AI dev workflow
Windsurf vs Claude Code: A 2026 Field Log
windsurf.com now redirects to Devin Desktop. I built the same optimistic-UI feature in Windsurf and Claude Code in 2026. Here is which surface I kept, and why.
6 min read204
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#field log
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AI dev workflow
Gemini CLI vs Claude Code: One Feature, Both Ways (2026 Field Log)
I ran the same webhook-handler feature through Gemini CLI and Claude Code on one repo. Gemini CLI wins for large-repo exploration and giant context; Claude Code wins for consistent multi-file changes. A 2026 field log with my routing rule, corrected after Google withdrew Gemini CLI's free individual tier.
10 min read158
AI dev workflow
Codex vs Claude Code: I Built One Feature With Both (2026 Field Log)
I ran the same pagination change through OpenAI Codex and Claude Code on one repo. Codex wins when I can delegate a boxed task; Claude Code wins when I want to steer a multi-file change live. A 2026 field log with my routing rule.
6 min read145
AI dev workflow
OpenCode vs Claude Code: The Same Feature, Both Ways (2026 Field Log)
OpenCode is open source and model-agnostic; Claude Code is managed and tuned around one vendor. I ran the same invite feature through both on the same repo in 2026. Here is which I kept, and the routing rule I use now.
6 min read177
AI dev workflow
The MCP Servers I Actually Keep Installed (2026 Field Log)
A three-month field log on the best MCP servers in 2026: the five that earned a permanent slot, the ones I uninstalled, and the context and trust costs no listicle mentions.
6 min read151
AI dev workflow
Claude Code Alternatives: The 7 I Actually Tried on One Repo (2026 Field Log)
I hit Claude Code's weekly limit mid-refactor, then ran the same repo through seven alternatives for two weeks. The three I kept, and the honest catch nobody markets.
10 min read177
AI dev workflow
Claude Code Headless: Running claude -p in CI Without It Hanging (2026 Field Log)
My CI step running claude -p hung for the full timeout, waiting on a permission prompt no human would answer. The three flags that fix headless Claude Code, the jobs I kept, and the two I ripped back out.
6 min read181
AI dev workflow
Cursor vs Claude Code: I Ran Both Side by Side for a Month (2026 Field Log)
A month of running Cursor and Claude Code on the same repo. The honest 2026 verdict: it is not either-or, and the real question is not IDE vs CLI.
6 min read190
AI dev workflow
Claude Code Sandbox: What /sandbox Actually Locks Down (2026 Field Log)
A field log of Claude Code's built-in /sandbox: what its OS-level cage actually locks down, the setup that bit me, what auto-allow still stops for, the tools that broke, and the one thing it does not protect.
8 min read188
AI dev workflow
Claude Code Checkpoints: What /rewind Actually Restores (2026 Field Log)
Claude Code checkpoints and /rewind are fast in-session recovery, not version control. A field log on what a checkpoint actually captures, what it silently ignores (bash writes, your own hand-edits), and the two-line git habit that keeps it safe.
5 min read206
AI dev workflow
Claude Code Permissions: The settings.json I Actually Run (2026 Field Log)
The three arrays, the precedence rule nobody explains, the two gotchas that cost me an afternoon, and the exact settings.json allow, ask, and deny block I run now.
6 min read223
AI dev workflow
Claude Code Subagents: The 2 I Actually Kept (2026 Field Log)
Two weeks of pushing real work onto Claude Code subagents. The two I kept, the frontmatter line that actually decides delegation, and the gotcha that cost me an afternoon.
5 min read197