Prompt Engineering for Developers: Beyond "Write Code For X"
By Priya Sharma
Level 1: Context Loading
Bad: "Write a login function" Good: "In this Express.js API using Prisma and JWT, write a login function that validates email/password, returns a token, and logs failed attempts."
Level 2: Constraint Specification
Add boundaries: "Use early returns, max 30 lines, no external dependencies, handle edge cases with specific error messages."
Level 3: Example-Driven
Provide a sample: "Follow this pattern from our codebase: [paste existing function]. Now create a similar one for user registration."
Level 4: Iterative Refinement
- Get the first version
- "Now add input validation"
- "Add comprehensive error handling"
- "Optimize for readability"
Level 5: Architecture Prompting
"Before coding, outline your approach: what functions will you create, what are the dependencies, what edge cases will you handle?"
Pro Tip: The Review Prompt
After any generation: "Review this code for bugs, security issues, and edge cases. List all problems found."
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