🔄 Reviving a Classic: How VS Code, Cline, and Gemini 2.5 Pro Breathed New Life into wRite Formula

The tech world is full of once-brilliant apps that faded into obscurity—not for lack of vision, but because they couldn’t keep up with the times. wRite Formula was one such gem. 

https://sg.iwant2study.org/ospsg/index.php/356-learning-chemistry-with-writeformula

Celebrated in its heyday for its innovative approach to interactive writing prompts and formulaic content generation for educators and students, it eventually fell victim to aging code and shifting user expectations.

But what if you could bring such an app back—smarter, faster, and powered by AI?

This is the story of how we did just that, harnessing the synergy between three modern AI tools: Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Cline, the AI software engineer, and Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google’s cutting-edge large language model. Together, they gave wRite Formula a second life.

 

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💡 What Was wRite Formula?

wRite Formula stood out for its ability to scaffold writing with structured prompts and dynamic feedback. Its clean interface helped users—primarily students and educators—break through writing blocks and organize their ideas coherently.

However, built on a now-obsolete tech stack (think older Mobile App frameworks), it became difficult to maintain, let alone improve. The concept was sound; the technology just needed a reboot.

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🔧 The Revival Challenge

Resurrecting wRite Formula wasn’t just about reskinning the UI. We aimed to:

1. Modernize the codebase to HTML5, modern JS, and CSS3.

2. Improve usability while preserving the original charm.

3. Add AI-driven features that didn’t exist in its first incarnation.

4. Build for the future—robust, scalable, and easy to maintain.

This meant deciphering a legacy codebase, redesigning UX, introducing new logic, and integrating AI—all without losing what made the original special.

wRiteFormula/ wRiteFormula_20250419_223338.zip

 

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⚙️ The AI Power Trio: VS Code, Cline & Gemini 2.5 Pro

Here's how each component played a crucial role:

1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

VS Code served as our command center. Paired with extensions and APIs, it enabled seamless interaction between our codebase and the AI agents, offering an interactive environment where Cline and Gemini could read files, write code, and run scripts directly.

2. Cline – The AI Developer

Cline functioned like an assistant developer/project manager. Given goals or tasks, it:

• Read and analyzed the legacy code (list_files, read_file, search_files).

• Wrote/refactored code (write_to_file, replace_in_file).

• Managed logic flows and development tasks autonomously.

3. Gemini 2.5 Pro – The Brain

Gemini served as the expert consultant, providing:

• Insight into unfamiliar code.

• Code generation for modern JS components.

• Suggestions for modern UX/UI and accessibility.

• Deep reasoning to debug and optimize logic.

Together, they formed a seamless AI-human dev pipeline.

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🛠️ Step-by-Step Revival Process

1. Codebase Audit & Setup

We imported the old project into VS Code, configured AI integration, and instructed Cline to:

• Map the file structure.

• Locate legacy dependencies.

• Begin modernizing with Gemini’s insight.

2. Core Refactoring

Cline translated legacy logic (e.g., a formula parser) into modular JavaScript:

• Rebuilt functions in ES6+.

• Replaced legacy syntax and deprecated libraries.

• Ensured performance matched or exceeded the original.

Gemini assisted with code comprehension and algorithm translation.

3. Modern UI/UX Design

We rebuilt the frontend using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript:

• Cline created responsive layouts.

• Gemini recommended modern patterns (e.g., ARIA roles, keyboard nav).

• The interface was reimagined to feel fresh while staying familiar.

4. New AI-Powered Features

This was the breakthrough moment.

We added AI-powered suggestion prompts that dynamically respond to user writing, offering:

• Grammar/style improvements.

• Tone analysis.

• Alternative sentence structures.

Cline handled API integration and UI logic. Gemini drafted the NLP logic and backend glue.

5. Testing, Debugging & Optimization

Inside VS Code:

• Cline ran build scripts, checked errors, and patched bugs.

• Gemini interpreted complex bugs, proposed fixes, and explained causes.

Within hours, we had a clean, fully functioning version of wRite Formula.

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🤝 Why This Trio Works

The magic was in collaboration:

• VS Code = Smart, flexible workspace.

• Cline = Multi-skilled AI developer.

• Gemini = Strategic expert and creative coder.

This trio turned a multi-week dev project into a fast-paced, efficient AI-assisted revival—without sacrificing quality or control.

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🚀 The New wRite Formula

Here’s what’s new:

✅ Intuitive, mobile-friendly UI
✅ Seamless AI writing support
✅ Lightning-fast load and processing
✅ Scalable codebase for future features
✅ Enhanced accessibility and usability

wRiteFormula/ wRiteFormula_20250419_223338.zip

[Link to simulation or live demo, if available]

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🌱 The Takeaway: AI-Augmented Development Is Here

This isn’t just a comeback story for an app—it’s a case study in modern development. Tools like VS Code, Cline, and Gemini 2.5 Pro aren’t replacing developers—they’re amplifying us. They reduce grunt work, accelerate progress, and unlock new creative workflows.

With this trio, wRite Formula didn’t just come back—it evolved.

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https://weelookang.blogspot.com/2025/04/reviving-classic-how-vs-code-cline-and.html

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