Why Software Engineering Matters for Web Applications and the Risks of Vibe Coding

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A DEV Community article argues that web applications, which power services such as banking, healthcare, and e-commerce, need more than attractive code to function well. It stresses that planning, design, testing, and maintenance, all core parts of software engineering, are essential for building reliable and secure systems. The piece warns that relying entirely on AI-generated code, a practice known as vibe coding, can create serious problems when developers skip these principles. It outlines benefits of sound engineering practice, including stronger security, higher quality, easier maintenance, scalability, and lower long-term costs.

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