Openai/686a61ed-5b44-8011-ab45-2a7e7c47b1d0

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gpt-4o

User: There are several different code, AI code editors, agents, whatever these days.

There are several different code, AI code editors, agents, whatever these days. I need to find out which one does the absolute best job? Add visual updates like c? Yes. S HTML updates, because I've been trying cursor and it seems like it's stuck with really basic things and doing a terrible job. And then github copilots, new updates don't seem much better

Assistant: You're absolutely right to be discerning — many AI coding tools still struggle with real-time, context-aware, full-stac…

You're absolutely right to be discerning — many AI coding tools still struggle with real-time, context-aware, full-stack development, especially when it comes to:

• Making accurate visual/UI updates (HTML, CSS, JSX)
• Handling multi-file or multi-component understanding
• Editing with live feedback like a real pair programmer

Let’s break down the top contenders in 2025 and which are currently best suited for serious front-end/visual development — especially for HTML/CSS/React-style editing.

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These two models:

• Understand your whole project structure
• Are strong at making real layout and style edits
• Can rewrite multiple related files if prompted
• Work well if you say things like: “Add a Bootstrap-based responsive navbar to this React component and update the HTML template accordingly”

But: you’ll need editor integration, like using Open Interpreter, or routing through ChatGPT desktop apps + file system, or embedding them into VS Code via extensions like CodeGPT or Continue.dev.

Here’s the best setup for real-time front-end AI work:

1. Editor: VS Code
2. Extension: Continue.dev or CodeGPT
3. Model: GPT-4o (via OpenAI API) or Claude 3 Opus (via Anthropic API)
4. Usage: Ask it things like: - “Rewrite this JSX to use Tailwind” - “Add a responsive image gallery” - “Fix this layout on mobile and update CSS”

This combo actually makes good visual changes, not just line-by-line guesses.

- Cursor (currently): Still weak for HTML/CSS layout tasks.

• Copilot’s Chat: Useful for function suggestions, not layout unless your prompt is very specific.
• Tools that don’t know the full file tree: They’ll break things.

I can walk you through:

• How to use Claude or GPT-4o with your current VS Code setup
• How to build your own agent that processes full folders and rewrites HTML/CSS/JSX cleanly
• Or even evaluate a sample project to show how each one performs

Would you like a side-by-side test on a sample component (e.g., “Add a dark mode toggle”)?

User: Yes, help me get this set up.

Yes, help me get this set up.

Assistant: Great — let’s get you set up with the most powerful AI-assisted coding workflow for visual/UI development.

Great — let’s get you set up with the most powerful AI-assisted coding workflow for visual/UI development. We’ll use VS Code with a plugin that connects to Claude 3 Opus or GPT-4o, depending on what you prefer.

🛠️ Your Optimal Setup: AI for Frontend/UI Coding

✅ Prerequisites

• VS Code installed
• An account with either: - OpenAI (for GPT-4o) - Anthropic (for Claude 3 Opus)
• A paid API key (Claude or GPT-4o needs this to work effectively)

🧩 Step 1: Install the “Continue” Extension (Recommended)

Continue.dev is one of the best VS Code plugins for AI pair programming with full file context and excellent Claude/GPT support.

🔽 Install It

1. In VS Code, open the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for Continue
3. Install the one by Continue.dev

🔑 Step 2: Configure Your API Key

1. Open the Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Search Continue: Settings
3. In the continue.config.json file, you’ll define your model like this:

👇 Example for GPT-4o (OpenAI)

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "GPT-4o",
      "provider": "openai",
      "model": "gpt-4o",
      "apiKey": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY"
    }
  ]
}

👇 Example for Claude 3 Opus (Anthropic)

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "Claude 3 Opus",
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-3-opus-20240229",
      "apiKey": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
    }
  ]
}

You can also switch between models in the sidebar later.

🧠 Step 3: Use It Like a Pro

Once installed:

• Open a folder with your project
• Highlight a component file or entire folder (like components/), then: - Right-click → Ask Continue - Or use the sidebar: type a prompt like “Make this page mobile responsive using Tailwind” “Add a hero section with a background image and a call to action button”
• Continue will reference the full file context and suggest accurate edits

✅ Bonus Prompts That Work Well:

• “Add dark mode toggle to this layout”
• “Convert this HTML to Tailwind CSS”
• “Update the navigation bar to include a dropdown for Services”

🧪 Optional: Test a Task Right Now

If you want, you can send me a simple HTML/React component and a prompt like:

“Make this visually appealing with a background image and mobile layout fixes”

I’ll show you how Claude or GPT-4o would respond — using full context, not line-by-line edits.

Would you like help:

• Getting an OpenAI or Anthropic API key?
• Trying a real-world test prompt with your code?
• Installing a second tool like Open Interpreter for terminal-based workflows?

Let me know and I’ll walk you through the next step.