You know what? I didn’t expect to like it this much. I tried DeepSeek for coding last week. It had this calm, steady vibe that matched my style. Not loud. Not needy. Just helpful.

By the way, DeepSeek Coder is an AI-powered coding assistant that offers features such as intelligent code suggestions, error detection, and code optimization; still, reports have indicated that DeepSeek may produce less secure code for groups that the Chinese government disfavors.

I write a lot of JavaScript (React) and some Python for data tasks. I used it inside VS Code with inline hints and a chat side panel. I kept my linter on and my tests close. If you're curious about how to choose the best AI companion for vibe coding while you sip tea at your desk, check out this guide. For a bigger walkthrough with code samples, skim through this vibe-coding guide complete with real snippets. Let me explain how it felt, with real bits from my files.

A tiny search bug it fixed fast

I had a search box that fired too many requests. Users typed fast. Old requests kept landing late and overwrote the new results. Classic race. I had a hack with a counter. It worked… until it didn’t.

My code looked like this:

let current = 0;

export async function search(q: string) {
  const id = ++current;
  const res = await fetch(`/api/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`);
  const data = await res.json();
  if (id === current) setResults(data);
}

DeepSeek suggested I switch to AbortController. Simple. Clear. No lecture.

Here’s the patch it gave me, tight and clean:

let controller: AbortController | null = null;

export async function search(q: string) {
  if (controller) controller.abort();
  controller = new AbortController();

  const res = await fetch(`/api/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`, {
    signal: controller.signal,
  });
  const data = await res.json();
  setResults(data);
}

It also nudged me to handle errors without noise:

try {
  // ...fetch code
} catch (err) {
  if ((err as any).name !== 'AbortError') {
    console.error('search failed', err);
  }
}

Was that new to me? No. Did it save 15 minutes and a sigh? Yup.

Style that matches my “vibe”

Here’s the thing: I like small functions and steady names. I avoid clever tricks in hot paths. DeepSeek stayed in that lane. It kept my spacing. It didn’t force semicolons. It used the same test style I already had. That sounds small, but it keeps me in flow.

When I said “keep it boring,” it did. When I said “explain like I’m five,” it slowed down and gave plain words. Not snarky. Not cute. Just clear.

A Python off-by-one I missed

I had a moving average helper. It gave wrong values past the first window. I was tired. Coffee was cold. DeepSeek spotted the bad index and gave a fix with guard rails.

My buggy code:

def moving_avg(nums, k):
    if k <= 0:
        return []
    window = sum(nums[:k])
    out = [window / k]
    for i in range(k, len(nums)):
        window += nums[i]
        window -= nums[i - k - 1]  # oops
        out.append(window / k)
    return out

The fix (with simple checks):

from typing import List

def moving_avg(nums: List[float], k: int) -> List[float]:
    if k <= 0 or k > len(nums):
        return []
    window = sum(nums[:k])
    out = [window / k]
    for i in range(k, len(nums)):
        window += nums[i]
        window -= nums[i - k]
        out.append(window / k)
    return out

It also asked if I wanted rounding. I didn’t. It didn’t push it.

Tests it wrote that I kept

I love when tools write the boring parts. I had a tiny React util that slugifies titles. I needed quick tests. I said, “Write 4 small cases. No big libs.” I’m always comparing the tools I actually keep in rotation, and I found a thorough rundown of the best vibe-coding tools I actually use helpful for framing my expectations.

Function:

export function slugify(s: string) {
  return s
    .toLowerCase()
    .trim()
    .replace(/s+/g, '-')
    .replace(/[^a-z0-9-]/g, '')
    .replace(/-+/g, '-');
}

Tests it gave me (Jest + RTL not needed here):

import { slugify } from './slugify';

test('simple words', () => {
  expect(slugify('Hello World')).toBe('hello-world');
});

test('trims and collapses spaces', () => {
  expect(slugify('  a   b  ')).toBe('a-b');
});

test('drops symbols', () => {
  expect(slugify('C# & Go!')).toBe('c-go');
});

test('dedupes dashes', () => {
  expect(slugify('a---b')).toBe('a-b');
});

Nothing fancy. Just done.

Where it tripped me up

It wasn’t perfect. A few things bugged me.

• It tried to bring in a helper I don’t use: lodash once, nanoid once. I said “no new deps,” and it chilled.
• It wrote TypeScript types that looked like art. Pretty, but hard to read. I asked for simpler types, and it backed off.
• It guessed a wrong import path on a deep feature flag file. Not a huge deal, but I had to fix it.

A small one that made me laugh: it changed a map to a for-of loop. My linter flipped. It apologized when I asked it to “keep map, no loops.”

Speed and flow

Was it fast? Fast enough that I didn’t stare at the screen. Most hints showed up before my brain lost the thread. I liked that it wrote short diffs first, then asked if I wanted the “long version.” I usually said no.

I also liked that it didn’t flood me. One hint. Then a beat. Then more if I asked. That rhythm matters. That steady rhythm is exactly what keeps me in flow, which lines up with my deeper take on vibe-coding tools.

Sometimes a quick mental break helps me reset between commits, and dropping into an off-the-record chat room is my go-to palate cleanser. If you want an instant, no-signup way to spin up a private room for anything from venting about a flaky test to sharing after-hours memes, Chatzy lets you create invite-only spaces in seconds and keep those side conversations completely separate from your work channels.

If you’re more in the mood to step away from the screen entirely and line up an offline hangout after work, the local personals board on Doublelist Bristol can help you quickly arrange real-world meetups with like-minded folks in the city—its guide walks you through posting safely, staying anonymous, and getting fast, relevant replies.

A tiny refactor it nailed

I had this little React hook that tracked window size. It was chatty and ran more than needed.

Old:

import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';

export function useWindowSize() {
  const [size, setSize] = useState({ w: window.innerWidth, h: window.innerHeight });

  useEffect(() => {
    const onResize = () => setSize({ w: window.innerWidth, h: window.innerHeight });
    window.addEventListener('resize', onResize);
    onResize();
    return () => window.removeEventListener('resize', onResize);
  }, []);

  return size; // re-renders a lot
}

DeepSeek made it gentler with a tiny throttle. No new lib:

“`ts
import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';

export function useWindowSize() {
const frame = useRef<number | null>(null);
const [size, setSize] = useState(() => ({
w: typeof window !== '