Mastering Development with ChatGPT: Prompts for Code Generation, Debugging, Optimization, and More

Ever find yourself staring at that blinking cursor, trying to figure out the magic words to get the exact code snippet, explanation, or debugging tip you need from ChatGPT? If so, you’re definitely not alone. This clever AI tool can be a real game-changer for us developers, but let’s be honest: the results you get are only as good as the questions you ask. Ask a fuzzy question, get a fuzzy (and often unhelpful) answer.

But what if you could consistently turn ChatGPT from a ‘sometimes helpful’ tool into your go-to, incredibly precise coding assistant? That’s exactly what this guide is for. We’ve put together a comprehensive collection of battle-tested prompts, designed by developers, for developers.

Think of them as ready-to-use templates: simply replace the bracketed placeholders like [programming_language] or [specific_task] with your own details, and you’re set to get much more targeted and useful responses.

Get ready to unlock ChatGPT’s real power, make your coding life easier, and seriously boost your productivity.

General Tips for Using These Prompts:

• Provide Context: The more context you give (e.g., programming language, frameworks, specific problem, existing code, project goals), the better the response.
• Be Specific: Vague questions lead to vague answers. Clearly define what you need.
• Iterate: Don’t expect the perfect answer on the first try. Ask follow-up questions, request changes, or ask for alternative solutions.
• Specify Format: If you need code in a certain style, or explanations in a particular format (e.g., bullet points, step-by-step, specific documentation standard), ask for it.
• Define Constraints: Mention any constraints like performance requirements, specific library versions, coding standards, or even things to avoid.
• Provide Examples (Positive & Negative): For tasks like regex generation or complex logic, providing examples of what should match/happen and what should not can significantly improve accuracy.

 

I. Code Generation & Snippets

1. Generate Function/Method:
   Write a function in [programming language] called [function name] that takes [parameters with types] as input and [describe function purpose and logic]. It should return [return type and description]. Include [specific requirements like error handling for specific errors or comments].
2. Generate Class/Module Structure:
   Outline a class structure in [programming language] for a [class name] that manages [responsibilities of the class]. Include key properties like [property1, property2] and methods like [method1 description, method2 description] with their expected parameters and return types.
3. Generate Script for a Task:
   Generate a [programming language] script that [describe the script s purpose and main actions]. It should read input from [input source e.g. file stdin api url] and output [output description and format] to [output destination]. Consider [specific libraries or constraints or input parameters for the script].
4. Generate Boilerplate/Scaffolding:
   Create boilerplate code for a [project type, e.g., REST API endpoint, React component, basic HTML page] in [language/framework] for [specific purpose]. Include [essential elements imports or basic structure].
5. Generate Code for API Interaction:
   Create [programming language] code to interact with the [API name] API to [desired action e.g. fetch user data post a message]. Use [specific library or framework if any] and handle [authentication method if any]. The request should include [key parameters or data in body].
6. Complete Code Snippet:
   Complete the following [programming language] code snippet to achieve [desired outcome or functionality]:

   [paste your partial code here]

 

II. Code Explanation & Understanding

1. Explain Code Snippet:
   Explain the following [programming language] code snippet line by line and its overall purpose:

   [paste code snippet here]

   Focus on [specific aspect to clarify e.g. algorithm used data flow a particular function call or potential edge cases].

2. Explain Concept/Algorithm/Pattern/Language Construct:
   Explain the [concept name, e.g., 'SOLID principles', 'binary search algorithm', 'Singleton design pattern', 'Python decorators', 'JavaScript async/await'] in the context of [programming language or domain if applicable]. Provide a simple code example in [programming language] to illustrate it and discuss its [pros cons use cases or trade offs].
3. Compare and Contrast:
   Compare and contrast [concept A e.g. REST APIs] with [concept B e.g. GraphQL APIs] focusing on [specific criteria like performance use cases complexity scalability learning curve]. Which would be better for [specific scenario or project type] and why?

 

III. Debugging & Error Resolution

1. Identify Bugs / Suggest Fixes from Error Message:
   I’m getting an error in my [programming language] code. Here’s the code:

   [paste problematic code here]

   The error message is: [paste full error message here].
   What are the potential causes and how can I fix it? I suspect the issue might be related to [your suspicion if any].

2. Troubleshoot Unexpected Behavior:
   My [application type e.g. web application script] built with [technology stack] is [describe the unexpected behavior e.g. not saving data returning wrong results]. What are common reasons for this issue and how can I troubleshoot it systematically?
3. Diagnose Specific Issue in Code Snippet:
   I’m encountering [specific issue e.g. an infinite loop a null pointer exception incorrect output] in my [programming language] code when [describe conditions triggering issue]. Here’s the relevant section:

   [paste code snippet here]

   What are common reasons for this specific type of issue in this context?

