Vanilla Java

If it’s worth doing by hand, it’s worth automating. Just because not everyone is (yet) a world-class developer; that doesn’t mean we can’t step closer to that expert-level space. In this post, I will introduce AIDE (Artifical Intelligence Development Environment), a powerful workflow that merges AI-driven code generation with a sharp focus on documentation-driven development. With AIDE, I tap into the best of artificial intelligence (AI) while respecting the real human insight needed for domain-specific logic. The result? An environment that streamlines repetitive coding, synchronises requirements, code, and tests, and elevates your engineering game. Here is a practical example of an AIDE on GitHub developed using it’s own AIDE. Introducing AIDE: Merging AI and Documentation-Driven Development AIDE transforms development by combining: Prompt Engineering with AsciiDoc : Clear, structured prompts guide AI to produce accurate, contex...

Introduction Java’s annotation system has come a long way since its introduction in Java 5. At first glance, annotations appear to be mere metadata markers on classes and methods. However, annotations can do much more than that. You can nest types within them, incorporate fields that reference helper classes, and even embed logic via static singletons. These capabilities provide a powerful mechanism for integrating domain-specific or framework-specific functionality right into your code, in ways that are both compact and self-documenting. Why Add Code to Annotations? The Java language specification usually treats annotations as static metadata describing a type, method, field, or parameter. However, you can leverage nested classes (including enums, interfaces, and even other annotations) to extend the functionality of a single annotation. This approach allows you to keep logic closely tied to the metadata, rather than scattering it across multiple classes. Common use ca...

I find time fascinating and surprisingly complex. Time zones and calendars change from place to place over time. There are a number of interesting websites on the subject. Time is one of those concepts that appears deceptively simple on the surface yet becomes increasingly intricate the more we examine it. As software developers, we often face scenarios where we must handle dates and times and their myriad associated rules—time zones, calendar systems, cultural conventions, and historical irregularities. Working with time can lead us into subtle pitfalls that affect everything from straightforward user interfaces to global financial systems. Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. — Douglas Adams The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy The Surprising Complexity Behind Time Time is not uniform. Humans have invented calendar systems and measurement techniques, each influenced by politics, religion, and culture. As a result, how we record and interpret dates ha...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long promised to transform software development. Yet, as many experienced engineers discover, initial enthusiasm often settles into a more subdued reality. This is the "Trough of Disillusionment" within the Gartner Hype Cycle—where inflated expectations give way to measured assessments. In this phase, teams confront the practical limitations of AI-driven tools, refine their strategies, and seek a balance between what AI can deliver and what human expertise must still provide. This article continues from AI on the Hype Cycle . We do these things not because they are easy, but because we thought they were going to be easy. — Programmer’s Credo Challenges of AI Adoption When integrating AI into software engineering workflows—be it code completion, architectural documentation, or performance tuning hints—teams quickly encounter stumbling blocks: Accuracy and Reliability: AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, ou...

This is the first in a series of posts supporting a talk I will be giving online at JChampionConf 27th January 27th 2025. Lessons learnt from founding my own company, and over 30 years hands on coding In these posts, I am looking to provide some theory as well as practical examples. One way to try to predict what is possible in the future is to look at the past. One of may favourite ways to look at the past is through aphorisms. Aphorisms are short, pithy statements that express a general truth or opinion. I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognised wiser than oneself. — Marlene Dietrich 1901-1992 Quotes about Learning from History and Adaptability The only constant is change. — Heraclitus of Ephesus c. 500 BCE In the ever-evolving realm of AI, this ancient wisdom remains pertinent. Today’s cutting-edge AI models may become tomorrow’s stan...