Re:Ask HN: Are diffs still useful for AI-assisted code changes?
by nuky on Wednesday January 14, 2026 @04:58PM
(#46624258)
That matches my experience too - tests and plans are still the backbone.
What I keep running into is the step before reading tests or code: when a change is large or mechanical, I’m mostly trying to answer "did behavior or API actually change, or is this mostly reshaping?" so I know how deep to go etc.
What I keep running into is the step before reading tests or code: when a change is large or mechanical, I’m mostly trying to answer "did behavior or API actually change, or is this mostly reshaping?" so I know how deep to go etc.
Agree we’re all still experimenting here.