Copilot is a competent coder. If I tell it to generate a function with certain parameters, a class that follows a Gang of Four pattern, mass rename variables, or refactor loops into maps, then it does a pretty good job.
Copilot is a bad engineer. If I tell it to build something, unless exceedingly simple, it usually fails. The ability for it to create something seems correlated to how many 5 minute tutorials for that exist on the internet. Which given its training, makes perfect sense. So if I think I could find an answer on Stack Overflow, then I will just ask Copilot instead.
10 Years ago everyone was afraid of the Stack Overflow developer, now its the GPT developer. I think its a combination of actual worry and hurt pride that your job can be accomplished by someone copy/pasting. But like usual, good engineers will learn to think for themselves when leveraging tools. And an exceedingly amount of code produced works but is bad by some arbitrary metric.
I think the footer example is hilarious, because its exactly inline with web development trends of the last decade. Why use native elements when I can script my own behavior in Javascript on a div? And in a rush to "not use tables for formatting," I bet there are some 25 nested div websites out there. Even on Google sites, I have see grids built using absolutely positioned boxes with Javascript layout logic. The web is a wild place once you start looking past the tutorials and best practices.
> Even on Google sites, I have see grids built using absolutely positioned boxes with Javascript layout logic
Possibly a side-effect of the framework used. Some frameworks used HTML like a CANVAS and drew/layout everything in HTML using absolute positioning. Ugggh.
ultimately these are the kind of things programmers care about. code debt is real and anyone who has any experience having to pay the debt off usually learns their lesson and does a better job on the next try
Copilot is a bad engineer. If I tell it to build something, unless exceedingly simple, it usually fails. The ability for it to create something seems correlated to how many 5 minute tutorials for that exist on the internet. Which given its training, makes perfect sense. So if I think I could find an answer on Stack Overflow, then I will just ask Copilot instead.
10 Years ago everyone was afraid of the Stack Overflow developer, now its the GPT developer. I think its a combination of actual worry and hurt pride that your job can be accomplished by someone copy/pasting. But like usual, good engineers will learn to think for themselves when leveraging tools. And an exceedingly amount of code produced works but is bad by some arbitrary metric.
I think the footer example is hilarious, because its exactly inline with web development trends of the last decade. Why use native elements when I can script my own behavior in Javascript on a div? And in a rush to "not use tables for formatting," I bet there are some 25 nested div websites out there. Even on Google sites, I have see grids built using absolutely positioned boxes with Javascript layout logic. The web is a wild place once you start looking past the tutorials and best practices.