4. Request Debugging Tools/Techniques:
   List and describe useful debugging tools or techniques for [programming language] when working with [type of application or environment e.g. web browsers server side applications a specific framework like React or Django] to identify issues like [type of issues e.g. memory leaks performance bottlenecks race conditions].

 

IV. Code Improvement, Refactoring & Optimization

1. Optimize Code:
   Optimize the following [programming language] code for [optimization goal e.g. performance memory usage speed reducing time complexity reducing space complexity]. Explain the changes made and why they improve the code.

   [paste code snippet here]

2. Refactor Code for Specific Goals:
   Refactor this [programming language] code to [specific refactoring goal e.g. improve modularity apply the Factory design pattern reduce complexity enhance testability].

   [paste code snippet here]

   Ensure it adheres to [specific coding standards or principles if any].

3. Improve Readability/Maintainability/Idiomatic Style:
   Suggest ways to improve the readability and maintainability of this [programming language] code:

   [paste code snippet here]

   Focus on [aspects like naming conventions comments structure code smells]. Also, suggest more idiomatic [programming language] ways to write [specific part or pattern if applicable].

4. General Code Review for Multiple Aspects:
   Review this [programming language] code and suggest improvements for [aspects like security error handling style consistency performance or a combination]:

   [paste your code here]

5. Identify Performance Bottlenecks:
   Analyze this [programming language] code snippet and identify any potential performance bottlenecks:

   [paste your code here]

   Suggest profiling strategies if applicable.

6. Recommend General Optimization Techniques:
   Recommend general optimization techniques for [specific type of operation or domain e.g. database queries in an ORM string manipulations frontend rendering in React memory management in C++] in [programming language or context].

 

V. Testing & Quality Assurance

1. Generate Unit Tests:
   Write unit tests in [testing framework e.g. Jest pytest JUnit] for the following [programming language] function/class:

   [paste code for function or class here]

   Cover [specific scenarios edge cases positive and negative tests or mocking dependencies].

2. Suggest Test Cases:
   For a feature that [describe feature functionality and inputs outputs] in a [system context], what are some important positive, negative, boundary, and edge case test scenarios I should consider for [unit integration or e2e testing]?

 

VI. Language, Framework & Library Assistance

1. API/Library Usage Instructions:
   How do I use the [library or api name or specific feature of it] in [programming language] to achieve [specific task or goal e.g. make a GET request parse JSON manage state]? Provide a concise code example and explain [key parameters or configuration options].
2. Find Alternatives (Libraries/Tools):
   What are some alternative libraries/tools to [library or tool name] for [specific purpose e.g. HTTP clients date manipulation ORM] in [programming language or ecosystem]? List their pros, cons, and typical use cases.
3. Best Practices for Common Problems/Tasks:
   What is the best way to handle [common problem or task e.g. asynchronous operations state management error propagation dependency injection data validation] in [programming language/framework] when building [type of application e.g. a web application a mobile app a data processing pipeline]? Discuss different approaches and their trade-offs.
4. Translate Code:
   Translate the following [source language] code to [target language].

   [paste code snippet here]

   Pay attention to [specific idioms library equivalents or potential pitfalls during translation].

 

VII. Documentation & Comments

1. Generate Code Documentation:
   Generate [documentation type e.g. docstrings for Python Javadoc for Java Markdown API docs] for the following [programming language] code:

   [paste code snippet here]

   Explain its purpose, parameters (with types and descriptions), return values, and any exceptions it might throw. Adhere to [specific documentation style guide if any].

2. Add Explanatory Comments:
   Add explanatory inline comments to this [programming language] code to clarify [complex logic non obvious parts or important decisions]:

   [paste code snippet here]

3. User Manual Structure/Content:
   Explain the key sections and information that should be included in a user manual for a software application that [describes the application s purpose functionality and target audience]. Suggest a table of contents.
4. Discover Documentation Generation Tools:
   What tools or libraries can be used to automatically generate documentation from [programming language] code comments (e.g., [comment style like JSDoc or XML docs]) for [specific framework if any or to output format like HTML Markdown]?

 

VIII. Database & Data Manipulation

1. Write SQL Query:
   Write an SQL query for [database type e.g. PostgreSQL MySQL SQL Server] to [describe desired data retrieval or manipulation]. The relevant tables are [table name1 (column1, column2), table name2 (columnA, columnB)] with relationships [describe relationships joins and conditions if any].
2. Optimize SQL Query:
   Can you optimize this SQL query for [database type]?

