Understanding AI Communication
AI models process your requests through text, so the way you phrase your questions and instructions directly impacts the quality of responses. Effective prompting involves:- Clarity: Being specific about what you want
- Context: Providing necessary background information
- Structure: Organizing your requests logically
- Iteration: Refining your approach based on responses
Example Prompts
CodinIT provides curated example prompts to help you get started:Web Development
“Create a modern React dashboard with charts and data visualization”
Mobile Apps
“Build a React Native expense tracker with offline storage”
APIs & Backend
“Create a REST API for a blog with authentication and comments”
Full Stack
“Build a task management app with React frontend and Node.js backend”
Core Prompting Principles
Be Specific and Structured
Clear Intent:Use Progressive Enhancement
Start Simple, Add Complexity:- Begin with core functionality
- Add features incrementally
- Test each addition before proceeding
- Use discussion mode for planning complex features
- Implement basic versions first
- Enhance with additional features
- Refine based on testing and feedback
- Maintain clear version control
Leverage AI Thinking Features
Understanding AI Reasoning
CodinIT provides visual insights into the AI’s thinking process: Thinking Process Display:- See step-by-step reasoning for complex tasks
- Understand how the AI breaks down problems
- Follow the logical flow of solutions
- Expandable reasoning containers
- Detailed explanation of decision-making
- Visual representation of problem-solving steps
Using Discussion Mode Effectively
Planning Phase:- Use discussion mode for architecture decisions
- Get guidance without code implementation
- Explore multiple solution approaches
- Understand trade-offs and implications
- Switch to regular chat for code generation
- Reference discussion insights in prompts
- Build upon planned architectures
- Iterate based on discussion feedback
Optimizing for Different AI Models
Understanding Model Capabilities
Different AI providers have different strengths: Claude (Anthropic):- Excellent at reasoning and analysis
- Strong code generation capabilities
- Good for complex problem-solving
- Fast and versatile
- Good for creative tasks
- Strong at following detailed instructions
- Specialized capabilities vary by provider
- Consider context limits and pricing
- Test different models for your use case
Adapting Your Prompts
Model-Specific Approaches:- Adjust complexity based on model capabilities
- Use different prompting styles for different models
- Consider model context windows when structuring requests
- Optimize for speed vs. quality based on your needs
Best Practices Summary
Communication Strategies
Clear and Concise:- State your goal upfront
- Provide specific requirements
- Include relevant context
- Avoid ambiguous language
- Break complex tasks into steps
- Use numbered lists for multi-part requests
- Specify file locations when relevant
- Include examples when helpful
- Start with core functionality
- Add features incrementally
- Test and refine as you go
- Use discussion mode for planning
Model-Aware Prompting
Context Awareness:- Consider model context limits
- Provide necessary background information
- Reference existing code when relevant
- Be mindful of token usage
- Use larger models for complex tasks
- Choose faster models for simple iterations
- Balance cost and performance needs
- Optimize prompts for your chosen model
Continuous Learning: Effective prompting improves with practice. Pay attention to what works well and refine your
approach over time.
Start Simple: Begin with clear, straightforward prompts and add complexity as you become more comfortable with the
system.
Tips for the project or system prompts
- Include instructions to CodinIT.dev to only change relevant code.
