Practices

The structural problems I keep correcting in AI-generated code, even with good prompts and solid plans.

Edit forms with multiple dropdowns usually trigger one API call per dropdown. Two problems follow — the form stays blank until all calls resolve, and load time scales with dropdown count. This note covers how to fix both: embed current selections in the entity response, aggregate option lists into one scoped endpoint. Two requests total, regardless of dropdown count.

Why code becomes hard to change: cohesion failures, coupling failures, leaked decisions, and other structural causes of unmaintainable software.

Before integrating unfamiliar code into production, explore it in a throwaway project first.

A practical demonstration of pseudocode-driven development for designing maintainable software, with a real-world example from requirements to implementation.