Vue-doo Magic: AI Development Tricks – Insights from Vue.js Nation 2025 with Daniel Kelly

This article is based on Daniel Kelly's talk at Vue.js Nation 2025, titled "Vue-doo Magic: AI Development Tricks." In this session, Daniel shared his insights on integrating AI into Vue.js development, a topic that is both exciting and a bit daunting for many developers.

Introduction to AI in Vue.js Development

AI is still a relatively new frontier in the development world. Many developers are still acclimating to this "magical" technology that feels both innovative and slightly bewildering.

Daniel emphasized the necessity of incorporating AI into our development practices. Ignoring AI and sticking to traditional methods will likely result in falling behind in the fast-evolving tech landscape. AI can be seen as a valuable assistant that can enhance our workflow rather than replace us. It opens up new opportunities and positions developers at the forefront of modern web development.

AI's Role in Boosting Productivity

While AI doesn't replace the need for human developers, it acts as a powerful tool that can significantly boost productivity. Daniel emphasized that "AI cannot do it by itself, but it will boost your productivity." However, using AI responsibly is crucial. If developers rely too heavily on AI and "turn their brain off," they might end up losing productivity rather than gaining it.

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

Daniel highlighted that the notion of completely replacing developers with AI is a misconception. While some might believe that apps can be successfully created solely using AI, he advised skepticism. "AI is good, but it's not that good yet," he mentioned. Developers are still essential for steering projects in the right direction and making critical decisions.

The Necessity of Integrating AI into Development Workflows

Integrating AI into your development workflow can lead to faster code production and less time spent on minor technical details. This shift allows developers to focus more on high-level business needs and user experiences. Daniel illustrated how this approach helps surface solutions that might not have been considered otherwise.

By embracing AI-enhanced workflows, developers can maintain their position at the forefront of modern web development and become invaluable assets in an evolving tech landscape.

Practical Takeaways

Let’s explore a practical approach to integrating AI into application development, using a textbook exam generator as a case study. Here's what you need to know:

Using AI to Write Code:

1. Download Cursor: Transitioning from Visual Studio Code to Cursor can be smooth, as it supports inline AI auto-completion and chat similar to GitHub Copilot.
   • Feature Highlight: Cursor's composer allows you to generate code across multiple files and can run terminal commands.
   • Version Control: Changes are easily managed with Git, and you can preview code before committing.
2. Composer Capabilities:
   • Generates components, tests, or full features.
   • Searches through your codebase and updates files accordingly.
3. Practical Example:
   • Created a settings page for users with common settings like theme preferences and exam creation preferences.
   • Utilized Nuxt for API endpoints creation.
   • Addressed errors automatically by importing necessary components.

Benefits of AI in Reducing Technical Details

AI's ability to handle complex tasks without requiring extensive manual input helps developers focus on higher-level problem-solving, making apps more user-friendly (UX) and enhancing developer experience (DX). Check out more details on Daniel’s presentation here.

Daniel shared his experience utilizing AI to bootstrap necessary files in his projects. Although not perfect, the AI significantly reduced the manual effort required to create files, allowing developers to focus on customization.

"Be specific about what you want." "Don't expect a perfect working solution out of the box." ~ Daniel

Daniel discussed generating a file upload dialog using AI, highlighting how it incorporated error handling and image previews without manual coding.

Tips for Effective AI Usage in Development

1. Specificity is Key: Clearly define your requirements to steer the AI towards desired outcomes.
2. Leverage Existing Libraries: Avoid reinventing the wheel by using established solutions and informing the AI about them.
3. Use Cursor Rules: Implement cursor rules to guide the language model and prevent common mistakes.
4. Provide Examples: Examples in cursor rules can significantly enhance understanding and output quality.
5. Generate Logs: Keep a log of changes for better context in future tasks.
6. Screenshots for UI Changes: Visual aids can help specify UI modifications more accurately.
7. Unit Tests Using AI: Though not utilized in this project, generating unit tests with V Test can be a valuable starting point.

By embracing these strategies, developers can harness the power of AI to enhance their workflows and become more proficient in modern web development.

Integrating AI into Your App

Integrating AI into your application opens up a myriad of possibilities to enhance functionality and user experience. Here are some key concepts and strategies:

AI can be integrated into apps for various purposes such as:

• Extracting text from images.
• Generating image alt descriptions.
• Translating text into different languages.
• Empowering smarter searches with semantic capabilities.
• Summarizing content.
• Generating images and videos.

Tips for Integrating AI Effectively

1. Use the Right Model for the Right Task
   • Choose models that are optimized for specific tasks to save time and reduce costs. For example, switching from a Claude 3 Opus model to Claude 3.5 SONNET can significantly cut down time and expenses.
2. Provide Examples in Your Prompts
   • Be specific about what you need by including examples in your prompts. This helps ensure that the output meets your expectations.
3. Ask for JSON Only Responses
   • Request JSON responses when interacting with models so you can easily integrate these into user interfaces by writing components that understand this format.

General Workflow Tips

To ensure a smooth integration process, consider these workflow tips:

• Generate a log of features before starting development.
• Utilize existing libraries instead of building everything from scratch.
• Provide screenshots where needed for clarity.
• Commit early and often to prevent loss of progress if issues arise with generated code.
• Always review generated code; don't blindly trust the bot's output.
• Avoid attempting too many tasks simultaneously; focus on one at a time.
• Clearly articulate what you want from the model to get precise results.

Tools and Resources

"Let's talk about some useful tools that I found just on the Internet."

Database Build: A useful tool for developers working on app prompts. It can generate database schemas for apps like social media scheduling tools.

Supabase SQL: The Supabase dashboard includes built-in AI capabilities that assist in writing queries, debugging issues, and more.

Bolt.New: An editor for bootstrapping micro apps quickly. It is user-friendly for junior developers or those new to coding.

Claude (ChatGPT Alternative): A ChatGPT alternative that excels in writing code and can run some of it directly within its interface. Ideal for generating visualizations from data.

Photoshop: Still a powerful tool for designers with robust AI features that can remove or generate objects with ease.

Final Thoughts on the Future of Development

Daniel encouraged developers to "go code some awesome things with Vue and maybe some AI as well." The session emphasized the value of mastering AI-enhanced workflows to remain at the forefront of web development.

As we navigate this new AI world, developers have an opportunity to expand their career opportunities by embracing these tools. By sharing cursor rules and tips for effective prompting, Daniel provided practical strategies for integrating AI into everyday coding tasks.If you're interested in diving deeper into the world of AI driven development, then checkout aidd.io. It's a learning platform designed specifically to help developers navigate this changing landscape of software development in the age of AI.