AI Code Generation – Xojo Programming Blog

Jade Improvements

Paul Lefebvre — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:23:00 +0000

For Xojo 2026 Release 1, we’ve made some improvements to Jade, Xojo’s integrated AI assistant. Jade is easily accessible from the toolbar, making it handy for getting coding advice and asking general Xojo questions, especially about the documentation.

In this release, Jade’s output has been improved to limit scrolling when responses are shown, making it easier to read through the specific information and code samples. In addition, Jade now does a better job of parsing the results it gets, which prevents situations where responses could sometimes get cut off.

Lastly, Jade has had some fixes to improve reliability and has been updated to use Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.6 for more detailed and accurate responses.

These improvements may be small, but they allow Jade to continue to be a helpful Xojo coding assistant.

Paul learned to program in BASIC at age 13 and has programmed in more languages than he remembers, with Xojo being an obvious favorite. When not working on Xojo, you can find him talking about retrocomputing at Goto 10 and on Mastodon @lefebvre@hachyderm.io.

Building an AI Pair Programmer for Xojo Developers

Garry Pettet — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

If you’ve tried using ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini for help with Xojo code, you’ve probably experienced the same frustration most of us have: the AI doesn’t know your project. You end up copying and pasting classes, explaining your architecture, and then watching it hallucinate method or framework names that don’t exist. It works, sort of, but it’s clunky.

I wanted something better. Not a generic chatbot that happens to know some Xojo, but a tool that could actually see what I was working on. That’s why I built Zotto (with Xojo!).

What Is Zotto?

Zotto is a cross-platform macOS and Windows app that acts as an AI pair programmer specifically for Xojo developers. It connects directly to the Xojo IDE, reads the project you’re working on, and gives the AI real context about your code such as classes, method signatures, properties. Essentially the whole project’s structure.

The Problem It Solves

The core issue with using general-purpose AI tools for Xojo development is context. When you ask Claude or ChatGPT a question about your project, the AI has no idea what your codebase looks like. You become the middleman, manually feeding it snippets and hoping it has enough information to give useful advice.

Zotto removes some of that friction. When connected to the IDE, the AI can explore your project on its own using built-in tools:

ProjectOverview gives it the high-level folder structure
ListItems lets it drill into specific folders
GetSignatures shows method and property signatures without dumping all the code
ReadCode pulls up full method implementations when needed
SearchCode does grep-like pattern searches across the codebase
SearchDocs lets it search and retrieve Xojo documentation directly

These tools are designed to be token-efficient. Instead of dumping your entire project into the context window, the AI requests only what it needs, when it needs it. A ProjectOverview call might use 300-500 tokens. A GetSignatures call on a class gives the AI the API surface without the implementation details. This layered approach means even large projects work well within context limits.

Read-Only by Design

One decision I made early on was that Zotto would be read-only. It can read your code, analyse it, suggest changes, and generate snippets — but it cannot modify your project files, create new items, or execute IDE scripts.

This is intentional. I think AI-generated code should be reviewed by a developer before it goes into a project. Zotto gives you copy-pasteable suggestions and lets you decide what to implement. You stay in control.

Bring Your Own Model

Zotto isn’t locked to a single AI provider. It supports Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama, LM Studio, and any OpenAI-compatible API (which covers services like Grok and OpenRouter). If you’re privacy-conscious or working on sensitive code, you can run it entirely offline with a local model through Ollama or LM Studio. Your code never has to leave your machine.

This also means you’re not paying for Zotto’s AI usage — you use your own API keys or local models, so you’re in full control of costs.

How It Works in Practice

A typical workflow looks like this:

Open your project in the Xojo IDE
Launch Zotto — it detects the IDE automatically
Select which open project to work with
Start chatting

From there, you might ask the AI to review a class, suggest how to refactor a method, help you understand unfamiliar code in a project you’ve inherited, or brainstorm an approach to a new feature. Because the AI can explore the project itself, the conversation feels much more natural than the copy-paste dance with a generic chatbot.

