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Show HN: Outline Driven Development – New AI-Assisted Coding Paradigm; BN

cognitive-sci Wednesday, November 19, 2025

The Problem

"Vibing" with LLMs is often too shallow for complex logic, while writing full specifications is cognitively expensive and slow. We need a middle ground that mimics how human programmers gather context—scanning structure before diving into details.

The Solution: Outline Driven Development (ODD)

I've built a "batteries-included" kit for Gemini/Claude/Codex that uses AST analysis to understand code structure rather than just raw text. This relies on a hyper-optimized Rust toolchain (`ast-grep`, `ripgrep`, `jj`, etc.) to feed precise, structural context to the agent.

1. The Prerequisites (The Toolchain) Core utilities are installed with `target-cpu=native` for maximum local performance.

- Linux/macOS: ```bash export RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native -C opt-level=3 -C codegen-units=1 -C strip=symbols"

cargo install lsd ast-grep ripgrep fd-find git-delta tokei cargo install --locked bat cargo install --locked --bin jj jj-cli ```

- Windows (PowerShell): ```powershell $env:RUSTFLAGS="-C target-cpu=native -C opt-level=3 -C codegen-units=1 -C strip=symbols -C link-arg=/LTCG -C link-arg=/OPT:REF"

cargo install lsd ast-grep ripgrep fd-find git-delta tokei cargo install --locked bat cargo install --locked --bin jj jj-cli ```

2. Integration Kits I've prepared pre-configured extensions that leverage these local tools for the major AI coding agents. You can install them manually (config injection) or via the CLI wrappers:

- Gemini CLI: https://github.com/OutlineDriven/odin-gemini-cli-extension

- Claude Code: https://github.com/OutlineDriven/odin-claude-plugin

- Codex CLI: https://github.com/OutlineDriven/odin-codex-plugin

- Gemini CLI Quick Installation: `gemini extensions install https://github.com/OutlineDriven/odin-gemini-cli-extension`

- Claude Code Quick Installation: `claude plugin marketplace add OutlineDriven/odin-claude-plugin && claude plugin install odin-claude-plugin@odin-marketplace`

Summary
Outline Driven Development is a software development methodology that emphasizes the importance of creating a detailed outline before starting the coding process. This approach aims to improve project planning, communication, and overall development efficiency.
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Summary
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