How to Use

ChatGPT
TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR
PROGRAMMING JOURNEY

QUICKSTARTGUIDES.COM
How to Use ChatGPT to
Supercharge Your
Programming Journey
INTRODUCTION
If you’re learning to code during this fast-paced time in tech, you’ve probably
heard about the possibility that ChatGPT can help you with programming. While
it would be overly optimistic to think that it can do everything for you, the truth
is that ChatGPT can absolutely give you an edge in learning to code. But without
proper guidance, it’s easy to pick up unhelpful advice and bad habits – especially
for a newcomer to programming.

It’s critical, then, not to overuse this tool, despite its immense potential value.
Ideally, you should combine ChatGPT with several other learning sources, such as
the Programming QuickStart Guide Bundle. With the right mindset and guidance,
you can use ChatGPT to get a leg up that developers just a few years ago did not
have. Let’s break down how you can get the most out of it, with real, actionable
advice on getting started.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO USE CHATGPT AS A

PROGRAMMER?
As programmers, we have the luxury of vast knowledge at our fingertips. The
internet is a world of information built by programmers, for programmers. Despite
this wealth, however, some content can still be prohibitively expensive, misguided,
or just plain incorrect. Finding a trustworthy source is essential.

ChatGPT is just another tool in the vast sea of options you have as a student of
programming. Not long ago, when you had a coding question, you would turn to a
resource like Stack Overflow where you could post your query and await a helpful
reply. Depending on how you phrased your question (or who looked at it first),
this could end up going many different ways. Forum commenters can be a little
hot-headed, or unwilling to deal with a newcomer who doesn’t put in the proper
legwork before posing a question. And almost every forum has at least one user
who often posts unhelpful responses.

AI, meanwhile, has more patience and understanding than your average public
forum. Using AI is more akin to hiring a private tutor and conversing with them
via chat. You can ask dumb questions. You can repeat questions. You can go
completely off-topic if you so choose, and you won’t have to deal with an
impatient human getting fed up with you for wasting their time.

ChatGPT can help a newcomer take the leap and jump in when comparative
learning materials seem a bit intimidating. You can start from the absolute bottom
or somewhere in the middle. Or better yet, if you don’t know where to start, you
can ask ChatGPT.

Let’s get into some actionable tips on getting started.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS CHATGPT CAN

HELP YOU ON YOUR CODING JOURNEY?
ChatGPT is great for providing general support as you learn to program. It can
help you understand complex programming concepts by offering simple, easy-to-
understand explanations. It can also suggest coding examples for you to study and
experiment with.

Say you already know a little about Python, but you have never worked with SQL
before. You can ask ChatGPT how to connect Python and SQL to your database
and get thorough instructions that break down specifically how to install the
required dependencies and set up your database in seconds.
PROJECT BRAINSTORMING
You’ve probably heard this advice echoed again and again: the best way to learn
programming is by building your own projects. You can follow tutorials and watch
videos all day, but putting the concepts to work in your own personal coding
projects is the most reliable way to solidify your understanding of them.

The Programming QuickStart Guide Bundle contains a few easy hands-on projects
to get you started with a project-based approach to coding. But once you’ve
completed them all, branching out on your own can help you practice important
coding concepts even further and build on what you’re learning as a beginner.

Of course, as a beginner, it can be a little intimidating to consider all the different

possibilities for projects. ChatGPT can be used as a brainstorming tool to help
you come up with ideas for projects or features. Prompting it for beginner-friendly
project ideas will help you narrow down your options and get started coding. Plus,
you can ask clarifying questions if you get stuck, and ChatGPT will help you sort
out any errors.

Watch a Quick Clip on

brainstorming with ChatGPT

To watch the Quick Clip, use the camera on your mobile phone
to scan the QR code or visit the link below.

or www.QuickClips.io/ChatGPT-Brainstorm

CODE SUGGESTIONS
ChatGPT can provide code snippets based on a given prompt, which can help you
learn how to implement different features.

For example, if you want to find the best way to style your website but aren’t sure
how to create the CSS for it, you can prompt ChatGPT for some help. Inputting
your existing HTML and asking it to suggest appropriate CSS can work wonders,
generating all the CSS you need in a few seconds. You can ask ChatGPT what
specific chunks mean, and even ask it to modify the code to fit your tastes.

