Coding has been part of my life since I used to be 10. From modifying HTML & CSS for my Friendster profile through the easy web days to exploring SQL injections for the fun, constructing a three-legged robotic for enjoyable, and these days diving into Python coding, my coding journey has been various and enjoyable!
Right here’s what I’ve realized from varied programming approaches.
The best way I be taught coding is all the time comparable; As folks say, principally it’s simply copy-pasting. 😅
In the case of constructing one thing within the coding world, right here’s a breakdown of my methodology:
- Select the Proper Framework or Library
- Study from Previous Initiatives
- Break It Down into Steps
Slice your challenge into actionable merchandise steps, making improvement much less overwhelming. - Google Every Chunk
For each step, seek the advice of Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo/any search engine you like for insights, steering, and potential options. - Begin Coding
Attempt to implement every step systematically.
Nonetheless, even probably the most well-thought-out code can encounter bugs. Right here’s my technique for troubleshooting:
1. Examine Framework Documentation: ALWAYS learn the docs!
2. Google and Stack Overflow Search: search on Google and Stack Overflow. Instance key phrase can be:
web site:stackoverflow.com [coding language] [library] error [error message]
web site:stackoverflow.com python error ImportError: pandas module not discovered
– Stack Overflow Options: If the problem is already on Stack Overflow, I search for probably the most upvoted feedback and options, usually discovering a fast and dependable reply.
– Belief My Instinct: When Stack Overflow doesn’t have the reply, I belief my instinct to seek for reliable sources on Google; GeeksForGeeks, Kaggle, W3School, and In the direction of Knowledge Science for DS stuff 😉
3. Copy-Paste the Code Answer
4. Confirm and Check: The ultimate step consists of checking the modified code completely and testing it to make sure it runs as meant.
And Voila you simply clear up the bug!
Isn’t it stunning?
However in actuality, are we nonetheless doing this?!
Recently, I’ve seen a shift in how new coders are tackling coding. I’ve been educating the right way to code professionally for about three years now, bouncing round in coding boot camps and visitor lecturing at universities and company coaching. The best way coders are moving into code studying has modified a bit.
I often inform the recent faces to stay with the old-school methodology of looking and googling for solutions, however individuals are nonetheless utilizing ChatGPT ultimately. And their alibi is
“Having ChatGPT (for coding) is like having an additional research buddy -who chats with you want an everyday individual”.
It turns out to be useful, particularly if you’re nonetheless making an attempt to wrap your head round issues from search outcomes and documentation — to develop what’s so-called programmer instinct.
Now, don’t get me flawed, I’m all for the fundamentals. Looking, studying docs, and throwing questions into the neighborhood pot — these are strong strikes, in my e-book. Relying solely on ChatGPT is likely to be a bit a lot. Certain, it might whip up a speedy abstract of solutions, however the normal looking strategies provide the freedom to choose and select, to experiment a bit, which is fairly essential within the coding world.
However, I’ve gotta give credit score the place it’s due — ChatGPT is lightning-fast at giving out solutions, particularly if you’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine the best from the flawed in search outcomes and docs.
I notice this shift of utilizing ChatGPT as a research buddy is just not solely taking place within the coding scene, Chatgpt has revolutionized the way in which folks be taught, I even use ChatGPT to repair my grammar for this put up, sorry Grammarly.
Saying no to ChatGPT is like saying no to engines like google within the early 2000 period. Whereas ChatGPT might include biases and hallucinations, just like engines like google having unreliable info or hoaxes. When ChatGPT is used appropriately, it might expedite the educational course of.
Now, let’s think about a real-life situation the place ChatGPT may enable you to by being your coding buddy to assist with debugging.
State of affairs: Debugging a Python Script
Think about you’re engaged on a Python script for a challenge, and also you encounter an surprising error which you can’t clear up.
Right here is how I was taught to do it — the period earlier than ChatGPT.
Looking Method:
- Examine the Documentation:
Begin by checking the Python documentation for the module or operate inflicting the error.
For instance:
– go to https://scikit-learn.org/secure/modules/ for Scikit Study Doc
2. Search on Google & Stack Overflow:
If the documentation doesn’t present an answer, you flip to Google and Stack Overflow. Scan via varied discussion board threads and discussions to discover a comparable difficulty and its decision.
3. Belief Your Instinct:
If the problem is exclusive or not well-documented, belief your instinct! You would possibly discover articles and sources on Google that you simply’ve discovered reliable previously, and attempt to adapt comparable options to your drawback.
You’ll be able to see that on the search consequence above, the outcomes are from W3school – (trusted coding tutorial web site, nice for cheatsheet) and the opposite 2 outcomes are official Pandas documentation. You’ll be able to see that engines like google do counsel customers have a look at the official documentation. 😉
And that is how you should utilize ChatGPT that can assist you debug a problem.
New Method with ChatGPT:
- Have interaction ChatGPT in Conversations:
As a substitute of solely navigating via documentation and boards, you’ll be able to have interaction ChatGPT in a dialog. Present a concise description of the error and ask. For instance,
“I’m encountering a problem in my [programming language] script the place [describe the error]. Are you able to assist me perceive what is likely to be inflicting this and counsel a potential answer?”
2. Make clear Ideas with ChatGPT:
If the error is expounded to an idea you might be struggling to know, you’ll be able to ask ChatGPT to elucidate that idea. For instance,
“Clarify how [specific concept] works in [programming language]? I believe it is likely to be associated to the error I’m going through. The error is: [the error]”
3. Search Suggestions for Troubleshooting:
You ask ChatGPT for common recommendations on troubleshooting Python scripts. As an example,
“What are some widespread methods for coping with [issue]? Any suggestions on instruments or methods?”
Potential Benefits:
- Personalised Steering: ChatGPT can present customized steering based mostly on the particular particulars you present in regards to the error and your understanding of the issue.
