Prompt Engineering for Developers: Beyond "Write Code For X"

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

1. Get the first version
2. "Now add input validation"
3. "Add comprehensive error handling"
4. "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."