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AI-Assisted Development Workflow Guide

This guide outlines best practices for using AI coding assistants (like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, etc.) in the LayerFive development workflow.

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Table of Contents

  1. Getting Started
  2. Daily Workflow
  3. Feature Development
  4. Code Review
  5. Debugging
  6. Best Practices

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Getting Started

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Initial Setup

  1. Review Agent Files: Familiarize yourself with the agent files in this directory
  2. Understand Project Structure: Know where backend and frontend code lives
  3. Environment Setup: Ensure your development environment is working
  4. Context Loading: When starting a session, provide relevant context to the AI

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Context Provision

When working with an AI assistant, provide:
  • Goal: What you’re trying to achieve
  • Current State: What’s already implemented
  • Constraints: Any limitations or requirements
  • Related Files: Relevant code locations
Example: 
I need to add a new API endpoint to export customer data.
Backend: layerfivecore/customer360/
Frontend: l5ui/src/app/pages/customers/
Requirements: Must support CSV and Excel formats, paginated results

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Daily Workflow

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Morning Startup

# 1. Pull latest changes
git pull origin main

# 2. Start backend services
cd layerfivecore
docker compose up -d redis postgres
source venv/bin/activate
python manage.py runserver

# 3. Start frontend (in new terminal)
cd l5ui
npm start

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Using AI for Daily Tasks

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Quick Code Explanations

AI Prompt: "Explain what this function does: [paste code]"

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Finding Code

AI Prompt: "Where is the user authentication logic implemented?"

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Writing Boilerplate

AI Prompt: "Create a new Django model for storing customer preferences with fields: user (FK), theme (choice), notifications (bool)"

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Feature Development

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1. Planning Phase

Use AI to help plan the feature before coding: 
AI Prompt:
I need to add a feature for customers to save custom report templates.
Requirements:
- Save report configurations (filters, columns, date ranges)
- List saved templates
- Load and apply templates
- Share templates with team

Help me plan:
1. Database schema needed
2. API endpoints to create
3. Frontend components to build
4. Potential challenges

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2. Implementation Phase

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Backend Development

AI Workflow:
1. "Create Django model for ReportTemplate with these fields..."
2. "Generate migrations and show me the migration file"
3. "Create serializer for ReportTemplate model"
4. "Implement ViewSet with CRUD operations"
5. "Write tests for ReportTemplate API"

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Frontend Development

AI Workflow:
1. "Generate Angular service for report templates API"
2. "Create component for listing report templates"
3. "Implement form for creating new templates"
4. "Add template selection to existing reports page"
5. "Write unit tests for template service"

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3. Integration Phase

AI Prompt:
"Help me integrate the report template feature:
- Backend API is at /api/report-templates/
- Frontend service is ReportTemplateService
- Need to add UI to existing reports page
Show me what changes needed in reports component"

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Code Review

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Using AI for Self-Review

Before creating a PR, use AI to review your code: 
AI Prompt:
"Review this code for:
- Potential bugs
- Performance issues
- Security concerns
- Best practice violations
- Missing error handling

[paste code]"

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Documentation Generation

AI Prompt:
"Generate documentation for this API endpoint including:
- Request/response examples
- Parameter descriptions
- Error codes
- Usage notes

[paste endpoint code]"

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Debugging

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Error Investigation

AI Prompt:
"I'm getting this error: [paste error message]
Context:
- Happened when: [describe action]
- Recent changes: [list changes]
- Environment: [dev/staging/prod]

Help me:
1. Understand what's causing it
2. Find where to look in the code
3. Suggest potential fixes"

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Performance Issues

AI Prompt:
"This endpoint is slow: /api/customer-analytics/
[paste code]

Help me:
1. Identify performance bottlenecks
2. Suggest database query optimizations
3. Recommend caching strategy"

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Best Practices

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Effective Prompting

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✅ Good Prompts

Specific:
"Create a Django REST API endpoint that accepts a list of customer IDs
and returns their total purchase amounts, using select_related for performance"

Contextualized:
"In the l5ui Angular app, add a loading spinner to the customer list
component while data is being fetched from the API. Use Material spinner component."