If you want to learn a little more about modifying CSS to suit your needs, our
HTML & CSS QuickStart Guide is an excellent place to start.
 Watch a Quick Clip on code
suggestions with ChatGPT

To watch the Quick Clip, use the camera on your mobile phone
to scan the QR code or visit the link below.

or www.QuickClips.io/ChatGPT-Suggestion

ERROR EXPLANATION
ChatGPT is great at analyzing short pieces of code and picking out things that a
human developer might not notice at first glance. This makes it a good instructor
if you are trying to figure out whether you have any bugs or syntax errors in simple
functions, or if you’re trying to figure out why a certain line of code is not working
as intended.
And if you’re trying to teach yourself how to read code more efficiently and
become a better debugger, ChatGPT makes an excellent coach. Try asking ChatGPT
to generate a short snippet of code containing a hidden error. Copy the sample
code and paste it into your coding environment. Once you find the error, you can
attempt to fix it yourself, and if you have any trouble, you can turn to ChatGPT for
help.

Watch a Quick Clip on error

analyzing using ChatGPT

To watch the Quick Clip, use the camera on your mobile phone
to scan the QR code or visit the link below.

or www.QuickClips.io/ChatGPT-Error

THEORY CLARIFICATION
ChatGPT can explain complex computer science theories and concepts in a
simplified manner, making learning more accessible. Here is a quick example:
Say you don’t understand the difference between data structures like the stack
and the heap. Query ChatGPT, and it will come to the rescue with a thorough
explanation. If you want further clarification, you can prompt it to come up with a
simple analogy to help you understand.

Watch a Quick Clip on using

ChatGPT to explain theories and
concepts

To watch the Quick Clip, use the camera on your mobile phone
to scan the QR code or visit the link below.

or www.QuickClips.io/ChatGPT-Support
HOW TO USE CHATGPT PRUDENTLY AS A BEGINNER
Your ultimate goal should be to enhance your coding skills and your understanding
of key concepts, not just to find quick solutions. To help you do that, here are a
few more tips.

CRAFTING CLEAR, SPECIFIC PROMPTS

When it comes to the actual language, or prompts, you use to interact with
your AI teacher, ChatGPT is more forgiving than your typical Stack Overflow
forum and smarter than your average search engine. Unlike with some
search engine interactions, adding detail to your ChatGPT prompt can make
the results better rather than worse. The days of needing to carefully select
your keywords and hope you land on the right result are over. Contrary to
what “professional prompt engineers” might tell you, ChatGPT can usually
pick up your gist even if your prompt is rambling and unclear.

But that doesn’t mean a more well-thought-out and coherent prompt won’t
yield better results.

The clarity and specificity of your prompts largely influence the quality
of responses you receive from ChatGPT. In contrast to some search
engines, ChatGPT might return an answer that is confusing or irrelevant
if your question is too ambiguous or overly broad. When you’re stuck on
a programming problem, try to be as precise as possible, detailing the
language you’re using, the specific problem you’re facing, and any attempts
you’ve made to solve it. For example, you might be tempted to ask, “How do
I sort data?” But a better question is “How can I sort a list of dictionaries by
a specific key in Python?”

UNDERSTANDING OVER IMITATION

Keep in mind that relying heavily on AI for programming solutions might lead
to a superficial understanding of the subject. While ChatGPT can provide
code snippets, it’s your responsibility to dissect, understand, and then
implement them into your work. Merely copying and pasting code without
comprehending its function won’t enhance your skill set.

Used correctly, however, ChatGPT isn’t a crutch. Instead, it becomes your

greatest ally. You can always ask for further clarification on a given code
snippet. Besides helping you gain a deeper understanding of the material,
ChatGPT can guide you through each part of the code and even improve it
and help you put your own touch on it.

The key to mastering programming is practice and experimentation. Use

ChatGPT as a guide when you get stuck, but strive to solve problems
yourself. This approach helps you better understand the underlying logic and
concepts, rather than receiving ready-made solutions that may not apply to
future problems.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FREE AND PAID VERSIONS

There are distinct differences between the free and paid versions of
ChatGPT. The most notable distinction is that the free version allows you to
access only the GPT 3.5 model, whereas the paid version offers both GPT 3.5
and GPT 4. The latter is a substantially more powerful language model, with
a more extensive training set and a higher token limit.

However, this matters much more for creative writing than for programming.
GPT 4 might have better prose than GPT 3.5, but both of them display
sufficient competence when it comes to entry-level programming
knowledge. If you’re learning programming, the free version is enough to get
you started. Since OpenAI has scaled up its cloud-computing resources, we
don’t have to deal with frequent outages like we did when the service first
launched. This means it’s no longer necessary to upgrade to the paid plan to
ensure constant access.

