Coding agent

An agent changes code across files: plan, work, ask before the risky step, review the draft, keep a checkpoint.

When I hand a change to an agent, I want to see the plan, be asked before anything risky, and review before it is applied, so I can trust what lands in my code. Lin, a developer in Singapore, at her desk with 2 screens.

Watch the whole flow

Autonomy

Device

9:41
Use the shared date format everywhere in orders
Plan - 4 steps. Change it before I start.
1. Find where dates are formatted
2. Switch to the shared formatDate()
3. Delete the old helper file - I will ask first
4. Run the tests
Autonomy: ask only for risky steps
Ask the agent
Plan first
9:41
Use the shared date format everywhere in orders
Activity
Read 6 files in src/orders
Ask the agent
Works
9:41
Use the shared date format everywhere in orders
Activity
Read 6 files in src/orders
Edited OrderRow.tsx - 2 lines
Edited Invoice.tsx - 3 lines
Waiting for you
Delete utils/oldDate.ts?
Nothing uses it now. You can get it back from the checkpoint.
Ask the agent
Asks before deleting
9:41
Use the shared date format everywhere in orders
Activity
Read 6 files in src/orders
Edited OrderRow.tsx - 2 lines
Edited Invoice.tsx - 3 lines
Deleted utils/oldDate.ts· undo
Ran 48 tests - all pass
Draft · 3 files · not applied yet
- formatOld(order.date)
+ formatDate(order.date)
- import { formatOld } from "./oldDate"
Ask the agent
Draft diff

0.0 s / 17.2 s

The flow, step by step

01Intent preview and plan Autonomy dial
The plan marks the 1 risky step, and shows the autonomy setting.
02Activity log and undo Autonomy dial
Every action is logged as it happens. Asking every step slows the same work down.
03Approval gate
The agent stops before deleting a file, and says how to get it back.
04Draft mode and review Version history and checkpoints
Changes are a draft diff - nothing is applied until Lin accepts.
05Version history and checkpoints
Accepted, with a checkpoint kept to go back to.