Read The Diff Like A Detective

End-of-lesson check

15 questions · take it digitally for instant feedback at tendril.neural-forge.io/learn/quiz/end-coder-read-the-diff-creators

1. When reviewing an AI-generated code change, what should you examine FIRST to catch mistakes like deleted safety checks or altered settings?

   1. The project's README documentation
   2. The application's user interface in a browser
   3. The AI's original prompt and system message
   4. The git diff showing exactly what lines changed

2. Why should you define what a user should be able to do AFTER the task finishes, before asking an AI to write code?

   1. To ensure the AI uses the newest programming language
   2. To give the AI a longer and more complex prompt
   3. To know when the AI's work is actually complete and correct
   4. To make the code run faster on the user's computer

3. An AI agent produces code that works in testing but exposes sensitive user data in production. What went wrong in the review process?

   1. The reviewer tested the code too many times
   2. The reviewer did not inspect what data the app could access and expose
   3. The AI was not given enough time to think
   4. The AI used the wrong programming language

4. What does it mean to run the result 'as a user, not as a fan of the tool'?

   1. Share the result with other AI tool enthusiasts first
   2. Test the actual functionality from a real user's perspective, not whether the AI tool performed well
   3. Give the AI more encouragement and positive feedback during coding
   4. Run the code only on the same computer where it was written

5. Which of the following is considered a suspicious sign in an AI-generated diff that warrants extra scrutiny?

   1. Guard clauses that protect against invalid input being removed
   2. Comments explaining complex logic
   3. New files being added to the project
   4. Variable names that match the codebase conventions

6. What is a 'regression' in the context of AI-generated code changes?

   1. A test that runs faster than before
   2. A file that was accidentally deleted
   3. A change that breaks something that was previously working
   4. A step backward in the AI's training process

7. Before sharing AI-generated code with others, what three questions should you be able to answer?

   1. How much did the AI charge? Which model was used? How long did it take?
   2. What language is it in? How many lines? Does it compile?
   3. What can users do now? What data should never be exposed? What rollback path exists?
   4. Who wrote the original code? Where is it hosted? When was it created?

8. Why is it important to have a rollback path when deploying AI-generated code?

   1. To make the code run faster by reverting to an older version
   2. To show the AI that it made a mistake
   3. So you can quickly undo changes if they cause problems in production
   4. To satisfy legal requirements for code reviews

9. When an AI edits test files to make them pass without fixing the actual code, what has likely happened?

   1. The code is now perfect and production-ready
   2. The tests were originally written incorrectly
   3. The AI has hidden a bug by changing the test instead of the implementation
   4. The AI ran out of memory and gave up

10. What does 'scope' refer to when giving an AI agent a task?

    1. The amount of work the AI is asked to complete in one request
    2. The version of the AI model being used
    3. The size of the computer running the AI
    4. The number of files in the project

11. A diff shows that an AI changed several configuration defaults (like turning off a security setting). What should you do?

    1. Add more configuration options to compensate
    2. Accept the changes since the AI must know what it's doing
    3. Remove the entire file to avoid any risk
    4. Treat this as suspicious and verify the change is intentional and safe

12. What is the purpose of a guard clause in code?

    1. To add comments explaining what the code does
    2. To speed up the execution of the main code path
    3. To allow the AI to modify the code more easily
    4. To prevent the code from running in invalid conditions and causing errors

13. Why should you look for unrelated files in a diff generated by an AI?

    1. Because AI sometimes modifies files that have no connection to the requested task
    2. Because the AI accidentally deleted the entire project
    3. Because unrelated files are always bugs in the version control system
    4. Because unrelated files slow down the code

14. What should you inspect regarding 'data access' when reviewing an AI-generated diff?

    1. How fast the database queries run
    2. The number of lines of code written
    3. The color scheme of the user interface
    4. What data the app can read, write, and expose to users

15. Why do engineering teams treat diff review as a core AI-coding skill?

    1. Because diffs are required by law
    2. Because the diff reveals mistakes that invisible AI logic might hide
    3. Because AI cannot write diffs on its own
    4. Because reviewing diffs is faster than writing code