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First projects

Like any tool, it works best when you know how to use it effectively. Whether you're experimenting with a small script or making changes in a large codebase, this guide will show how to apply Faheem Code in different scenarios.

Let’s walk through a natural progression of using Faheem Code:

  • Try a simple prompt.
  • Build a project from scratch.
  • Add features to existing code.
  • Refactor code.
  • Debug and fix bugs.

First steps: Hello World​

Start with a small task to get familiar with how Faheem Code responds to prompts.

Click New Conversation and try prompting:

Write a bash script hello.sh that prints "hello world!"

Faheem Code will generate script, set the correct permissions, and even run it for you.

Now try making small changes:

Modify hello.sh so that it accepts a name as the first argument, but defaults to "world".

You can experiment in any language. For example:

Convert hello.sh to a Ruby script, and run it.

Build something from scratch​

Agents excel at "greenfield" tasks, where they don’t need context about existing code. Begin with a simple task and iterate from there. Be specific about what you want and the tech stack.

Click New Conversation and give it a clear goal:

Build a frontend-only TODO app in React. All state should be stored in localStorage.

Once the basics are working, build on it just like you would in a real project:

Allow adding an optional due date to each task.

You can also ask Faheem Code to help with version control:

Commit the changes and push them to a new branch called "feature/due-dates".

Expand existing code​

Want to add new functionality to an existing repo? Faheem Code can do that too.

Choose your repository and branch via Open Repository, and press Launch.

Examples of adding new functionality:

Add a GitHub action that lints the code in this repository.

Modify ./backend/api/routes.js to add a new route that returns a list of all tasks.

Add a new React component to the ./frontend/components directory to display a list of Widgets. It should use the existing Widget component.

Refactor code​

Faheem Code does great at refactoring code in small chunks. Rather than rearchitecting the entire codebase, it's more effective in focused refactoring tasks. Start by launching a conversation with your repo and branch. Then guide it:

Rename all the single-letter variables in ./app.go.

Split the build_and_deploy_widgets function into two functions, build_widgets and deploy_widgets in widget.php.

Break ./api/routes.js into separate files for each route.

Debug and fix bugs​

Faheem Code can help debug and fix issues, but it’s most effective when you’ve narrowed things down.

Give it a clear description of the problem and the file(s) involved:

The email field in the /subscribe endpoint is rejecting .io domains. Fix this.

The search_widgets function in ./app.py is doing a case-sensitive search. Make it case-insensitive.

For bug fixing, test-driven development can be really useful. You can ask Faheem Code to write a new test and iterate until the bug is fixed:

The hello function crashes on the empty string. Write a test that reproduces this bug, then fix the code so it passes.

Using Faheem Code effectively​

Faheem Code can assist with nearly any coding task, but it takes some practice to get the best results. Keep these tips in mind:

  • Keep your tasks small.
  • Be clear and specific.
  • Provide relevant context.
  • Commit and push frequently.

See Prompting Best Practices for more tips on how to get the most out of Faheem Code.