   [paste sql query here]

   The schema includes [brief schema description focusing on involved tables and indexes]. Focus on [aspect to optimize e.g. indexing joins subqueries or reducing scan count] and explain the reasoning.

 

IX. System Design & Architecture

1. Brainstorm Architectural Approaches:
   I need to design a system for [describe system purpose and key features e.g. a real time chat application an e commerce recommendation engine a blogging platform]. What are some suitable architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, monolithic, event-driven, serverless) and technologies I should consider? Discuss pros and cons for [specific constraints like scalability cost team expertise time to market performance targets].
2. Component Interaction Design:
   How should a [component A type e.g. frontend React client] interact with a [component B type e.g. backend Node js API] to [achieve a specific workflow e.g. user authentication data submission] in a [system context e.g. distributed system single page application]? Discuss [communication protocols data formats and error handling strategies].
3. Best Practices for Component/Aspect Design:
   What are the best practices for designing [specific component or aspect e.g. a RESTful API a database schema for social features a caching layer an authentication system] for [project description or context e.g. a high traffic website a secure enterprise app]?
4. Applying Architectural Principles/Patterns:
   How can I effectively apply [architectural principle or pattern e.g. SOLID principles Domain Driven Design CQRS Hexagonal Architecture] to my [programming language or framework] project focusing on [project domain or specific challenge e.g. improving testability managing complexity in a large domain]? Provide conceptual examples.
5. Designing for Quality Attributes:
   Outline the key considerations, design choices, and strategies for ensuring [quality attribute e.g. scalability security testability reliability maintainability observability] in a [type of system or application e.g. distributed system web application data intensive application IoT platform].

 

X. Development Workflow, Tools, & DevOps

1. IDE/Editor Setup:
   How do I set up [IDE or editor name e.g. VS Code IntelliJ IDEA Vim Eclipse] for [programming language] development, including recommended extensions or configurations for [specific tasks like linting debugging code completion framework support e.g. React Spring Boot version control integration]?
2. Version Control (Git) Operations/Workflows:
   Explain how to [specific git task e.g. rebase my feature branch onto main resolve a merge conflict between two branches undo the last commit cherry pick a commit manage submodules]. Provide the necessary Git commands and explain each step and potential implications.
3. Build Tool Configuration:
   How can I configure [build tool e.g. Webpack Maven Gradle npm scripts CMake] for a [programming language or project type] project to achieve [specific outcomes e.g. bundle JavaScript modules manage dependencies and resolve conflicts run linters and formatters compile code for different environments create production builds]?
4. CI/CD Pipeline Strategy & Scripting:
   Draft a basic [CI CD tool e.g. GitHub Actions workflow Jenkinsfile GitLab CI yml] script to [describe pipeline steps e.g. build a Node js app run tests and deploy to AWS S3 build a Docker image and push to registry]. What are some effective ways to use [CI CD tool] to automate this process, including [key pipeline stages branching strategies or best practices for this scenario]?
5. Commit Message Best Practices:
   Provide a template or best practices for writing clear, concise, and effective commit messages, possibly following [a specific convention e.g. Conventional Commits or general guidelines like imperative mood subject line length].

 

XI. Security

1. Identify Security Vulnerabilities in Code:
   Review the following [programming language] code for potential security vulnerabilities such as [specific vulnerabilities e.g. SQL injection XSS CSRF insecure deserialization hardcoded secrets or OWASP Top 10 risks]. Suggest specific mitigations or secure coding practices.

   [paste code snippet here]

2. Secure Coding Practices for Specific Operations:
   What are the best practices for securely handling [sensitive operation e.g. user authentication and session management file uploads and storage api key storage and usage input validation to prevent injection attacks secure data transmission with TLS] in a [language/framework] application?

 

XII. Regular Expressions

1. Generate Regex:
   Create a regular expression that [describe the pattern to match in detail]. It should work for these positive examples: [text examples it should match] and not match these negative examples: [text examples it should not match]. Provide an explanation of the regex components and ensure it’s compatible with [regex flavor e.g. PCRE JavaScript Python].
2. Explain Regex:
   Explain what this regular expression does: [paste regex here]. Break it down component by component and describe what kind of strings it would match.

 

Also, Check These Prompts

• This guide is a great starting point. For more fundamental tasks, see our Prompts for Coding.
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• Often find yourself wrestling with spreadsheets? Automate formulas, VBA, and data analysis with our time-saving list of Prompts for Excel.