AI Pair Programming Best Practices & Workflows

AI pair programming has transformed how developers work, but using AI assistants effectively requires more than just asking questions. In this guide, we'll explore proven strategies for collaborating with Sweet! CLI and other AI coding assistants to maximize productivity while maintaining code quality.

Why Traditional AI Chat Falls Short

Most developers start with AI chat interfaces (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) for coding help, but quickly encounter limitations:

• Context switching: Constantly copy-pasting between chat and editor
• Missing project context: AI doesn't see your full codebase or dependencies
• Manual execution: You must implement all suggestions yourself
• No memory: Each conversation starts fresh without learning from previous interactions

Sweet! CLI solves these problems by working directly in your development environment as an autonomous engineering partner.

Effective Prompting Strategies

1. Provide Clear Context

Instead of asking generic questions, give Sweet! CLI specific context about your goals:

# Instead of: "Write a login component"
# Try: "Create a login component for our React app using the existing design system.
# It should handle email/password validation and connect to our AuthService.
# Use the Button and Input components from src/components/."

2. Set Constraints and Requirements

AI assistants work best with clear boundaries:

sweet "Refactor the UserService to use dependency injection. 
Requirements:
- Maintain backward compatibility
- Add unit tests for all public methods  
- Use the existing Logger interface
- Follow our team's error handling patterns"

3. Use Iterative Refinement

Break complex tasks into smaller, verifiable steps:

# Step 1: Analyze current implementation
sweet "Analyze the current UserService and identify tight couplings"

# Step 2: Design the solution  
sweet "Propose a dependency injection structure for UserService"

# Step 3: Implement
sweet "Refactor UserService using the proposed DI structure"

# Step 4: Verify
sweet "Run tests and ensure all functionality works"

Workflow Integration

Code Review Workflow

Use Sweet! CLI as your first reviewer:

# Before committing, have Sweet! CLI review your changes
sweet "Review the changes in the authentication feature branch for:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Performance issues  
- Code style consistency
- Missing error handling"

Test-Driven Development

Leverage AI for faster TDD cycles:

# 1. Write test specifications
sweet "Create unit tests for the new PaymentProcessor class"

# 2. Implement to pass tests
sweet "Implement PaymentProcessor to pass all unit tests"

# 3. Refactor with confidence
sweet "Refactor PaymentProcessor for better performance while keeping tests green"

Debugging Assistance

When encountering bugs:

sweet "Debug the 500 error in the checkout API endpoint. 
Here's the error log: [paste error]
And here's the relevant code: [paste code]"

Quality Assurance Techniques

1. Validate AI-Generated Code

2. Use Test Coverage as a Safety Net

Maintain comprehensive test suites to catch regressions introduced by AI-generated code.

3. Implement Code Style Enforcement

Instruct Sweet! CLI to follow your team's coding standards by specifying them in your prompts:

sweet "Refactor this component using our team's coding standards:
- 2-space indentation
- Single quotes for strings
- Max line length 100 characters
- Import order: React first, then third-party libraries, then internal modules"

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall: Over-reliance on AI

Symptom: Accepting all AI suggestions without understanding them.
Solution: Use Sweet! CLI's explanation mode to understand its reasoning:

sweet "Explain why you chose this database query optimization"

Pitfall: Losing Track of Changes

Symptom: AI makes many small changes that are hard to review.
Solution: Enable incremental commit mode:

sweet "Refactor the entire authentication system incrementally, committing changes as you go"

Pitfall: Context Window Limitations

Symptom: AI forgets earlier parts of large tasks.
Solution: Break work into smaller sessions and use project memory:

sweet resume "Continue refactoring from previous session"

Measuring Success

Track these metrics to evaluate your AI pair programming effectiveness:

• Code review time: Should decrease as AI catches issues early
• Bug rate: Should remain stable or decrease
• Feature delivery speed: Should increase with AI assistance
• Developer satisfaction: Measure through regular team surveys

Getting Started with Sweet! CLI for Pair Programming

If you're new to Sweet! CLI, start with these steps:

1. Install Sweet! CLI in your development environment
2. Begin with small, well-defined tasks to build trust
3. Gradually increase task complexity as you understand its capabilities
4. Establish team guidelines for AI-assisted development