai
Origins of Exocortex
The story of how I coined the term "exocortex" in 1999 to describe a synthetic cognitive regulator: a technological layer that joins the brain's regulatory hierarchy and helps govern attention and reasoning.
From Agents to Intent
AI coding agents are great at greenfield tasks -- but struggle to maintain or modify existing systems. The problem isn’t the model. It’s the paradigm. This essay makes the case for intent-based programming: a shift from task-driven implementation to declarative specification, powered by systems like Declary.
Generic Builder
The Generic Builder is a configurable meta‑builder that creates specialized builders on demand, solving the chicken‑and‑egg problem of intent‑based toolkits. This essay explains its design, the router agent, and a chat‑driven workflow that bridges conversational intent with structured files.
Sufficient Specifications
Traditional specifications failed because they required exhaustive detail. With LLMs, we can now embrace "Sufficient Specification" - providing just enough intent to guide generation without drowning in details. Learn how iterative specification specificity and generator patterns make intent-based programming practical for the first time.
Recursive Intent
Recursive generation allows intent-based programming toolkits to ingest their own outputs and build entire applications from minimal specifications. This essay explores how recursive intent turns code generation into a compiler-like pipeline that scales small prompts into structured systems.
Crafting READMEs for AI
Optimize your README.md files to empower both human developers and AI coding assistants alike.
The Rise of "Test Theater"
AI coding assistants are excellent at generating tests with high coverage. But there is often a critical problem: they are testing that code behaves as written, not as intended. This "Test Theater" creates a dangerous illusion of quality while providing almost no real protection against bugs.
Minimal Agentic Coder
Exploring the simplest possible implementation of an agentic coder using just 200 lines of TypeScript, demonstrating foundational concepts clearly and concisely.
Building an Agentic Coder
How to build an autonomous agentic coder that leverages advanced LLMs to transform software development. A talk given at the Ottawa Forward JS meet-up.
Software as Ephemeral
As AI dramatically reduces software development costs, we need to rethink our approach to code. Software is becoming ephemeral - easily replaced rather than maintained. This paradigm shift means optimizing for current needs instead of hypothetical futures.
Automating Agentic Coders
AI agents are moving beyond IDEs into full automation of coding workflows. Discover how integrating agentic coding into GitHub Actions can streamline software development -- turning issues into PRs and automating documentation, tests, and even code reviews, all through simple GitHub comments.
