Can One Tool Really Build Both Frontend and Backend Code from a Single Prompt?

Elixir's Phoenix framework actually has a tool that can do this pretty well—it sets up databases, comes with basic authentication, and lets you add new routes and models easily. It might be a little rigid in its design, but it gets the job done without complicating things too much. Ruby on Rails is similar and gained its popularity for a reason. The only downside? You usually have to stick with their server-side options instead of using your preferred JavaScript set up.

I use tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot regularly, but honestly, they struggle to kick off a project entirely on their own. Like, with Cursor, I once tried to add web code to a mobile app repository, and it totally mixed things up. Copilot usually fumbles with passing props that don’t even exist. Cursor really dropped the ball by messing with native Android files in React Native Expo when all my manual adjustments were already accounted for in app.json.

Most of these tools really just set up the simplest structure, like a "hello world" app or something basic. Personally, I think they handle the initial setup that developers are usually not keen to do, but they don't cover much beyond that. Ultimately, anything more complex is still up to the developer to implement.