Skip to content

Study Guide

Coding Assistant Quick Guide

🚀 Starting a Project

Setup & Structure

  • "Help me start this project: {design_doc}. Show me the folder structure and setup steps."

  • "Give me the exact commands to run this on a fresh machine"

  • "Create a minimal Dockerfile and docker-compose for local dev"

Standards & Config

  • "Set up linters, formatters, and pre-commit hooks with configs"

  • "What branching strategy and commit format should we use? Show examples."

💻 Building Features

Implementation

  • "Plan out how to implement {feature_name}"

  • "Build {functionality} with tests, comments, and edge cases"

Debugging

  • "Fix this error: {error_message}. Stack trace: {stack_trace}"

  • "Add logging/metrics to debug {component}. Show examples."

🔍 Understanding Code

Codebase Overview

  • "What does this codebase do and how is it structured?"

  • "Show me the core components and how they connect"

  • "How does data flow through the system?"

Deep Dives

  • "Explain the architecture of {component}"

  • "What are the entry points and how do I run this locally?"

  • "Explain {concept} with code examples"

✅ Quality & Deployment

Review & Testing

  • "Give me a PR review checklist (security, tests, performance)"

  • "What's the test coverage and strategy?"

CI/CD & Docs

  • "Create a CI/CD pipeline config for GitHub Actions"

  • "Write onboarding docs: setup → run → test → deploy"

  • "Generate API docs (OpenAPI) for these endpoints"

🏗️ Platform Questions

System Design

  • "Explain the platform architecture and component interactions"

  • "How do components communicate and what are the dependencies?"

  • "How is auth/authorization handled across services?"

Operations

  • "What are failure points and resilience strategies?"

  • "Show me deployment order, scaling strategy, and monitoring setup"

Pro tip: Always be specific—include file names, error messages, or feature names. The more context you give, the better the help you get.

Universal Learning Formula

Find the Right Resources

To learn any new technology effectively, focus on these three key resources:

  • Official Documentation: Builds a solid foundation by explaining concepts, features, and usage as intended by the creators.
  • Example Codebases: Helps you see how others use the technology in real-world scenarios and exposes you to best practices.
  • Open Source Implementations: Allows you to dive deeper into the internals, core concepts, and underlying patterns.

Rapid Learning Framework

Master the Fundamentals => Ask Coding Assisstant

  • Grasp the core concepts before tackling advanced topics.
  • Understand the problem the technology aims to solve.
  • Learn essential mental models and paradigms (OOP, functional, reactive, etc.).

Apply the 80/20 Rule =>Ask Coding Assisstant

  • Focus on the 20% of features that deliver 80% of the value.
  • Prioritize high-impact concepts: data structures, algorithms, and design patterns.
  • Leave rare or edge-case features for later, when necessary.

Build Projects Gradually

  • Start small, using core features in simple projects.
  • Increase project complexity as your confidence grows.
  • Rebuild features from apps you admire to deepen understanding.

Practice with Intention

  • Set clear learning goals with measurable outcomes.
  • Use time management techniques like Pomodoro to stay focused.
  • Regularly review and reinforce what you’ve learned.

Adopt a Testing Mindset

  • Learn to write effective tests for your code.
  • Understand testing frameworks and methodologies.
  • Practice Test-Driven Development (TDD) when suitable.

Leverage Documentation Wisely

  • Start with official tutorials and beginner guides.
  • Use API references regularly during practice.
  • Explore sections on architecture and design philosophy for deeper insights.

Learn from the community

  • Analyze open-source projects that use the technology
  • Follow thought leaders and contributors on social media
  • Participate in forums, Discord channels, and Stack Overflow

Master the tooling ecosystem

  • Learn the build tools, package managers, and deployment pipelines
  • Understand debugging and profiling tools
  • Get comfortable with the IDE/editor features specific to the technology

Maintain a learning journal

  • Document challenges, solutions, and insights
  • Create cheat sheets for quick reference
  • Build a personal knowledge base of patterns and anti-patterns

Prepare for interviews specifically

  • Study common interview questions for the technology
  • Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms
  • Prepare code samples demonstrating your proficiency

Accelerated Learning Techniques

  • Spaced repetition: Review concepts at increasing intervals
  • Teaching others: Explain concepts to reinforce your understanding
  • Pair programming: Work with more experienced developers
  • Code reviews: Have your code reviewed and review others' code
  • Timeboxed exploration: Set a time limit for solving problems before seeking help

Confidence-Building Strategies

  • Start contributing to open-source projects
  • Build and deploy a complete application using the technology
  • Create technical content (blog posts, videos) explaining concepts
  • Participate in hackathons or coding competitions
  • Conduct mock interviews with peers

Measuring Progress

  • Track the complexity of problems you can solve independently
  • Monitor how quickly you can implement new features
  • Note how often you need to reference documentation
  • Gauge your ability to debug issues efficiently
  • Assess how well you can explain the technology to others

Additional aspects

Security Considerations

Neither the CodeBase nor Platform sections address security concerns specifically. You might want to add questions about:

  • What are the security measures implemented in the codebase/platform?
  • How are vulnerabilities identified and addressed?
  • What is the process for security reviews and audits?

Documentation Standards

While coding standards are mentioned, documentation standards are equally important:

  • How is the codebase/platform documented?
  • What documentation tools and formats are used?
  • Where can I find up-to-date documentation?

Onboarding Process

A section on onboarding could be valuable:

  • What's the recommended path for new developers to get familiar with the codebase/platform?
  • Are there any mentorship or buddy systems in place?
  • What resources are available for newcomers?

Troubleshooting and Debugging

Consider adding specific questions about:

  • What are common issues and their solutions?
  • What debugging tools and techniques are recommended?
  • Where to look for logs and how to interpret them?

Performance Considerations

Questions about:

  • What are the performance bottlenecks?
  • How is performance measured and monitored?
  • What optimization techniques are used?

Community and Support

While community learning is mentioned in the learning framework, you might want to add specific questions about:

  • Where to get help when stuck?
  • What are the active community channels?
  • Who are the key maintainers or experts to follow?

Version Control and Collaboration

Consider adding questions about:

  • What version control system is used and how?
  • What is the branching strategy?
  • How are code reviews conducted?