Case Study: Developing Ghostty's macOS Automatic Updates Feature Using AI Coding Tools
By
skevy
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
The author shares a detailed case study of developing a non-trivial feature (unobtrusive macOS automatic updates) for Ghostty using AI and agentic coding tools. The post provides an unedited, comprehensive walkthrough of every agentic coding session involved in shipping this feature, including process details, reasoning, and token costs. It serves as a real-world example of AI-assisted software development.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledI recently shipped a non-trivial Ghostty feature (unobtrusive macOS automatic updates) that was largely developed with AI.
I'm regularly asked to share non-trivial examples of how I use AI and agentic coding tools and this felt like a golden opportunity to walk through my process.
This post will share every single agentic coding session I had on the path to shipping this feature, unedited and in full.
Alongside it, I'll provide some additional context about my process and reasoning.
And yes, I'll also share the token cost for those interested.
You might also wanna read
How AI-Assisted Coding Enabled Shipping a Go Service Without Prior Language Expertise
A technical architect shares his experience using AI tools (like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT) to build a working service in Go, a programming
Practical Guide to Using AI Coding Tools for Responsible Development
The article provides practical guidance for developers on responsibly integrating AI coding tools into their workflow. Based on two years of
Smashing Magazine·4mo ago
How I Used Coding Agents to Automate My AI Research Work in Copilot Applied Science
An AI researcher shares their experience using coding agents to automate intellectual work, specifically building agents that automate parts
GitHub·2mo ago
Building a Software Factory with Claude Code: From AI-Assisted Coding to Agentic Development
This article provides a comprehensive guide on building a software factory using Claude Code and other AI coding tools. It covers the evolut
freecodecamp.org·4d ago
Ghostype: Context-Aware AI Voice Interface for macOS with Local Learning Capabilities
Ghostype is a context-aware AI voice interface for macOS that learns user behavior and automates workflows. It features smart auto-send func
Product Hunt·3mo ago
How AI Coding Tools Like Claude Code Are Transforming Software Development
The article discusses how software development is rapidly changing with the rise of AI coding tools like Claude Code, where developers are w
The Verge·2mo ago