Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
Download the one-page PDF summary of everything you learned.
What's Included
The Core Partnership
YOU + AI = BUILDER
- You provide: Direction, judgment, domain knowledge
- AI provides: Code, speed, syntax knowledge
The Loop
DESCRIBE → GET → RUN → EVALUATE → REPEAT
Six Operations
- CREATE - Make something new
- READ - Understand existing code
- EDIT - Change existing code
- RUN - Execute and see results
- FIX - Debug errors
- EXTEND - Add features
The One-Sentence Rule
If you can't explain the task in one sentence, break it down further.
Five Components of a Good Prompt
- WHAT - What you want created
- WHERE - Language, file, context
- HOW - Specific approach or formula
- WHY - Purpose (helps AI make decisions)
- EXAMPLE - Sample input/output
Feedback Formula
"Got X, Expected Y, Change Z"
- I got [actual result]
- I expected [what you wanted]
- Please change [specific thing]
The 5-Attempt Rule
Stuck after 5 tries? Start fresh.
- New conversation
- Rephrase the problem
- Break into smaller pieces
Common Error Types
- Syntax Error - Typo, check spelling and brackets
- Name Error - Variable doesn't exist
- Type Error - Wrong data type (string vs number)
- Index Error - List position doesn't exist
When Stuck
- Ask AI with full context
- Search the error online
- Rephrase the question
- Break into smaller parts
The Formula
Clear Goal + Small Steps + Iteration + Persistence = Working Code