Vibe Coding Tutorial

Vibe Coding (atmosphere programming) is a brand-new way of software development.

Vibe Coding no longer writes code from scratch; instead, you describe requirements in natural language and let AI generate, modify, debug, and refactor code for you.

Vibe Coding is notbeing able to develop without knowing how to program, but ratherwriting codeupgraded todesign + direction + verification。

The core competitiveness of future developers will increasingly shift from coding ability to problem decomposition, system design, and AI collaboration skills.


Vibe Coding Role Division

Under the Vibe Coding model, the developer's role undergoes a fundamental shift:

The developer is responsible forThe AI is responsible for
Proposing product requirements Writing business code
Finalizing technical solutions Iteratively modifying code
Accepting and verifying running results Looking up technical documentation
Steering the overall direction of the project Automatically generating test cases
Assessing problem severity Analyzing errors and providing solutions

Typical Workflow

Idea Describe requirements AI generates code Run and verify Iterate to completion Vibe Coding Typical Workflow

Traditional Development vs Vibe Coding

Traditional DevelopmentVibe Coding
Think of a feature → Check docs → Write code → DebugThink of a feature → Tell AI → Keep adjusting → Done

Common Tools

Tool Name Tool Type Core Features and Use Cases
Miaoda Zero-code / Natural language Directly enter text to generate applications, purely spoken generation, suitable for quick start and experiencing Vibe Coding
MoneyCode AI online coding task execution Online app; enter text directly, create tasks in the platform, let AI code, and use terminal, file management, and preview in a cloud development environment.
Cursor AI-native editor Multi-file fully automatic tuning; currently the most mature ecosystem, the top choice for vibe coding
Trae AI-native editor Made by ByteDance, AI editor
Qoder AI-native editor Alibaba's AI programming tool IDE
Claude Code Terminal command line CLI interaction, extremely strong logical reasoning, a geek's powerful tool for cross-file refactoring
Windsurf AI-native editor Powerful agent proxy, proactively perceives context and autonomously repairs
Continue Open-source IDE plugin Extremely high freedom, supports local private large models, the top open-source alternative
Copilot Classic IDE plugin Intelligent code completion (Tab key), suitable for semi-automatic fine-tuning of code
ChatGPT General-purpose conversational AI Suitable for early-stage architecture brainstorming, logic design, and single-segment code debugging
Codex The AI Agent launched by OpenAI Can autonomously understand, write, debug, and review code, and can handle multiple development tasks in parallel.
OpenCode Terminal command line Focuses on open-source transparency and community co-building, suitable for customized exploration

Who Should Read

  • Programming beginners: people who want to enter the development field, quickly build projects, and lower the learning barrier.

  • Benefits: Faster visible results, faster learning feedback.

  • Indie developers: side projects, SaaS products, automation tools, AI product validation.

  • Frontend/backend engineers: daily development, code refactoring, test generation, documentation generation.

  • Product managers / operations: prototype validation, automation scripts, internal tool development.

Note: Don't skip learning the basics; Vibe Coding is an accelerator, not a substitute.


What Basic Skills Are Required

Many people mistakenly think Vibe Coding means you don't need to know programming, but that's not the case.

At least the following basic skills are recommended:

Basic Skills

  • Ability to read code:At least understandif、for、function、class、APIThese basic concepts.

    The goal is to judge whether the AI is writing nonsense — that's the safety bottom line.

  • Ability to run projects:Understand the complete flow from installation, startup, error reporting, fixing, to deployment.

    Master at least one of the Node.js, Python, or Git tech stacks.

  • Ability to search for problems: know how to read error messages, look up documentation, and verify solutions.

    This is the basic ability to solve problems independently.

Other Skills

1. Product decomposition ability

Break down large requirements into small tasks, rather than dumping vague, huge requirements onto the AI.

Wrong wayRight way
Help me build TaobaoLogin → Product list → Shopping cart → Payment (break down one by one)

2. Prompt ability

Write clear requirement descriptions, including goals, constraints, inputs, outputs, and acceptance criteria.

用 Vue3 开发
使用 Tailwind CSS
移动端优先
不要第三方组件库

3. Systems thinking

Understand the relationships between frontend, backend, database, and deployment.

Otherwise, you'll easily generate systems that can't be put into production — they look like they run, but crash when launched.


Characteristics of Vibe Coding

Understanding the core characteristics of Vibe Coding helps you better leverage its strengths and avoid its weaknesses.

High Speed

A prototype that used to take a day can now be done in maybe 30 minutes.

The core of the efficiency gain is handing repetitive coding work to AI.

Conversation-Driven

It's not the traditional code-writing model, but a collaborative model of continuous communication and iteration.

Strong Iteration

The typical process is: generate → run → error → fix → optimize, cycling continuously.

Each iteration gets closer to the goal, rather than achieving it all at once.

High Ceiling, but Also Low Floor

In the hands of an expert, efficiency can be 5×; in the hands of a beginner, it can create a lot of technical debt.

The key is whether you have the ability to judge the quality of AI output.

More Like a Director, Not a Programmer

Traditional development is like shooting a film yourself; Vibe Coding is like directing a team to shoot a film.

Your core ability shifts from "writing code" to "making decisions."


Recommended Learning Path

A step-by-step learning route from zero basics to proficient AI-assisted development.

Step 1: Learn the Basics

It's recommended to first master HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and Git.

Step 2: Start AI Development

Pick any tool to start with: Cursor, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex.

Goal: Complete small projects like a Todo App, blog, admin panel, etc.

Step 3: Learn Engineering Skills

Continue learning engineering skills such as APIs, databases, deployment, and testing.

This is the key step from "it can run" to "it can go live."

Step 4: Move into Agent Development

Learn advanced concepts such as Skills, Workflow, Agent, RAG, etc.

This is the advanced stage of Vibe Coding—letting AI not just write code, but autonomously complete tasks.

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