Welcome back to CodeCast. Today we’re digging into an Ask HN thread titled “How much better are AI IDEs vs. copy-pasting into chat apps?” The conversation starts with a simple question: why jump back and forth to ChatGPT when you can ask for help right in your editor? One commenter sums it up: “The single biggest win is context—your entire codebase and dependencies are right there.” With an AI IDE plugin, you get inline suggestions, auto-imports, and instant feedback without leaving your workflow. But it’s not all sunshine: some warn that restricted token limits in IDEs can truncate context, and others fret over privacy, arguing “I’m wary of sending proprietary code to a remote service.” On the flip side, cutting-edge chat apps often allow larger prompts and more flexible conversations. In the end, it boils down to convenience versus capability. If you crave seamless, editor-native help, AI IDEs reign. If you need sprawling context or deeper back-and-forth, a chat interface still holds sway. That’s your one-minute dive—keep coding, and catch you next time!
Link to Article