Despite this, there is still a reason to consider the paid version of ChatGPT:
plugins. Since the most recent update, the paid plan offers a growing library
of third-party plugins with a wide range of features. Perhaps the most
helpful plugin for a coding novice is a search engine integration, allowing you
to send your prompt to Google for a more fact-checked result.
 For more advanced programmers, another welcome feature lies within
ChatGPT’s paid version: Code Interpreter. Although it’s still in beta, this
addition to the chatbot lets you upload your own files for data analysis, data
visualization, and even file conversion.

CHAT GPT VS. COMPETITORS LIKE BARD, CLAUDE, OR

GITHUB COPILOT
ChatGPT is not alone in the wave of new technologies we’re seeing every day. In
fact, it wasn’t even the first. There are a few competitors that can give ChatGPT a
run for its money, especially when it comes to coding.

GOOGLE BARD
The most prominent competitor to ChatGPT in the current landscape is
definitely Google Bard. Prompting it with “Can you give me a short Python
program” returned a different, more complex program than ChatGPT
provided when given the same prompt.

Bard also goes on to provide specific directions for executing the program,
by saving it as a .py file and executing it from the command line.

What really sets Bard apart is its Export to Replit feature. You can share
Bard’s code output to Replit, a browser-based IDE, where you can then
compile and run the code.
As we can see here, the simple Python program Bard generated for us works
just fine in Replit.

When comparing different AI chatbots for the purpose of learning to

program, you want to look at one factor in particular: factual accuracy. You
don’t want to deal with a language model that makes nonsensical errors
disguised as fact, a phenomenon known as “hallucinating.” This is a serious
issue wherein an AI will fill in any missing information with a guess or an
outright lie, all while packaging it as fact. Luckily, this problem is growing
rarer by the day as models continuously improve.

While Bard has been criticized for generating excessive hallucinations,

Google offers a unique feature allowing the user to combat this directly. The
“Google It” button is featured prominently above the search bar, so you can
check the internet to determine for yourself if the output is accurate.
CLAUDE
Claude is another popular alternative to ChatGPT. It was first introduced
by Anthropic in early 2023 and has since undergone a major overhaul to
become Claude 2, which was released in July.

Claude is similar to ChatGPT with a few noticeable differences. It has tested

slightly better than ChatGPT on simple coding tests, and it offers more
up-to-date information, given that its training set cuts off in early 2023
instead of 2021. Beginners will notice a similar level of coding knowledge and
language abilities.

Watch a Quick Clip on Claude

To watch the Quick Clip, use the camera on your mobile phone
to scan the QR code or visit the link below.

or www.QuickClips.io/ChatGPT-Claude

GITHUB COPILOT
GitHub Copilot is notably different from ChatGPT and Bard in that it is not a
chatbot but rather an AI coding assistant that you install as an extension in
your development environment. You can use this AI without ever leaving the
confines of your favorite IDE.

It is designed less as a tool for beginners and more as a workflow upgrade

for intermediate developers looking to increase their productivity. Copilot
won’t teach you basic programming concepts, and it won’t hold your hand as
 you ask questions and work through a tutorial. However, it will point you in the
right direction if you are stuck on determining the specific function or class to
define when writing your code.

To interact with Copilot, you can start commenting, and you’ll see its
generative AI prowess come to life as you type. Copilot’s greatest strength is
filling in common blocks of code, such as defining a class, calling a function,
or just generating some boilerplate.

Watch a Quick Clip on Copilot

To watch the Quick Clip, use the camera on your mobile phone
to scan the QR code or visit the link below.

or www.QuickClips.io/ChatGPT-Copilot

THE FUTURE OF AI IN THE PROGRAMMING WORLD

Many developers who are just now entering the field are worried that AI will advance
to the point of replacing human programmers and eliminating the jobs they worked
so hard to get. The truth is that at this point we can’t say anything with certainty.

But one thing that seems likely to remain is the need for a human driver to lead the
computer. The software development life cycle is highly complex, and the intricacies
of system design and architecture, coupled with dealing with human communication
and emotions, is a tall order for current AI.

Still, AI is changing the landscape of programming. Newer programming languages and

frameworks have come along and improved upon older ones and removed the drudgery
and hassle of performing manual or repetitive tasks. The same holds true with AI.

Language models like ChatGPT are just a tool to speed up workflows and abstract
away some of the difficult or mind-numbingly repetitive tasks. The optimistic
programmer knows that AI won’t replace humans but instead will make them even
more productive and efficient.

Programmers who adapt and learn how to use AI to their advantage will be in the
best position to succeed. And using ChatGPT to learn programming is just one way
in which you’re already ahead of the game.

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