Glossary · AI-native development
Coding Agent
An agent specialized for software work that can inspect a repository, edit files, run development tools, and use their outputs to advance a scoped engineering task.
Why it matters
Its value depends on repository context, tool permissions, review boundaries, and verification, not only code generation quality.
In practice
Give the agent an issue, a scope contract, repository instructions, and a test command; review the resulting patch and evidence before accepting it.
Common confusion
A coding assistant that only suggests text is not necessarily an agent. The agent acts through tools and observes results.
Related terms
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