Ask HN: Those with success using GPT-4 for programming – what are you doing?

I’m glad I’m not the only one that noticed. I’ve been having better luck with 3.5 recently as long as I use the API to give it some examples to start with.

https://RTEdge.net was polished up in no time, thanks to its vast knowledge. If you're knowledgeable in the field you ask questions about, it becomes a pure time save, as you can either just tell or test it.

It's general world knowledge is also vastly impressive though.

It can draw a 2D representation of a keyboard key

  _____________
  |           |
  | Keycaps   |
  |___________|
  |           |
  | Key Switch|
  |___________|
  |           |
  | Circuit   |
  | Board     |
  |___________|
  |           |
  | Base      |
  |___________|

explain what happens at each layer when I press the key but more impressively also what happens if I spill cola over it:

  _____________
  |           |
  | Keycaps   | --> Coca-Cola makes the keys sticky
  |___________|
  |           |
  | Key Switch| --> The switch could become sticky, preventing it from registering key presses properly
  |___________|
  |           |
  | Circuit   | --> The liquid could cause a short circuit, damaging the keyboard 
  | Board     |
  |___________|
  |           |
  | Base      | --> Coca-Cola pools at the bottom, potentially leaking into the circuit board from below
  |___________|

What is more impressive is that its knowledge spans a vast range of domains!

Ask about "layers of hierarchy at a high school":

  ::::::::::: School Board --> Sets policies, goals, and oversees school administration
  ___________ Principal --> Oversees the daily operations of the school, and implements policies and curriculum
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> Develop lesson plans, instruct students, and evaluate student performance
  ~~~~~~~~~~~ Support Staff --> Includes roles such as school nurses, librarians, and custodial staff
  +++++++++++ Students --> The primary recipients of education in the school

Go on with: "Say a student intentionally hit another, causing injury. Which layers activate?"

  ::::::::::: School Board --> Might be involved if the incident triggers policy reviews or disciplinary hearings
  ___________ Principal --> Would likely oversee the response, including disciplinary actions and communication with parents
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> Depending on the situation, they might provide first aid, supervise students, or report the incident
  ~~~~~~~~~~~ Support Staff --> Nurses would provide medical aid. Custodial staff may need to clean up. Security may investigate.
  +++++++++++ Students --> The perpetrator may face disciplinary action. The victim receives aid and support. Witnesses may give statements.

Add Korean drama: "The perpetrator is very rich and her parents finance the entire school. How could this change the picture?"

  ::::::::::: School Board --> May feel pressure due to financing, could potentially sway decisions or policies
  ___________ Principal --> Might face pressure to minimize the incident, may fear job security if they handle the situation 'wrong'
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> May feel divided between student safety and job security, could be hesitant to speak out
  ~~~~~~~~~~~ Support Staff --> Similar to teachers, may feel uneasy about reporting the incident or discussing it
  +++++++++++ Students --> Perpetrator may face less severe consequences; victim and witnesses might feel their voices aren't heard

Calm it down: "Say, a student runs out of space in her notebook. Which layers activate?"

  ::::::::::: School Board --> Might not get involved unless the issue is widespread and indicative of a systemic problem
  ___________ Principal --> Usually not directly involved unless there's a recurring issue of school supplies availability
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> Directly involved, may suggest using additional paper, starting a new notebook, or condensing notes
  ~~~~~~~~~~~ Support Staff --> May offer technical solutions if there's a possibility to switch to digital note-taking
  +++++++++++ Students --> Directly affected, student needs to decide how to continue taking notes, may need to purchase a new notebook

Spice it up!: "A female student dresses very scantily."

  ::::::::::: School Board --> May get involved if the dress code is violated and it becomes a widespread issue or stirs controversy
  ___________ Principal --> Likely to get involved if there are repeated violations, may meet with student or parents
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> Might report the student if dress code is violated or it disrupts the class; may also address it directly with the student
  ~~~~~~~~~~~ Support Staff --> Might not get involved unless asked to assist with enforcement or if they are also a student advisor
  +++++++++++ Students --> Classmates might react positively or negatively; student in question may face peer feedback or pressure

Add more drama: "An inspector from the ministry of Education visits too see how lessons are performed and during class, asks questions to the students on various topics and notices abysmal performance in all subjects but literature. What repercussions would this have at each layer?"

  ||||||||||| Ministry of Education --> Will likely request a formal review or assessment of the school's curriculum and teaching methods, and may require an action plan for improvement
  ::::::::::: School Board --> Could face scrutiny or pressure from the Ministry of Education, and would likely oversee the development and implementation of improvement plans
  ___________ Principal --> Would be responsible for implementing changes and managing teacher performance, may need to revise curriculum or teaching methods
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> Would face increased scrutiny and pressure, may need to adjust their teaching methods, might receive additional training or professional development
  ~~~~~~~~~~~ Support Staff --> May not be directly involved, but could face additional work related to implementing changes (such as increased administrative tasks or more student support)
  +++++++++++ Students --> Might face more rigorous coursework or increased homework, may also receive additional support or tutoring

Add parents!: "In this hierarchy, where are the students' parents?"

  ||||||||||| Ministry of Education --> Will likely request a formal review or assessment of the school's curriculum and teaching methods, and may require an action plan for improvement
  ::::::::::: School Board --> Could face scrutiny or pressure from the Ministry of Education, and would likely oversee the development and implementation of improvement plans
  ___________ Principal --> Would be responsible for implementing changes and managing teacher performance, may need to revise curriculum or teaching methods
  %%%%%%%%%%% Teachers --> Would face increased scrutiny and pressure, may need to adjust their teaching methods, might receive additional training or professional development
  ^^^^^^^^^^^ Parents --> Likely to voice concerns, may demand changes, and could be involved in improvement initiatives
  +++++++++++ Students --> Might face more rigorous coursework or increased homework, may also receive additional support or tutoring

I’m using it to do the mundane tasks of unit testing and (some) documentation. I find that the code it spits out isn’t perfect but getting some boiler plate and fixing it up is pretty fast compared to writing from scratch.

I’ve used this enough that I wrapped some cli glue around it and wrote https://github.com/radoshi/llm-code

I’ve used this mostly to write Python and bash, with some Makefiles and Dockerfiles thrown in.

GPT-4 is better, albeit slower, than 3.5-turbo. HTH!

Maybe you're using the paid version, or I suck too much at prompting, but so far I wasn't able to rely on the generated SQL and not for lack of trying. Workable queries, yes, but never doing what I intended...