5 ms·

Text2Code: Converts English queries into Python code

60 points by jernejzen 5y ago

jboggan 5y ago
This is neat, we did something a couple of years ago like this (but much cruder) by training off of Stack Overflow question and answer data. Actually we were trying to make a rubber ducky debugging chatbot but we didn't clean our inputs and it started spitting out code blocks when we asked it English questions. With all the fuss over Autopilot have you considered the inverse problem? I trust myself to write code but often in an unfamiliar codebase I spend the majority of the time reading and deciphering what code does. Does the inverse work very well with your training set? I'd love to highlight code on the screen and get an English approximation of what it does. That's a truly useful helper.
melling 5y ago
I’d love to see this work with voice input
- alex-wallish 5y ago
  This is the direction that serenade.ai is headed. Been using it since they launched and they've slowly been getting closer to a general natural language to code engine. Would recommend anybody check it out if you haven't before
Y_Y 5y ago
Ask it for a polynomial time factorisation algorithm.
trutannus 5y ago
These things are cool, but I find ultimately things like this end up just being a more natural language like programming language. There will generally be ways you have to phrase your query to get the algorithm to understand it. Having to make sure the interpreter can understand you, and debugging your query to me takes away all the advantage of a tool like this. You end up with syntax and keywords, all features of a language, but instead of getting them from a documentation page, you have to bash your head against the interpreter to figure them out. Same thing with no-code platforms. They're great until you have to understand why the code generator spat out something that's throwing incomprehensible errors. For example, try debugging compiled typescript for an idea of how autogenerated code debugging works out.
- sharikone 5y ago
  Exactly. I hate those things so much. In some cruel perversion of benevolence to give you a "friendlier" interface they build something you have to no idea how to tail for your own needs. Reminds me of Google search (remember when you could write logic queries?) and chatbots
  - trutannus 5y ago
    > remember when you could write logic queries Those were the days... before Googledorking ruined it for everyone.
- mycall 5y ago
  On the other hand, if you can make 100 really useful queries and package them, perhaps they could be sold.
  - trutannus 5y ago
    Doubt it. Were I given the option of "buy 100 queries that work" or "have an existing engineer code out the solution", I'd never pick the other option. Ever.
farrazzyx 5y ago
good

60 points by jernejzen 5y ago

This is neat, we did something a couple of years ago like this (but much cruder) by training off of Stack Overflow question and answer data. Actually we were trying to make a rubber ducky debugging chatbot but we didn't clean our inputs and it started spitting out code blocks when we asked it English questions. With all the fuss over Autopilot have you considered the inverse problem? I trust myself to write code but often in an unfamiliar codebase I spend the majority of the time reading and deciphering what code does. Does the inverse work very well with your training set? I'd love to highlight code on the screen and get an English approximation of what it does. That's a truly useful helper.

melling 5y ago

I’d love to see this work with voice input

alex-wallish 5y ago
This is the direction that serenade.ai is headed. Been using it since they launched and they've slowly been getting closer to a general natural language to code engine. Would recommend anybody check it out if you haven't before

Y_Y 5y ago

Ask it for a polynomial time factorisation algorithm.

trutannus 5y ago

These things are cool, but I find ultimately things like this end up just being a more natural language like programming language. There will generally be ways you have to phrase your query to get the algorithm to understand it. Having to make sure the interpreter can understand you, and debugging your query to me takes away all the advantage of a tool like this. You end up with syntax and keywords, all features of a language, but instead of getting them from a documentation page, you have to bash your head against the interpreter to figure them out. Same thing with no-code platforms. They're great until you have to understand why the code generator spat out something that's throwing incomprehensible errors. For example, try debugging compiled typescript for an idea of how autogenerated code debugging works out.

sharikone 5y ago
Exactly. I hate those things so much. In some cruel perversion of benevolence to give you a "friendlier" interface they build something you have to no idea how to tail for your own needs. Reminds me of Google search (remember when you could write logic queries?) and chatbots
- trutannus 5y ago
  > remember when you could write logic queries Those were the days... before Googledorking ruined it for everyone.
mycall 5y ago
On the other hand, if you can make 100 really useful queries and package them, perhaps they could be sold.
- trutannus 5y ago
  Doubt it. Were I given the option of "buy 100 queries that work" or "have an existing engineer code out the solution", I'd never pick the other option. Ever.

farrazzyx 5y ago

good