- Idea Clarification: You’ll be able to search explanations and clarifications on ideas immediately from ChatGPT leveraging their LLM functionality.
- Environment friendly Troubleshooting: ChatGPT would possibly supply concise and related suggestions for troubleshooting, doubtlessly streamlining the debugging course of.
Doable Limitations:
Now let’s speak in regards to the cons of counting on ChatGPT 100%. I noticed these points rather a lot in my pupil’s journey on utilizing ChatGPT. Put up ChatGPT period, my college students simply copied and pasted the 1-line error message from their Command Line Interface regardless of the error being 100 strains and linked to some modules and dependencies. Asking ChatGPT to elucidate the workaround by offering a 1 line error code would possibly work generally, or worse — it would add 1–2 hour manhour of debugging.
ChatGPT comes with a limitation of not having the ability to see the context of your code. For positive, you’ll be able to all the time give a context of your code. On a extra complicated code, you won’t be capable of give each line of code to ChatGPT. The truth that Chat GPT solely sees the small portion of your code, ChatGPT will both assume the remainder of the code based mostly on its information base or hallucinate.
These are the potential limitations of utilizing ChatGPT:
- Lack of Actual-Time Dynamic Interplay: Whereas ChatGPT gives worthwhile insights, it lacks the real-time interplay and dynamic back-and-forth that boards or dialogue threads would possibly supply. On StackOverflow, you may need 10 totally different individuals who would counsel 3 totally different options which you’ll be able to examine both by DIY ( do it your self, strive it out) or see the variety of upvotes.
- Dependence on Previous Data: The standard of ChatGPT’s response is determined by the data it has been educated on, and it is probably not conscious of the newest framework updates or particular particulars of your challenge.
- Would possibly add further Debugging Time: ChatGPT doesn’t have a context of your full code, so it would lead you to extra debugging time.
- Restricted Understanding of Idea: The standard looking strategies provide the freedom to choose and select, to experiment a bit, which is fairly essential within the coding world. If you know the way to handpick the best supply, you most likely be taught extra from looking by yourself than counting on the ChatGPT common mannequin.
Until you ask a language mannequin that’s educated and specialised in coding and tech ideas, analysis papers on coding supplies, or well-known deep studying lectures from Andrew Ng, Yann Le Cunn’s tweet on X (previously Twitter), just about ChatGPT would simply give a common reply.
This situation showcases how ChatGPT generally is a worthwhile instrument in your coding toolkit, particularly for acquiring customized steering and clarifying ideas. Bear in mind to steadiness ChatGPT’s help with the strategies of looking and ask the neighborhood, preserving in thoughts its strengths and limitations.
Ultimate Ideas
Issues I’d suggest for a coder
For those who actually need to leverage the autocompletion mannequin; as a substitute of solely utilizing ChatGPT, strive utilizing VScode extensions for auto code-completion duties similar to CodeGPT — GPT4 extension on VScode, GitHub Copilot, or Google Colab Autocomplete AI instruments in Google Colab.
As you’ll be able to see within the screenshot above, Google Colab routinely offers the consumer strategies on what code comes subsequent.
One other various is Github Copilot. With GitHub Copilot, you will get an AI-based suggestion in real-time. GitHub Copilot suggests code completions as builders sort and switch prompts into coding strategies based mostly on the challenge’s context and magnificence conventions. As per this launch from Github, Copilot Chat is now powered by OpenAI GPT-4 (a similiar mannequin that ChatGPT is utilizing).
I’ve been actively utilizing CodeGPT as a VSCode Extension earlier than I knew that Github Copilot is accessible at no cost in case you are in schooling program. CodeGPT Co has 1M obtain to this date on the VSCode Extension Market. CodeGPT permits seamless integration with the ChatGPT API, Google PaLM 2, and Meta Llama.
You will get code strategies via feedback, right here is how:
- Write a remark asking for a particular code
- Press
cmd + shift + i - Use the code 😎
It’s also possible to provoke a chat through the extension within the menu and leap into coding conversations 💬
As I mirror on my coding journey, the invaluable lesson realized is that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to studying. It’s important to embrace a various array of studying strategies, seamlessly mixing conventional practices like looking and neighborhood interplay with the revolutionary capabilities of instruments like ChatGPT and auto code-completion instruments.
What to Do:
- Make the most of Tailor-made Studying Sources: Benefit from ChatGPT’s suggestions for studying supplies.
- Collaborate for Drawback-Fixing: Make the most of ChatGPT as a collaborative associate as in case you are coding with your pals.
What To not Do:
- Over-Dependence on ChatGPT: Keep away from relying solely on ChatGPT and guarantee a balanced strategy to foster impartial problem-solving abilities.
- Neglect Actual-Time Interplay with Coding Group: Whereas ChatGPT provides worthwhile insights, don’t neglect the advantages of real-time interplay and suggestions from coding communities. That additionally helps construct a repute in the neighborhood
- Disregard Sensible Coding Observe: Steadiness ChatGPT steering with hands-on coding observe to bolster theoretical information with sensible software.
Let me know within the feedback how you utilize ChatGPT that can assist you code!
Joyful coding!
Ellen
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Concerning the Writer
I’m Ellen, a Machine Studying engineer with 6 years of expertise, at present working at a fintech startup in San Francisco. My background spans knowledge science roles in oil & gasoline consulting, in addition to main AI and knowledge coaching applications throughout APAC, the Center East, and Europe.
I’m at present finishing my Grasp’s in Knowledge Science (graduating Might 2025) and actively searching for my subsequent alternative as a machine studying engineer. For those who’re open to referring or connecting, I’d really respect it!
I really like creating real-world affect via AI and I’m all the time open to project-based collaborations as nicely.
