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Why would you use a constrained edit tool when you are also allowed to use the complete power of python?

by jaapz 6d ago

oblio 6d ago
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?
- arcanemachiner 6d ago
  You can chain a lot more commands together with this technique than with a single Edit tool call.
  - oblio 6d ago
    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.
zarzavat 6d ago
Because the complete power of Python also includes the power to fuck things up.
- orphereus 6d ago
  So does using an LLM.
  - TeMPOraL 6d ago
    In fact, that's kind of the whole point of using LLMs in the first place. Their value is in their general capabilities.
  - Vegenoid 6d ago
    …which we attempt to constrain by encouraging the use of tools that make it harder to fuck shit up.
rootlocus 6d ago
Simple is better than complex Complex is better than complicated Or something, I don't remember...
- Burebista 6d ago
  ... simply the best, better than all the rest (Tina Turner)
  - oblio 6d ago
    Ușor, Burebista :-)
- thewhitetulip 6d ago
  That was pre LLM. Now everything is a prompt that you type into AI lol
oefrha 6d ago
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.
dools 6d ago
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.

Why would you use a constrained edit tool when you are also allowed to use the complete power of python?

by jaapz 6d ago

Why would you use a constrained edit tool when you are also allowed to use the complete power of python?

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?

arcanemachiner 6d ago
You can chain a lot more commands together with this technique than with a single Edit tool call.
- oblio 6d ago
  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.

zarzavat 6d ago

Because the complete power of Python also includes the power to fuck things up.

orphereus 6d ago
So does using an LLM.
- TeMPOraL 6d ago
  In fact, that's kind of the whole point of using LLMs in the first place. Their value is in their general capabilities.
- Vegenoid 6d ago
  …which we attempt to constrain by encouraging the use of tools that make it harder to fuck shit up.

rootlocus 6d ago

Simple is better than complex Complex is better than complicated Or something, I don't remember...

Burebista 6d ago
... simply the best, better than all the rest (Tina Turner)
- oblio 6d ago
  Ușor, Burebista :-)
thewhitetulip 6d ago
That was pre LLM. Now everything is a prompt that you type into AI lol

oefrha 6d ago

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.

dools 6d ago

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.