IBM demos IDE modes for coding

IBM’s May 24 tutorial video on Bob’s IDE modes offered a product-level look at how the company is packaging AI coding work into separate operating contexts rather than a single open-ended chat. The video, titled “IBM Bob Tutorial + Demo: How to Use Modes in the IDE,” says it walks through what modes are and how to use them inside the IDE. IBM’s product documentation describes those modes as “specialized personas” with different capabilities and access levels for specific tasks. (youtube.com) IBM Bob’s documentation says the built-in modes include Code, Ask, Plan, Advanced and Orchestrator. The company says the feature is meant to help users move between planning, implementing, debugging and learning, while changing what the assistant is allowed to do in each state. ### What did IBM actually show? The May 24 YouTube upload says the demo includes a quick overview and then a live walkthrough inside the IDE. The video description says the presenter generates documentation for a simple application, then switches modes to debug and improve the result. (youtube.com) IBM’s own docs frame the same concept more formally. The modes page says Bob changes behavior based on the task at hand, and lists separate use cases for coding, answering questions, planning and more complex multi-step work. (bob.ibm.com) ### How are the modes separated? IBM’s documentation says Code mode is for writing, modifying and refactoring code, with read, edit and command access. Ask mode is positioned for explanations and information about code, with read, browser and MCP access, while Plan mode is described as a pre-implementation workflow in which the user reviews a detailed plan before switching to another mode to execute it. (youtube.com) IBM also says Plan mode’s edit access is limited to markdown only. (bob.ibm.com) That is one of the clearest examples in the docs of Bob tying a workflow state to a narrower set of allowed actions. ### Where do testing and deployment fit? IBM’s quickstart tutorial says users learn modes, an approval workflow and how to iterate with Bob while building a web UI for an existing Node.js Express API and running it in Docker. The tutorial tells users to disable auto-approval, review Bob’s work, and proceed through the task from inside the IDE. (bob.ibm.com) IBM’s best-practices page says teams should start in Plan mode for new projects or complex features, switch to Code mode for day-to-day implementation, use Ask mode for explanations, and move to Orchestrator mode for complex projects that require coordination across specialties. (bob.ibm.com) The same page says Advanced mode is for tasks that need fuller tool access, including browser automation or MCP servers. ### Why does IBM emphasize constraints and approvals? (bob.ibm.com) IBM’s quickstart tutorial says one of Bob’s “three core capabilities” is an approval workflow that lets users review plans before they run. The best-practices page also says checkpoints automatically version workspace files during Bob tasks so users can recover from undesired changes. IBM extends that approach to team-defined workflows. A tutorial on custom modes says teams can create specialized modes with tailored instructions and “deterministic tool access constraints,” including a product-management mode with defined permissions and role instructions. (bob.ibm.com) IBM says those custom modes can be shared across teams to standardize workflows. ### Is this just a demo feature or part of the product? IBM’s docs present modes as a core Bob feature, not a one-off tutorial element. (bob.ibm.com) The quickstart, best-practices and custom-mode tutorials all point users back to modes as part of day-to-day use in the standalone Bob IDE. IBM’s next public reference points are the Bob documentation site and the May 24 YouTube tutorial, where the company’s learner-facing materials show how those modes are configured and used in practice. (bob.ibm.com) (youtube.com) (bob.ibm.com)