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❌ Poor Prompts

Vague:
"Make the API faster"

Incomplete:
"Add authentication"
(Which endpoints? What type of auth?)

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Iterative Development

  1. Start Small: Begin with a simple implementation
  2. Test Early: Verify each piece works before moving on
  3. Refine: Use AI to improve code quality
  4. Document: Generate documentation as you go

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Validation

Always validate AI-generated code:
  • Does it follow project conventions?
  • Are there any security issues?
  • Is error handling adequate?
  • Are edge cases covered?
  • Do tests pass?
  • Is it performant?

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Code Quality Checks

AI Prompt Template:
"Review this code for the LayerFive project:
[paste code]

Check:
1. Follows Django/Angular best practices
2. Proper error handling
3. Security considerations
4. Performance implications
5. Test coverage
6. Documentation quality"

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Specialized Workflows

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Adding a New Django App

AI Workflow:
1. "What should I name a Django app for [feature]?"
2. "Generate the initial models for [app]"
3. "Create serializers and viewsets"
4. "Write URL routing"
5. "Generate comprehensive tests"
6. "Create admin configuration"

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Adding a New Angular Feature Module

AI Workflow:
1. "Generate module structure for [feature]"
2. "Create routing configuration"
3. "Implement main component"
4. "Build service for API communication"
5. "Add to main app routing"
6. "Write unit tests"

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Database Migrations

AI Workflow:
1. "Review this model change: [paste models]"
2. "What migration strategy should I use?"
3. "Generate the migration commands"
4. "What data migration is needed?"
5. "How to rollback if needed?"

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API Integration

AI Workflow:
1. "I need to integrate [third-party API]"
2. "Show me the authentication approach"
3. "Create service class for API calls"
4. "Implement error handling and retries"
5. "Add rate limiting"
6. "Write integration tests with mocks"

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Collaboration with AI

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Pair Programming Pattern

  1. Explain: Tell AI what you want to build
  2. Review: AI suggests implementation approach
  3. Discuss: Ask questions, raise concerns
  4. Implement: AI generates code
  5. Refine: Iterate on the implementation
  6. Test: Verify functionality
  7. Document: Generate documentation

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Learning Mode

Use AI to learn while you code: 
AI Prompt:
"Explain why this Django code uses select_related:
[paste code]

And show me an alternative approach with trade-offs"

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Time-Saving Tips

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Templates and Boilerplate

Keep common prompts ready:
  • “Generate Django model with full CRUD API and tests”
  • “Create Angular component with service integration”
  • “Write integration test for [feature]”
  • “Generate API documentation for [endpoint]“

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Bulk Operations

AI Prompt:
"I need to add type hints to these 5 functions:
[paste functions]

Add proper type hints for parameters and return values"

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Refactoring

AI Prompt:
"Refactor this function to be more maintainable:
[paste code]

Break it into smaller functions with single responsibilities"

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  1. Blind Trust: Always review and test AI-generated code
  2. Over-Reliance: Understand the code, don’t just copy-paste
  3. Insufficient Context: Provide enough context for accurate suggestions
  4. Ignoring Project Patterns: Ensure AI follows your project’s conventions
  5. Security Oversights: Always verify security-critical code
  6. Missing Tests: Don’t skip test generation
  7. Poor Prompts: Vague prompts lead to vague solutions

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Measuring Success

Track your AI-assisted development:
  • Time Saved: Compare development time before/after
  • Code Quality: Bugs found in AI-generated vs manual code
  • Learning: New patterns and techniques discovered
  • Productivity: Features delivered per sprint

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Resources

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Internal

  • Agent files in /ai directory
  • Project documentation in /docs
  • README files in backend and frontend

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External

  • AI assistant documentation
  • Django best practices
  • Angular style guide
  • Testing frameworks documentation

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Getting Help

When stuck:
  1. Try rephrasing your prompt
  2. Provide more context
  3. Break down the problem into smaller pieces
  4. Ask AI to explain its reasoning
  5. Consult team members for complex decisions
Remember: AI is a tool to augment your capabilities, not replace your judgment. Always apply critical thinking and validate generated code.