For example, you could ask: “What does the ProcessOrder method in OrderManager do?” Instead of you having to find and paste the code, Zotto’s AI will call ReadCode to look at the method itself, then maybe GetSignatures on the parent class to understand the broader context, and give you a thorough explanation.

Extending with MCP

For developers who want to go further, Zotto supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This lets you add custom tool servers — for file system access, Git operations, database queries, or anything else you might want the AI to have access to during a conversation. It’s the same protocol that Claude Desktop and other AI tools support, so existing MCP servers work out of the box.

Built for the Community

Zotto exists because I needed it for my own Xojo development. I was spending too much time being the translator between AI tools and my codebase. Once I had something working, it seemed like other Xojo developers would find it useful too.

There’s a free version you can try that includes full IDE integration and all the built-in tools with a single conversation. A full license is a one-time purchase of £69 — no subscription. You can learn more and download it at zotto.app.

If you have questions or feedback, I’d love to hear from you on the forum.

Garry Pettet is a Consultant Radiologist, Xojo developer and the creator of Zotto. You can find him on the Xojo forum or at zotto.app.

Introducing Jade, the Xojo AI Assistant

Paul Lefebvre — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:31:26 +0000

With Xojo 2025 Release 3, we are introducing Jade, an AI assistant for Xojo. This initial version is primarily for asking general Xojo-related questions and can be used as an alternative to the documentation.

Getting Started

Jade uses Anthropic Claude as its engine, so before using Jade, you first need to sign up for an Anthropic API key to access Claude. You can do this from the Anthropic Claude Console.

From there you can create your account. After you’ve done that, you will want to get an API key to use with Xojo. Click on the “API keys” tab to see existing keys and create new ones. Click the “Create Key” button to generate a new key. In the dialog, give it a name to indicate its purpose.

When you click Add, the actual key will be shown. Copy it to the clipboard.

Note that you cannot see the key again after closing that dialog, but you can always create a new key at any time.

Now go to Xojo Settings and in the General tab, paste it into the “Anthropic API Key” field.

Go back to the Claude Console and click on the Billing tab to buy credits. Interacting with Jade requires credits. The amount of credits used depends on the complexity of your interactions. Until you get used to Jade and credit usage, you’ll probably want to start with a small amount, like $5, and disable auto-reload.

Using Jade

To use Jade, select Help->Ask Jade or click the Ask Jade button in the toolbar. You’ll get some short introductory text. Note: Using Jade requires an internet connection.

You interact with Jade similarly to a chat app by typing prompts in the conversation area (bottom section) and pressing Send. Jade will think for a moment and then display its response.

If Jade’s response includes Xojo source code you can click one of the buttons above the code block to copy the code to the clipboard or to directly insert it into the active code editor.

When interacting with Jade, keep in mind that although it remembers the context from the current conversation, it has no knowledge of prior conversations. Click the “Start Over” button to clear things and start a new conversation. Starting a new conversation is useful when switching to a different topic as it prevents Jade from relying on information you previously discussed that is no longer relevant.

The Export button saves the current Jade conversation to a JSON file which is a great way to save information you want to retain and refer to later.

Other Tips

Jade currently uses Claude Sonnet 4, but this may change as newer models become available.
The only thing Jade knows about your project is what type it is (Desktop, Web, iOS, etc.). If you want Jade to offer suggestions based on your code, you will need to copy/paste the relevant code into the Jade conversation area.
Your Jade conversation is restored when the IDE restarts. If you get errors, ensure that you have valid internet access, that the API key is valid and you have a positive credit amount.

Wrap

We hope you find Jade helpful with your Xojo development. Remember, Jade in Xojo 2025r3 is the first version of an AI assistant for Xojo and will improve over time. In subsequent releases we expect to add more capabilities and project integration. Read more about Jade in Xojo’s Documentation.

Decoding ‘Vibe Coding’: What Does It Mean for Developers (and the Code We Write)?

