{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7148271288","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","title":"Programming by Chat: A Large-Scale Behavioral Analysis of 11,579 Real-World AI-Assisted IDE Sessions","display_name":"Programming by Chat: A Large-Scale Behavioral Analysis of 11,579 Real-World AI-Assisted IDE Sessions","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-04-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7148271288","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5067692414","display_name":"Ningzhi Tang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8555-2351"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Tang, Ningzhi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132810641","display_name":"Chaoran Chen","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chen, Chaoran","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132812450","display_name":"Zihan Fang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Fang, Zihan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5019707725","display_name":"Gelei Xu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6854-1487"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xu, Gelei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5120003898","display_name":"Maria Dhakal","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Dhakal, Maria","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132804365","display_name":"Yiyu Shi","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shi, Yiyu","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5084874990","display_name":"Collin McMillan","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0887-1083"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"McMillan, Collin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132802953","display_name":"Yu Huang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Huang, Yu","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132825559","display_name":"Toby Jia-Jun Li","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li, Toby Jia-Jun","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":9,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5067692414"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.5141000151634216,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.5141000151634216,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12128","display_name":"AI in Service Interactions","score":0.10620000213384628,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10430","display_name":"Software Engineering Techniques and Practices","score":0.09589999914169312,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/programming-by-demonstration","display_name":"Programming by demonstration","score":0.5449000000953674},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/coding","display_name":"Coding (social sciences)","score":0.5275999903678894},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/context","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","score":0.5066999793052673},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/negotiation","display_name":"Negotiation","score":0.49720001220703125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scripting-language","display_name":"Scripting language","score":0.4302000105381012},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/empirical-research","display_name":"Empirical research","score":0.4131999909877777},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/source-code","display_name":"Source code","score":0.40560001134872437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/protocol-analysis","display_name":"Protocol analysis","score":0.4016000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cursor","display_name":"Cursor (databases)","score":0.39899998903274536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/autonomy","display_name":"Autonomy","score":0.3921999931335449}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7993000149726868},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779038628","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7248497","display_name":"Programming by demonstration","level":3,"score":0.5449000000953674},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C179518139","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5140297","display_name":"Coding (social sciences)","level":2,"score":0.5275999903678894},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779343474","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.5066999793052673},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.4977000057697296},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199776023","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202875","display_name":"Negotiation","level":2,"score":0.49720001220703125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.4471000134944916},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61423126","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q187432","display_name":"Scripting language","level":2,"score":0.4302000105381012},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120936955","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2155640","display_name":"Empirical research","level":2,"score":0.4131999909877777},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43126263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128751","display_name":"Source code","level":2,"score":0.40560001134872437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133112747","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7251931","display_name":"Protocol analysis","level":2,"score":0.4016000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776990265","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2998101","display_name":"Cursor (databases)","level":2,"score":0.39899998903274536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C65414064","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q484105","display_name":"Autonomy","level":2,"score":0.3921999931335449},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.3790999948978424},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.3763999938964844},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779041454","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q870780","display_name":"Chatbot","level":2,"score":0.37619999051094055},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2989277270","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168338","display_name":"Behavioral analysis","level":2,"score":0.3612000048160553},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.35989999771118164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.3508000075817108},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136764020","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466","display_name":"World Wide Web","level":1,"score":0.3327000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C78639753","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3318160","display_name":"Behavioral modeling","level":2,"score":0.31380000710487366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137287247","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1329550","display_name":"Static program analysis","level":4,"score":0.30489999055862427},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C150292731","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1342704","display_name":"Code review","level":5,"score":0.2921999990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2988963302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q629206","display_name":"Program code","level":2,"score":0.2919999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777561058","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2652119","display_name":"Program comprehension","level":4,"score":0.2851000130176544},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33857546","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80006","display_name":"Computer programming","level":2,"score":0.28220000863075256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C34165917","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188267","display_name":"Programming paradigm","level":2,"score":0.2777999937534332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165696696","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11287","display_name":"Exploit","level":2,"score":0.27149999141693115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18762648","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42213","display_name":"Work (physics)","level":2,"score":0.2687000036239624},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169900460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2200417","display_name":"Cognition","level":2,"score":0.26080000400543213},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C83804111","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1063558","display_name":"Behavioral pattern","level":2,"score":0.25940001010894775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.2574999928474426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C174063052","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q607013","display_name":"Pair programming","level":4,"score":0.25440001487731934}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.00436","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"IDE-integrated":[0],"AI":[1,162],"coding":[2],"assistants,":[3],"which":[4],"operate":[5],"conversationally":[6],"within":[7],"developers'":[8],"working":[9],"codebases":[10],"with":[11,119,144],"access":[12],"to":[13,51,91,134],"project":[14],"context":[15,165],"and":[16,79,84,139,146,149,160,167,179],"multi-file":[17],"editing,":[18],"are":[19],"rapidly":[20],"reshaping":[21],"software":[22],"development.":[23],"However,":[24],"empirical":[25,174],"investigation":[26],"of":[27,54,61,96,185],"this":[28],"shift":[29],"remains":[30],"limited:":[31],"existing":[32],"studies":[33],"largely":[34],"rely":[35],"on":[36],"small-scale,":[37],"controlled":[38],"settings":[39],"or":[40],"analyze":[41],"general-purpose":[42],"chatbots":[43],"rather":[44,124,141],"than":[45,125,142],"codebase-aware":[46],"IDE":[47],"workflows.":[48],"We":[49],"present,":[50],"the":[52,57,153,183],"best":[53],"our":[55],"knowledge,":[56],"first":[58],"large-scale":[59],"study":[60],"real-world":[62],"conversational":[63,113],"programming":[64,109,114,187],"in":[65,107],"IDE-native":[66],"settings,":[67],"analyzing":[68],"74,998":[69],"developer":[70],"messages":[71],"from":[72],"11,579":[73],"chat":[74],"sessions":[75],"across":[76],"1,300":[77],"repositories":[78,93],"899":[80],"developers":[81,120,130,150],"using":[82],"Cursor":[83],"GitHub":[85],"Copilot.":[86],"These":[87,170],"chats":[88],"were":[89],"committed":[90],"public":[92],"as":[94,116],"part":[95],"routine":[97],"development,":[98],"capturing":[99],"in-the-wild":[100],"behavior.":[101],"Our":[102],"findings":[103],"reveal":[104],"three":[105],"shifts":[106],"how":[108],"work":[110,133],"is":[111],"organized:":[112],"operates":[115],"progressive":[117],"specification,":[118],"iteratively":[121],"refining":[122],"outputs":[123,147],"specifying":[126],"complete":[127],"tasks":[128],"upfront;":[129],"redistribute":[131],"cognitive":[132],"AI,":[135],"delegating":[136],"diagnosis,":[137],"comprehension,":[138],"validation":[140],"engaging":[143],"code":[145],"directly;":[148],"actively":[151],"manage":[152],"collaboration,":[154],"externalizing":[155],"plans":[156],"into":[157,176],"persistent":[158],"artifacts,":[159],"negotiating":[161],"autonomy":[163],"through":[164],"injection":[166],"behavioral":[168],"constraints.":[169],"results":[171],"provide":[172],"foundational":[173],"insights":[175],"AI-assisted":[177],"development":[178],"offer":[180],"implications":[181],"for":[182],"design":[184],"future":[186],"environments.":[188]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-05-05T08:41:31.759640","created_date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00"}
