Posted October 16, 2023

It seems like every day that companies look for people with prior coding experience to fill their roles. There is an important reason why - individuals with even a basic understanding of certain programming languages can perform significantly better at certain roles. Fortunately, you no longer need to sit through hours of coding videos or take expensive classes to unlock the power of coding. One such transformative and free tool is ChatGPT by OpenAI. Today, we dive into how this ChatGPT can be leveraged to generate code snippets, accelerating the development process and automating tasks.

Understanding ChatGPT:

ChatGPT is a model built upon OpenAI's powerful GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) architecture. It's not just any chatbot; it's a virtual assistant designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives.

Why Use ChatGPT for Code Generation?

For Experienced Coders:

• Speed: Coding from scratch takes time. With ChatGPT, developers can quickly get foundational code, speeding up the development process.
• Versatility: Whether you're looking for a Python function, a JavaScript snippet, or SQL queries, ChatGPT can help craft it.

For Inexperienced Coders:

• Learning: For beginners, it can act as an interactive platform to understand coding structures and logic.
• Cut & Paste Code Snippets: After giving an effective prompt, ChatGPT will provide the code that could perform the requested action. While it may not be perfect, it can continually be refined with the help of ChatGPT.

How to Generate Code with ChatGPT:

1. Define Your Problem Clearly:

Before asking ChatGPT for a code snippet, ensure you know what you need. The clearer and more specific your request, the better the generated code will be.

Example: Instead of asking, "How do I send emails with Google Scripts?" specify, "How do I write a Google Script to send emails to a list of participants?"

2. Interact with ChatGPT:

Open the ChatGPT interface and type in your request.

Example: "How do I write a Google Script to automatically send email reminders to a list of emails located in a Google Sheet?"

3. Refine and Test:

While ChatGPT is powerful, it's essential to understand and test the code provided. Ensure it meets your requirements and is optimized for your use case.

Some Tips:

• Engage in a conversation with ChatGPT. If the first code snippet isn't perfect, ask follow-up questions or request clarifications.
• Use it as a brainstorming tool. If you're stuck on a coding problem, ChatGPT can offer different approaches or solutions you might not have thought of.

Watch the embedded video above for a hands-on example!

ChatGPT is not just a chatbot; it's a developer's ally. By understanding how to harness its power, you can not only speed up your coding process but also explore a multitude of solutions and approaches for any given problem. Remember, as with all tools, the magic lies in how you use it! We will continue to bring you more examples on how to leverage ChatGPT, as well as other automation tools, at Excelerated Consulting!