Top 10 ChatGPT Prompts for Developers (With Examples and Code!)

Introduction

• As a developer, leveraging ChatGPT can significantly enhance your productivity and problem-solving skills.

• Here are the top 10 best prompts you can use to get the most out of ChatGPT, complete with examples and code snippets.

1. "Generate a starter template for a React application"

Example Prompt:

"Can you provide a starter template for a React application with functional components?"

Response:

javascriptCopy codeimport React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Hello, World!</h1>
    </div>
  );
};

ReactDOM.render(<App />, document.getElementById('root'));

2. "Explain how JWT authentication works in Node.js"

Example Prompt:

"Can you explain how JWT authentication works in Node.js and provide an example?"

Response:

javascriptCopy codeconst jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');

const generateToken = (user) => {
  return jwt.sign({ id: user.id, username: user.username }, 'secretKey', { expiresIn: '1h' });
};

// Usage
const user = { id: 1, username: 'exampleUser' };
const token = generateToken(user);
console.log(token);

Explanation:

JWT (JSON Web Token) is a compact token format that allows you to securely transmit information between parties as a JSON object. The token is signed using a secret key.

3. "Create a REST API with Express and MongoDB"

Example Prompt:

"Can you show me how to create a basic REST API using Express and MongoDB?"

Response:

javascriptCopy codeconst express = require('express');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/mydatabase', { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true });

const userSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  name: String,
  email: String,
});

const User = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

app.post('/users', async (req, res) => {
  const user = new User(req.body);
  await user.save();
  res.send(user);
});

app.get('/users', async (req, res) => {
  const users = await User.find();
  res.send(users);
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));

4. "Write a SQL query to find the second highest salary"

Example Prompt:

"Can you write a SQL query to find the second highest salary from an Employees table?"

Response:

sqlCopy codeSELECT MAX(salary) AS second_highest_salary
FROM employees
WHERE salary < (SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees);

5. "Generate a Python script for web scraping"

Example Prompt:

"Can you provide a Python script for web scraping the titles of articles from a blog?"

Response:

pythonCopy codeimport requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

url = 'https://example-blog.com'
response = requests.get(url)
soup = BeautifulSoup(response.text, 'html.parser')

titles = [title.text for title in soup.find_all('h2', class_='post-title')]
print(titles)

6. "Explain the difference between var, let, and const in JavaScript"

Example Prompt:

"Can you explain the difference between var, let, and const in JavaScript with examples?"

Response:

javascriptCopy codevar x = 10; // Function-scoped, can be re-declared and updated
let y = 20; // Block-scoped, can be updated but not re-declared
const z = 30; // Block-scoped, cannot be updated or re-declared

function example() {
  var x = 100;
  let y = 200;
  const z = 300;
  console.log(x, y, z);
}

example();
console.log(x, y, z);

7. "Create a Dockerfile for a Node.js application"

Example Prompt:

"Can you create a Dockerfile for a simple Node.js application?"

Response:

dockerfileCopy code# Use the official Node.js image as the base image
FROM node:14

# Create and change to the app directory
WORKDIR /usr/src/app

# Copy the application files
COPY package*.json ./
COPY . .

# Install dependencies
RUN npm install

# Expose the application port
EXPOSE 3000

# Start the application
CMD ["node", "app.js"]

8. "Explain the MVC architecture pattern"

Example Prompt:

"Can you explain the MVC architecture pattern and how it applies to web development?"

Response:

MVC stands for Model-View-Controller. It is a design pattern used for developing web applications.

• Model: Represents the data and the business logic of the application.

• View: Represents the presentation layer of the application.

• Controller: Acts as an intermediary between Model and View, handling user input and updating the Model and View accordingly.

9. "Write a unit test for a function in JavaScript using Jest"

Example Prompt:

"Can you write a unit test for a simple JavaScript function using Jest?"

Response:

javascriptCopy code// Function to test
const sum = (a, b) => a + b;

// Jest test
test('adds 1 + 2 to equal 3', () => {
  expect(sum(1, 2)).toBe(3);
});

10. "Optimize a slow SQL query"

Example Prompt:

"How can I optimize this slow SQL query?"

Response:

sqlCopy code-- Original slow query
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE customer_id = 123;

-- Optimized query with index
CREATE INDEX idx_customer_id ON orders(customer_id);
SELECT * FROM orders WHERE customer_id = 123;

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Conclusion

• By using these prompts, developers can leverage ChatGPT to enhance their coding skills, troubleshoot issues, and accelerate their workflow.

• Whether you’re just starting or you’re a seasoned developer, these prompts will help you get the most out of ChatGPT in your development journey.