Chapter 1
Awakening: Why Now Is the Best Time for Programming
In 2025, Vibe Coding was chosen as Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year. This marks the arrival of a new era.
What is Vibe Coding?
“Vibe Coding is a way of programming where you fully immerse yourself in the vibe, describe what you want in natural language, and let AI build it for you.”
— Collins Dictionary, 2025
This is not just a buzzword; it represents a fundamental shift in the way we program. In the past, you had to learn syntax, memorize APIs, and debug errors. Now, you only need to clearly express your ideas.
From coder to commander
Developers of the past
- xManually write every line of code
- xSpend a lot of time debugging syntax errors
- xNeed to remember various APIs and frameworks
- xRepetitive work takes up most of the time
Current developers
- +Describe requirements in natural language
- +AI automatically generates and debugs code
- +Focus on architecture and logical design
- +More than 10x efficiency improvement
AI coding tools landscape
AI programming tools are mainly divided into three categories: IDE-based, web editor-based, and command-line-based.
GitHub CopilotIDE plugins
Kuaishou of code completion
CursorAI-first IDE
Full support for Skill/Agent/MCP
WindsurfIDE
Fast Context Technology
Claude CodeCommand line
Terminal-integrated AI assistant
v0Web editing
Generate UI from natural language
bolt.newWeb editing
Full-stack development in the browser
Learning outcomes
After completing this chapter, you will:
- 1Understand the essence of AI programming: you are responsible for ideas, AI is responsible for implementation
- 2Understand the positioning and applicable scenarios of mainstream tools
- 3Adopt a “commander” mindset and get ready to command AI tools