AI prompts for developers that actually get the output right first time

"You are a senior software engineer. The following JavaScript function is throwing a TypeError when the input array is empty. Identify the bug, explain why it occurs in plain English, and provide a corrected version with inline comments. Do not refactor beyond fixing the bug."

"Write comprehensive Jest unit tests for the following React component. Cover: renders correctly with default props, handles edge cases (empty array, null props, undefined), tests user interaction (button clicks), and one async test for the API call. Use describe/it blocks. Mock external dependencies. Each test should have a descriptive name."

"Explain the following Express.js middleware to a developer who is familiar with Node.js but new to this codebase. Structure: one-sentence summary, step-by-step walkthrough of the execution flow, any side effects or global state changes, and any non-obvious gotchas or edge cases to be aware of."

"Write a technical specification for a REST API endpoint: POST /api/v1/users/invite. Include: purpose, authentication requirements, request body schema (with types and validation rules), response schema (success and error cases), rate limiting considerations, and open questions that need product decisions. Format as a readable markdown document."

"Write a pull request description for a change that refactors our authentication middleware to use JWT instead of session cookies. Include: what changed and why, the approach taken and why alternatives were rejected, how to test the change locally, any risks or rollback plan, and links to relevant tickets or docs. Audience: senior engineers."