Engineer Prompts for Performance GH-300 Practice Questions (Page 4)

Questions 16–19

1. 16application · medium

   A developer is using GitHub Copilot to generate a bash script that backs up a directory. The first prompt, "Write a bash script to backup a directory," produced a script that uses `cp -r`. The developer wants a script that creates a compressed tar archive with a timestamp in the filename. What should the developer do?

   • AStart a new chat and ask for a tar backup script.
   • BRefine the prompt: "Write a bash script that creates a compressed tar archive of a directory, with a timestamp in the filename, e.g., backup_20240501.tar.gz."
   • CUse the generated script and manually add the tar command and timestamp.
   • DAsk Copilot to "make it better" without specifying the changes.
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2. 17expert · hard

   A developer is using GitHub Copilot Chat to refactor a large Python module. In the first turn, they ask, "Explain the main function in this module." Copilot provides a detailed explanation. In the next turn, the developer wants to split the main function into smaller helper functions. The developer also wants to ensure the new functions are well-documented. What is the best follow-up prompt?

   • ASplit the main function into smaller functions.
   • BHow do I write docstrings in Python?
   • CRefactor the entire module.
   • DRefactor the main function we just discussed into smaller helper functions, and add docstrings to each new function.
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4. 18application · medium

   A developer is using GitHub Copilot Chat to generate a SQL query. The first prompt, "Write a SQL query to get user data," produced a generic `SELECT * FROM users`. The developer needs a query that returns only active users created in the last 30 days, ordered by creation date. Following the prompt process flow, what should the developer do next?

   • AAccept the initial query and manually add the WHERE clause and ORDER BY in the code editor.
   • BAsk Copilot to "make it better" without providing additional details.
   • CRefine the prompt by adding the specific conditions: "Write a SQL query to select user_id, email, and created_at from the users table where status = 'active' and created_at >= NOW() - INTERVAL 30 DAY, ordered by created_at DESC."
   • DStart a new chat session and ask the same question again.
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5. 19application · medium

   A developer is using GitHub Copilot Chat to generate a regular expression to validate an email address. The developer wants to ensure the regex is robust and handles common formats. Which prompt is the most effective?

   • AWrite a regex for email validation.
   • BValidate an email address.
   • CWrite a regular expression to validate an email address. It should handle standard formats like user@example.com and user.name+tag@example.co.uk.
   • DWhat is the best regex for email?
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