Tools: Why Most Developers Get Bad AI Output (And How I Fixed It in VS Code)

Introduction ## The Real Problem: Bad Prompts ## The Solution: PromptLint ## How It Works ## Example ## Before ## Who Should Use PromptLint ## Final Thoughts AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are incredibly powerful — yet many developers still get disappointing results. The problem isn’t the model. It’s the prompt. Unclear, rushed, and poorly structured prompts force the AI to guess, which leads to vague or incorrect output. After running into this problem repeatedly in my own workflow, I built PromptLint. Most prompts look like this: The AI has to fill in the gaps — and guessing is exactly why the output falls apart. PromptLint is a VS Code extension that refactors rough prompts into clear, structured, professional instructions. It automatically introduces: The result is dramatically better AI responses — without switching models or tools. PromptLint integrates directly into VS Code: No workflow disruption. No extra tools to learn. A fully structured prompt with a defined role, clear requirements, constraints, and output expectations — producing significantly better results. Same AI. Better input. Better output. PromptLint is built for: If you use AI seriously, prompt quality is not optional. AI isn’t replacing developers. Developers who use AI effectively will replace those who don’t. PromptLint exists to make that advantage automatic. Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse - There’s no context. - No constraints. - No clear expectations. - Clear roles - Explicit tasks - Defined requirements - Constraints and edge cases - Expected output format - Refactor selected text via right-click - Use the interactive Prompt Editor panel - Choose output options: Replace selection Open in a new tab Copy to clipboard - Replace selection - Open in a new tab - Copy to clipboard - Works with OpenAI, Claude, and other compatible APIs - Replace selection - Open in a new tab - Copy to clipboard - Developers who use ChatGPT or Claude daily - Engineers writing technical or system-level prompts - Anyone tired of re-prompting AI to “fix” bad answers