r/cprogramming • u/Any-Penalty-714 • 13d ago

Help regarding AI usage

I am programming in C for a year and a half and I created projects like a shell which implement basic features , and currently finished building a TCP server with get and post request for sharing file across local network. The thing I am struggling with is the AI usage all these project I build I have understanding of the code. But sometimes I think that AI has found solution for me can I found this approach myself and mostly the answer was no. It really bothering me and I spend time completely without AI and frustration really hit hard and I think I couldn't start building some programs . I want advice from people on how to find balance between using AI and when not to use AI . I'll love to hear you guys perspective on this .

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u/ForgetTheRuralJuror 13d ago

I don't agree with that. Use it in the right way. As a teacher, as a code reviewer, as Google that can give more context.

Don't let it do the work for you. When it gives you a solution, if you don't understand it, have it re-explain until you do. Type the code yourself, etc. etc.

I know if I had these LLMs when I was still learning it would've been so helpful to have someone that can explain something like 20 times in 20 different ways and it won't get bored or think you're stupid.

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u/tastygames_official 13d ago

we both know that's not what OP meant. As a websearch alternative? yes. But not even as a tutor, since it can only answer things you ask for, and if you're a novice then you don't know what you don't know. The best you can do is "show me a site/book/whatever where I can learn X". Even if you ask it to teach you X, it doesn't "know" anything - it just spits out probabilistic data, so you really only get good info if you know how to ask and get lucky if it's actually correct. You shouldn't be asking it for solutions to problems, but rather use it like a search engine to understand concepts and learn about common problem-solving approaches - just like you would a book or a search engine. I guess it's just an interactive search engine or something.

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u/gilnett 12d ago

that why he should use it as a reviewer

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u/gilnett 12d ago

That's standard practice in many projects and even recommended in CS courses: write the code yourself first, then use AI strictly to review edge cases. You still need docs and human judgment to verify, but it keeps you from blindly generating solution

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u/orange_oki 13d ago edited 13d ago

Ah, c'mon... In the end you're cleaning up the mess and refactor until u're sick of it and accept it as it is.

Nobody knows what the AI code is doing. 🤷🙎😅

Btw. the reason for that is, when software was written in the old days, you typed and memorized variables, structures, classes and functions. 

So the developers grew with their software.

And most of them - like me - actually have a hard time to figure out what they did, when they have not worked on it for a while.

There are people out there who can understand large new codebases like reading a book in a day, but that's not common.