This AI Wrote My Code, Debugged It, and Explained It Back to Me

By Urban Picasso -

 

This AI Wrote My Code, Debugged It, and Explained It Back to Me

What if you could slash your coding time, eliminate tedious debugging sessions, and generate documentation automatically? This isn't a futuristic dream; it's the current reality powered by Generative AI. While many associate these powerful models with creating text and images, their true disruptive potential might just be in the world of software development. Generative AI is rapidly becoming an indispensable co-pilot for developers everywhere.

In this post, we'll explore exactly how tools like Gemini can transform your coding workflow, from converting data formats with simple prompts to debugging complex functions and much more.

From Prompt to Production: Gen AI in Action

The true power of any tool is best understood through a real-world example. Let's look at a common, often tedious task for anyone working with data: file format conversion.

The Challenge: Converting a Python DataFrame to JSON

Imagine you have a Pandas DataFrame in Python. It's a simple table with two columns: one containing a file name and the other recording the hour it was generated. Your goal is to convert this structured data into a specific JSON format. This is a routine task, but it requires remembering the correct syntax, structuring the output, and ensuring everything is formatted perfectly. It's a classic case of "death by a thousand paper cuts" for a developer's time.

The Solution: A Simple English Prompt

Instead of diving into documentation or searching through old projects, you can now simply ask the AI to do it for you. Using a tool like Gemini in a browser-based environment, you can input a prompt in plain English:

"I have a Pandas data frame with two columns, one with a file name and one with the hour in which it is generated. I am trying to convert it into a JSON file in [this specific format shown on screen]."

That’s it. You describe your input, define your desired output, and let the model handle the logic.

The Result: Instant, Accurate Code

In moments, Gemini returns the precise steps and the Python code needed to perform the conversion. The output is exactly the JSON format requested. What's more, if you're working in an integrated environment like Google's Jupyter Notebook, you can directly export the generated Python code into Google Colab to run it immediately. A task that could have taken several minutes of searching and typing is completed in seconds.

Beyond Conversion: 5 Ways Gen AI Supercharges Your Workflow

Code conversion is just the tip of the iceberg. The capabilities of modern generative AI assistants extend across the entire development lifecycle. Here are five other ways they can act as your coding co-pilot:

  • Debug and Explain Your Code: Pasted a block of code that isn't working? An AI assistant can analyze it, identify potential bugs, and suggest corrections. Even better, it can explain complex code to you line by line, making it an incredible learning and review tool.

  • Craft Complex SQL Queries: Writing intricate database queries can be challenging. Now you can describe the data you need in natural language ("Show me all users who signed up last month and made a purchase over $50"), and the AI will generate the corresponding SQL query.

  • Translate Code Between Languages: Need to convert an old Java utility into Python? Or a JavaScript function into C#? Generative AI can perform these translations, saving countless hours of manual rewriting.

  • Generate Documentation and Tutorials: One of the most dreaded tasks for developers is writing documentation. AI can automatically generate comments, README files, and even full tutorials for your source code, ensuring your projects are easy for others to understand and use.

  • Accelerate New Project Scaffolding: Starting a new application often involves writing a lot of boilerplate code. You can now prompt an AI to generate the initial file structure, configuration files, and basic functions for a new project based on your chosen framework and language.

Final Thoughts: Your New Coding Co-Pilot

Generative AI isn't here to replace developers. It's here to augment them. By automating the repetitive, tedious, and time-consuming aspects of coding, these tools free up developers to focus on what they do best: high-level architecture, creative problem-solving, and building innovative solutions.

The future of coding isn't about writing every single line yourself; it's about knowing how to ask the right questions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Choose Your Social Media Channels Week 5 Quiz

By Urban Picasso -
 Choose Your Social Media Channels Week 5 Quiz You’re looking to reach the largest possible audience with the most precise targeted advertising tools. Your go-to social media platform should be: Facebook You’re looking to build a community online. Your go-to social media platform should be: Facebook Which of the following are good general guidelines for a corporate blog? Select all that apply : Blog posts must respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure, and other applicable laws Blog posts should not disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to the company Determine whether the following statement is true or false: Consumers today expect brands to be present on their favorite social media platforms. True Of the three core values that a social media policy should achieve, which category does the following statement fit in? “Nordstrom referred to company guidelines that can help employees to represent the company in a way that doesn’t harm the b...
Read more