Most developers know ChatGPT is powerful, but they don’t know how to ask the right questions. Use these prompt templates to save time and boost your productivity. Copy, paste, and adapt them to your project needs.
20 Ready-to-Use ChatGPT Prompts for Software Developers
| Category | Prompt Template |
|---|---|
| Debugging |
1. I’m using Spring Boot [version] with JPA and MySQL. I’m getting this error: [paste error log]. Can you explain why it happens and provide possible fixes with code examples? 2. Here’s my Java method: [paste code]. It’s throwing NullPointerException. Can you analyze the code and suggest how to handle it using Optional or best practices? |
| Code Generation |
3. Generate a Spring Boot REST controller for managing products with CRUD operations. Include DTO, Service, and Repository layers using JPA. 4. Write a reusable ApiResponse<T> class with fields: status, message, and data. Use Lombok annotations to reduce boilerplate code. 5. Convert this SQL query into a Spring Data JPA method: [paste query]. |
| Documentation |
6. Write API documentation in Markdown for my UserController with endpoints: createUser (POST), getUserById (GET), and deleteUser (DELETE). Include example requests and responses. 7. Generate Javadoc comments for this Java class: [paste class code]. 8. Write a README file for a Spring Boot microservices project that uses Eureka for service discovery and API Gateway for routing. |
| Interview Prep |
9. Act as an interviewer and ask me 10 advanced Java 8 interview questions. After I answer, evaluate my response and give feedback. 10. Ask me 5 Spring Boot microservices interview questions with real-world scenarios. Provide the correct answers and explanations after I try. 11. Generate 10 multiple-choice questions on Hibernate and JPA with answers and explanations. |
| Architecture & Design |
12. Suggest a microservices architecture for an Order Management System using Spring Boot, Eureka, and API Gateway. Explain how services communicate and how to handle failures. 13. Explain the difference between Monolithic, Microservices, and Serverless architecture. Provide pros and cons for each with real-world Java examples. 14. Recommend the best caching strategy (Redis, Hazelcast, or Caffeine) for a Spring Boot e-commerce application. Explain trade-offs and implementation steps. |
| Productivity |
15. Explain this legacy Java 6 code and refactor it using Java 8 streams and Optionals: [paste code]. 16. Generate unit tests for this Java method using JUnit 5 and Mockito: [paste method]. 17. Write Git commit message suggestions for this code change: [paste diff/summary]. |
| Cloud-Native |
18. Explain step-by-step how to set up a Spring Boot microservice with Eureka discovery and an API Gateway. Provide configuration files and sample code. 19. Write a Dockerfile and Docker Compose configuration for running a Spring Boot application with PostgreSQL. 20. Suggest best practices for deploying Spring Boot microservices on Kubernetes with ConfigMaps and Secrets. Provide example YAML files. |
Pro Tip
- Use context: Mention your Java version, framework (Spring Boot 3.x, JPA, Hibernate), and environment (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Be specific: Instead of “explain microservices,” ask for “Spring Boot microservices with Eureka.”
- Iterate: If the first response isn’t perfect, refine your prompt.
Save this cheat sheet, and the next time you’re coding, debugging, or preparing for an interview, just copy-paste one of these prompts into ChatGPT. You’ll be surprised how much faster and more efficient your workflow becomes.
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