Gabriel Ludosanu — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Let’s talk about a term buzzing around: ‘vibe coding.’ Yes, you read that right. Vibe. Coding. As in, feeling the code into existence? As someone immersed in development, stumbling across this concept wasn’t just surprising; it felt like it poked at the very foundations of how we approach building software. It’s more than just a new tool; it represents a potential shift in mindset, sparking debate about the future of our craft.

Apparently, vibe coding is the latest and greatest thing in software development, or so I hear from the younger generation. It seems like it’s all about using AI tools to generate code based on natural language prompts. You tell the AI what you want to build, and it spits out the code. No more late nights wrestling with syntax errors, no more meticulously planning out every class and function. You just… vibe it into existence.

The Origin Story

The term gained traction thanks to Andrej Karpathy, a prominent figure in AI (OpenAI, Tesla). He described ‘vibe coding’ as fully embracing AI generation, iterating based on natural language, and potentially minimizing direct code interaction or even deep review. This idea – letting the ‘vibe’ of the requirement guide the AI, potentially bypassing meticulous human coding – is where the conversation gets really interesting, and perhaps, a little unsettling for seasoned developers.

How It Works (Supposedly)

From what I gather, the process involves describing your desired outcome in plain English (even voice commands are suggested), letting AI generate the code. You then refine through further prompts. The most discussed and debated aspect? The suggestion by proponents that deep, line-by-line understanding of the generated code might become less critical than iterating on the high-level ‘vibe’.

My (Slightly Jaded) Take

Look, progress is essential, and making development more accessible is a worthy goal. We see this with low-code/no-code platforms and the genuine utility of AI assistants. However, as someone who values robust, understandable, and maintainable code, principles that are core to Xojo’s design philosophy, the notion of accepting code without fully grasping its mechanics raises serious questions.

We’ve spent years learning that the devil is in the details: edge cases, security vulnerabilities, performance bottlenecks. Can a ‘vibe’ truly account for all that?

As one Reddit user aptly put it, ‘Coding is easy, testing and maintaining is hard.’ That deep understanding is crucial for the hard parts.

The Potential Upsides (Maybe)

Okay, I’ll admit, there might be some potential benefits to this “vibe coding” thing.

Rapid Prototyping: It could be useful for quickly creating prototypes and experimenting with new ideas.
Lower Barrier to Entry: It might allow non-developers to build simple applications and bring their ideas to life.
Increased Productivity: It could free up developers to focus on higher-level tasks like architecture and problem-solving.

The Concerns (Definitely)

But here are the things that keep me up at night:

Lack of Understanding: If you don’t understand the code, how can you possibly debug it or fix it when things go wrong?
Hidden Risks (Security & Quality): Could relying heavily on AI without rigorous review introduce subtle bugs or security flaws that aren’t immediately apparent?
The Maintainability Maze: What happens to long-term maintainability when the original ‘author’ (the AI) has no memory, and the human overseer lacks deep understanding of the implementation?
Erosion of Craftsmanship?: Does over-reliance risk deskilling developers or devaluing the rigorous problem-solving at the heart of good engineering?

My Verdict

So, is ‘vibe coding’ poised to take over software development? For complex, critical applications, it seems unlikely in its purest form. The risks associated with a lack of deep understanding are simply too high. However, dismissing the power of AI in coding would be equally misguided.

These tools are becoming powerful assistants. The key isn’t choosing between ‘vibes’ and traditional coding; it’s about intelligent integration. Use AI to accelerate development, handle boilerplate, and explore ideas. But never relinquish the crucial step of understanding, testing, and refining the output.

Fundamentals matter. Clarity, solid architecture, and maintainability, the very things Xojo is built to facilitate, become more important, not less, in an AI-assisted world. We need to leverage these tools wisely, as co-pilots, not as autopilots flying blind.

But, what do you think? Am I simply being a traditionalist coder, or do you share some of my concerns regarding “vibe coding”? Let’s discuss it in the Xojo forums. Share your experiences and perspectives. Navigating this evolution is something we should do together as a community.

Gabriel is a digital marketing enthusiast who loves coding with Xojo to create cool software tools for any platform. He is always eager to learn and share new ideas!