Hands-on best practices for 9 AI coding tools — No hype, just what works. Prompt techniques, workflow design, multi-tool orchestration, and copy-paste configs to maximize your AI-assisted development.
简体中文 | English
| 9 Tools Full coverage |
66 Tips Claude Code deep-dive |
7 Methodologies Prompting / Debug / Test |
Copy-paste Configs Ready to use |
New here? Three steps:
- Read Prompt Engineering — learn how to talk to AI coding tools
- Pick your tool → read its Quick Start section
- Read Task Decomposition — learn how to break work into AI-sized chunks
Already using AI tools? Jump to: Advanced Tips · Multi-Tool Workflows · Ecosystem
| Tool | Type | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | CLI Agent | 66 tips, Agent + Skill + Hook workflows |
| Cursor | IDE | .cursorrules config, Composer Agent mode |
| GitHub Copilot | IDE Plugin | Inline completion + Agent mode + custom instructions |
| OpenClaw | AI Agent Framework | 338k Stars, multi-platform + Skills + Cron automation |
| Windsurf | IDE | Cascade Agent, automatic context |
| Gemini CLI | CLI | By Google, large codebase analysis |
| Kiro | IDE | By AWS, spec-driven development |
| Aider | CLI | Git-native, supports almost any LLM |
| Trae | IDE | By ByteDance, free Claude/GPT access |
Every guide follows the same structure: Core Concepts → Quick Start → Prompt Tips → Advanced Usage → Config Templates
These apply regardless of which tool you use:
| Topic | What it solves |
|---|---|
| Prompt Engineering | Prompt techniques specific to AI coding — not generic prompt engineering |
| Task Decomposition | Breaking large tasks into AI-manageable pieces |
| Code Review | Best practices for AI-assisted code review |
| Debugging | Systematic debugging methodology with AI |
| Context Management | Managing the context window to prevent AI from "getting dumber" |
| Testing Strategy | Writing tests with AI — approaches and pitfalls |
| Security | Security risks in AI-assisted coding and how to mitigate them |
The real productivity gains come from combining tools, not using one in isolation.
| Workflow | Description |
|---|---|
| Claude Code + Cursor | Claude Code for architecture & complex refactoring, Cursor for daily coding |
| Claude Code + Copilot | Claude Code for agentic tasks, Copilot for inline completions |
| Tool Selection Guide | Which tool for which scenario — one table to rule them all |
These projects work together to cover the full AI-assisted development pipeline:
Learn the tools → Inject methodologies → Load expert roles → Orchestrate roles → Safety guardrails
(guide) (superpowers) (agents) (orchestrator) (shellward)
| Project | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
| This repo | Learning | Practical guides for 9 AI coding tools |
| superpowers-zh | Methodology | 20 skills for AI coding tools — TDD, debugging, code review, and more |
| agency-agents-zh | Expert Roles | 187 professional roles — turn AI into a security engineer, DBA, PM, etc. |
| agency-orchestrator | Orchestration | YAML-based multi-role collaboration for complex tasks |
| shellward | Safety | Prevent AI agents from running dangerous commands or leaking sensitive data |
Most AI coding resources fall into two camps: shallow "getting started" posts, or single-tool deep dives. This guide fills the gap:
- Practical over theoretical — Every tip has been tested in real projects. No "AI will change everything" filler.
- Cross-tool coverage — Compare approaches across 9 tools. Know when to use Cursor vs Claude Code vs Copilot.
- Multi-tool workflows — The biggest wins come from combining tools. We show you how.
- Copy-paste ready — Config templates, prompt snippets, and .cursorrules you can drop into your project today.
- Prompt engineering for code — Generic prompt guides don't cover the nuances of AI coding. This one does.
Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md.
In short: add tips, fix outdated content, share workflow experiences — Issues and PRs both work.
This guide builds on excellent work from:
- claude-code-best-practice — Claude Code best practices
- awesome-cursorrules — Cursor rules collection
- awesome-copilot — Official GitHub Copilot resources
- gemini-cli-tips — Gemini CLI tips
- Everything Claude Code — Instinct scoring, AgentShield, multi-language rules
- BMAD-METHOD — Full SDLC, agent roles, multi-platform
Make AI coding tools actually work for you.