I created a 126K line Android app with AI – the workflow that worked for me
The article discusses the author's journey in creating a complex Android app using AI tools without prior knowledge of Kotlin. Over four months, they developed a 126,000-line application while documenting their process and learning from mistakes. The author emphasizes the importance of a structured workflow and critical reviews to enhance the effectiveness of AI in coding.
- ▪The app, found at https://howareu.app/, consists of 126,000 lines of Kotlin across 398 files and 45,000 lines of tests across 130 files.
- ▪The author utilized the BMAD framework for maintaining specifications and improving project organization.
- ▪They highlighted the significance of keeping documentation updated and conducting code reviews with different LLMs to enhance code quality.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
I really wanted to see how far I can go. Can I create a meaningful and complex application, big enough, but without knowing the language.I have 18+ years of experience as software developer. But I have no experience with Kotlin. And to learn Kotlin, to learn the Android libraries, it is not an easy job. I may need at year of active learning and trying things, before having the confidence to start doing something.So, I asked myself, how far can I go with AI tools? And I went far!I created https://howareu.app/The boring statistics: 126,000 lines of Kotlin across 398 files 45,000 lines of tests across 130 files 3000+ unit tests 50+ production lessons captured 4 months from zero Kotlin experience to production app; 0 lines of Kotlin written manuallyBelow are the main things that I did and…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Ycombinator.