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Cover image for Automate the Gruntwork: Why Developers and Companies Should Use 'Patched'
Claret Ibeawuchi
Claret Ibeawuchi

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Automate the Gruntwork: Why Developers and Companies Should Use 'Patched'

Patched logo

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The Rise of Development Automation
  3. Introducing Patched
  4. Key Features of Patched
  5. What Can Patched Do?
  6. The Power of Customization
  7. Comparison: Patched vs. Other Automation Tools
  8. What Sets Patched Apart
  9. The Impact of Patched on Team Productivity and Project Timelines
  10. Here's a Quick Demo of the Core Features of Patched
  11. Getting Started with Patched
  12. Conclusion

TL;DR

Patched is a free, open-source software tool designed to automate repetitive development tasks, allowing developers to focus on coding and solving business problems. It features customizable workflows, integration with large language models, and a user-friendly interface. Patched enhances productivity by reducing time spent on code reviews, documentation, and security checks, leading to improved code quality and faster project timelines. Download Patched and start optimizing your development process today!

Introduction

As software developers, we often find ourselves caught in a paradox: we're hired to code, yet research shows that on average, developers only spend 52 minutes coding per day — about 4 hours and 21 minutes during a normal workweek from Monday to Friday. The majority of our time is consumed with distractions, disruptions, and meetings as well as system inefficiencies, such as slow reviews, slow builds, reading documentation, writing commit messages, reviewing pull requests, and bad tools.

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All of which impact the first prerequisite for high-performing engineering teams: code time. Without time to focus and enter a state of flow, developers are limited in their ability to get work done. The best engineering organizations prioritize and defend code time by limiting meetings, reducing distractions, and removing constraints with the right tools and automations.

The Rise of Development Automation

To address this challenge, the software industry has embraced automation tools. Popular solutions like GitHub Actions and GitHub Copilot have become staples in many developers' toolkits. However, there's a new player in town that's set to change the game: Patched.

Introducing Patched

Patched logo

Patched is a free, open-source software tool designed to automate the grunt work in software development. It leverages AI workflows to handle tasks like PR reviews, bug fixing, and security patching, allowing developers to focus on what truly matters: solving business problems and writing innovative code.

Key Features of Patched

  1. Self-hosted CLI agent or GUI interface
  2. Integration with your preferred Large Language Models (LLMs)
  3. Customizable workflows called "patchflows"

What Can Patched Do?

Patched offers a variety of built-in patchflows:

  • GenerateDocstring: Automatically documents undocumented code
  • GenerateReadme: Creates README files based on repository content
  • PrReview: Summarizes changes in pull requests
  • AutoFix: Scans and fixes security issues in branches
  • DependencyUpgrade: Automatically updates vulnerable versions of dependencies in your repository to the fixed version
  • ResolveIssue: Automatically resolves issues (or bugs) in your repository

The Power of Customization

One of Patched's strongest features is its flexibility. Users can modify existing patchflows or create new ones, either through code or using the intuitive GUI to adjust Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs).

Comparison: Patched vs. Other Automation Tools

While several tools exist to automate various aspects of software development, Patched stands out for its versatility and customizability. Let's compare Patched with some popular alternatives:

1. Patched vs. GitHub Copilot

  • GitHub Copilot: Focuses on AI-powered code completion and generation.
  • Patched: Offers a broader range of automation tasks beyond just code writing, including PR reviews, documentation generation, and security patching.
  • Key Advantage: Patched provides a more comprehensive solution for development workflow automation.

2. Patched vs. SonarQube

  • SonarQube: Specializes in code quality and security analysis.
  • Patched: While including code analysis features, Patched also automates other tasks like documentation and PR reviews.
  • Key Advantage: Patched offers a more diverse set of customizable workflows.

3. Patched vs. Jenkins

  • Jenkins: Primarily used for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD).
  • Patched: Focuses on automating development tasks rather than build and deployment processes.
  • Key Advantage: Patched addresses the day-to-day tasks of developers more directly.

What Sets Patched Apart

  1. Open-Source Nature: Unlike many proprietary tools, Patched is free and open-source, allowing for community contributions and customizations.
  2. Customizable Workflows: Patched's "patchflows" can be easily modified or created from scratch, adapting to specific team needs.
  3. LLM Flexibility: Users can choose their preferred Large Language Models, offering more control over the AI assistance.
  4. Unified Solution: Patched combines features that might otherwise require multiple separate tools, streamlining the development process.

The Impact of Patched on Team Productivity and Project Timelines

Implementing Patched in your development workflow can lead to significant improvements in team productivity and project timelines. Let's explore the potential impacts:

1. Reduced Time on Repetitive Tasks

Patched automates many time-consuming tasks such as code reviews, documentation generation, and security checks. This automation can save developers several hours each week, allowing them to focus on core development activities.

Example: A team of 10 developers each saving 5 hours per week could result in 50 additional hours of productive coding time - equivalent to gaining more than one full-time developer.

2. Faster Code Reviews and Merges

With Patched's PR review feature, pull requests can be initially reviewed by AI, highlighting potential issues before human review. This can speed up the review process and reduce the back-and-forth typically seen in PR discussions.

Potential Impact: Reduce average PR review time by 30-50%, allowing features to be merged and deployed more quickly.

3. Improved Code Quality

By consistently applying best practices in documentation, security checks, and code style, Patched helps maintain high code quality standards. This can lead to fewer bugs and reduced technical debt over time.

Long-term Benefit: Less time spent on bug fixes and refactoring, potentially reducing maintenance costs by 20-30%.

4. Accelerated Onboarding for New Team Members

With automatically generated and consistently maintained documentation, new team members can get up to speed more quickly on project codebases.

Estimate: Reduce onboarding time for new developers by 25-40%, allowing them to contribute meaningful code sooner.

5. Enhanced Security Practices

Regular automated security scans can catch vulnerabilities early in the development process, reducing the risk and cost associated with security issues found later in the project lifecycle.

Potential Saving: Avoid costly security breaches and reduce time spent on emergency patches by up to 60%.

6. Streamlined Project Timelines

By automating routine tasks and improving overall efficiency, Patched can help teams meet project deadlines more consistently and potentially even shorten development cycles.

Projected Improvement: Reduce overall project timelines by 15-25% for medium to large-scale projects.

Here's a Quick Demo of the Core Features of Patched

Patchwork CLI Quickstart

Getting Started with Patched

To get started with Patched, visit the official documentation website, join the Patched Discord community, and get started with building your first patchflow here. If you're confused, Patched offers an AI companion chatbot to help generate patchflows based on your prompts, which you can then fine-tune to your needs.

Conclusion

In an industry where time is money, Patched emerges as a powerful ally for developers and companies alike. By automating repetitive tasks, it allows teams to focus on innovation and problem-solving, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective software development. The potential for significant productivity gains and timeline improvements with Patched is substantial. As teams become more familiar with the tool and customize it to their specific needs, the benefits are likely to compound over time.

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Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, Patched offers a versatile, customizable solution to streamline your development processes and boost your team's productivity. By embracing this open-source AI-powered tool, you're not just saving time – you're investing in your team's ability to innovate and deliver high-quality software faster than ever before.


Call to Action

Ready to revolutionize your development workflow? Download Patched today and join the growing community of developers who are already experiencing the benefits of this powerful tool. For more information and support, visit our documentation and join the Patched Discord community. Let's build the future of software development together!

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