About OptionPilot

🎯 The Core Idea

Clickable Options in the Editor - The fundamental idea is to present options that users can click on, rather than having the AI make decisions automatically. This approach gives you control over the development process and helps you understand the trade-offs before committing to code. Download the thesis.

🤔 The Problem We're Solving

Traditional AI coding assistants often generate code immediately, which can lead to:

Premature commitment: Code is generated before you've fully considered the options
High cognitive load: Too many decisions presented at once can be overwhelming
Lack of control: You don't get to explore alternatives before implementation
Unclear reasoning: It's not always clear why the AI made certain choices

💭 The Vision

The goal is to create a coding assistant that feels like a collaborative partner rather than an autocomplete tool. By presenting options and explaining reasoning, we aim to:

Make AI-assisted coding more transparent and understandable
Help developers learn and improve their skills through guided exploration
Give you confidence in the code you're working with
Make complex architectural decisions more approachable

🚀 Future Possibilities

This demo showcases the core concept, but the approach could be extended with:

Multi-level decision points: Nested decisions that allow you to refine high-level architecture choices into granular implementation details
Partial code generation: Code structures with "holes" that you fill in yourself, giving you control over creative implementation details
Dynamic information scaling: Expandable/collapsible sections to control the level of detail you see
Feedback loops: The system learns from your choices to improve future suggestions

✨ How OptionPilot Works

Instead of immediately generating code, OptionPilot presents you with decision points that break down complex problems into manageable choices:

1. Decision Points

When you ask a coding question, the AI identifies key decision points and presents multiple implementation options. Each option includes:

A clear title and description
In-depth explanation of the approach
Pros and cons to help you make informed choices

2. Explicit Code Generation

After you've navigated through the options and made your choices, you explicitly request code generation. This ensures:

You're in control of when code is generated
The generated code matches your informed intent
No premature commitment to a solution

3. Contextual Explanations

Every code snippet is accompanied by explanations that articulate:

Critical decisions or assumptions made by the AI
The reasoning behind the implementation
What parts of the code do and why

🎨 Key Features

📋 Structured Decision Points

Complex problems are broken down into clear decision points with multiple options, preventing information overload.

🔄 Iterative Refinement

You can explore different options, see their implications, and refine your choices before generating code.

📊 Comparative Analysis

Each option includes pros and cons, helping you quickly understand trade-offs between different approaches.

💡 Contextual Understanding

The AI works with your code context (like the TaskManager in this demo) to provide relevant, applicable suggestions.

⚡ Preloading for Speed

Common decision paths are preloaded in the background, making interactions feel instant when you click on options.

🎯 User Control

You decide when to generate code, which options to explore, and how deep to go into each decision point.

🧠 Design Principles

Reduce Cognitive Load

By presenting decisions incrementally rather than all at once, we help you process information more effectively.

Give Users Control

You're in charge of the development process. The AI guides and suggests, but you make the final decisions.

Support Program Comprehension

Every suggestion includes explanations that help you understand not just what the code does, but why it's structured that way.

Enable Theory Building

By exploring options and understanding trade-offs, you build mental models that improve your coding skills over time.