Comment by jaapz
8 hours ago
Why would you use a constrained edit tool when you are also allowed to use the complete power of python?
8 hours ago
Why would you use a constrained edit tool when you are also allowed to use the complete power of python?
Because the complete power of Python also includes the power to fuck things up.
So does using an LLM.
In fact, that's kind of the whole point of using LLMs in the first place. Their value is in their general capabilities.
…which we attempt to constrain by encouraging the use of tools that make it harder to fuck shit up.
Having an agent edit 100 files means the job will definitely get done correctly. When it writes a script to bulk edit things it fucks up and spends ages debugging their script.
Have you ever counted the number of times Claude fucked up quoting/escaping and had to issue a corrected tool call? Or get stuck in some tricky quoting situation for two minutes, throwing a couple piles of shit at the wall to see what sticks. IIRC I’ve even seen it eventually using the edit tool out of frustration once.
Simple is better than complex Complex is better than complicated
Or something, I don't remember...
... simply the best, better than all the rest (Tina Turner)
Ușor, Burebista :-)
That was pre LLM. Now everything is a prompt that you type into AI lol
Why even offer the edit tool in that case? Also, what kind of editing could they possible do what wouldn't be possible with POSIX ed?
You can chain a lot more commands together with this technique than with a single Edit tool call.
The funny thing is that... POSIX ed is composable :-)
You can do a gazillion edits with it in one shot.
Of course, LLM edit tools are probably small bits of their custom code, I just find it funny. I wonder if it's a desire for certain technical characteristics that require custom code or just a lack of info on basic tools. Heck, if it's about platform availability, using an LLM to port ed to Windows (for example) should be trivial[1].
* * *
[1] And there are probably a million existing ports. Also, sed, ex, vi, whatever.