Pair Programming with ChatGPT: Your AI-powered Coding Buddy

Introduction

Pair programming, a practice where two developers work together on the same piece of code, has long been praised for its many benefits, such as increased code quality and better collaboration. Now, with the introduction of AI-powered language models like ChatGPT, you can have an intelligent coding buddy to assist you in various aspects of software development, such as code optimization, debugging, idea-to-code conversion, architecture advice, and cloud consulting. This article will discuss how ChatGPT can be your pair programming partner. I will be focusing on C# and .NET 7 on Azure as these are my tools of choice.

Code Optimization

ChatGPT can help optimize your code by suggesting better algorithms, data structures, or language features that you might not be aware of. For example, let’s say you have the following code snippet:

List<int> numbers = new List<int> { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 };
List<int> evenNumbers = new List<int>();

foreach (int number in numbers)
{
    if (number % 2 == 0)
    {
        evenNumbers.Add(number);
    }
}

ChatGPT can suggest using LINQ (Language Integrated Query) to simplify your code. Let’s ask it:

“How can I optimize this code snippet to filter out even numbers from a list of integers?”

using System.Linq;

List<int> numbers = new List<int> { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 };
List<int> evenNumbers = numbers.Where(number => number % 2 == 0).ToList();

ChatGPT can then explain what changes were made and why.

In this optimized code snippet, we utilized LINQ to replace the foreach loop with a more concise and readable query.

Debugging

When you’re stuck with a bug, ChatGPT can help by providing insights and identifying potential issues in your code. Let’s say you encounter a NullReferenceException in this code snippet:

public async Task<IActionResult> GetOrderDetails(int orderId)
{
    var order = await _orderService.GetOrderAsync(orderId);
    var orderDetails = order.GetOrderDetails();
    return Ok(orderDetails);
}

“I’m getting a NullReferenceException in this code snippet. Can you help me identify and fix the issue?”

public async Task<IActionResult> GetOrderDetails(int orderId)
{
    var order = await _orderService.GetOrderAsync(orderId);
    if (order == null)
    {
        return NotFound();
    }
    var orderDetails = order.GetOrderDetails();
    return Ok(orderDetails);
}

And after being asked to explain the changes:

In the updated code snippet, we added a null check for the order object, which prevents the NullReferenceException by returning a NotFound result if the order is not found.

Idea-to-Code Conversion

ChatGPT can transform your high-level ideas into functional code snippets. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to create a simple HTTP request using HttpClient:

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

public class Program
{
    public static async Task Main()
    {
        using var httpClient = new HttpClient();
        var response = await httpClient.GetAsync("https://api.example.com/data");
        if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
        {
            var content = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
            Console.WriteLine(content);
        }
    }

In response to the prompt, ChatGPT generated a code snippet demonstrating how to make an HTTP GET request using HttpClient and print the response content if the request is successful.

Architecture Advice

ChatGPT can offer guidance on software architecture best practices, such as using Dependency Injection (DI) in ASP.NET Core applications. I asked it for an example to show how to do this. it responded with:

To use DI to inject an IOrderService into a controller, you would:

1. Register the service in Startup.cs:

public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
    services.AddScoped<IOrderService, OrderService>();
    // ...
}

2. Inject the service into the controller:

public class OrdersController : ControllerBase
{
    private readonly IOrderService _orderService;

    public OrdersController(IOrderService orderService)
    {
        _orderService = orderService;
    }

    // ...
}

In this example, ChatGPT was able to explain that it had provided guidance on how to implement Dependency Injection by registering the service in Startup.cs and injecting it into the controller, allowing for better modularity and testability.

Help with cloud computing (Azure)

ChatGPT can also provide guidance on using Azure services effectively. For example, if you want to store and retrieve data using Azure Blob Storage, ChatGPT recommended the following steps:

1. Install the Azure.Storage.Blobs NuGet package:

dotnet add package Azure.Storage.Blobs

2. Add the necessary using statement:

using Azure.Storage.Blobs;

3. Initialize the BlobServiceClient using your storage account connection string:

string connectionString = "your_connection_string";
BlobServiceClient blobServiceClient = new BlobServiceClient(connectionString);

4. To upload a file to Blob Storage:

async Task UploadFileToBlobStorage(string containerName, string fileName, Stream fileStream)
{
    BlobContainerClient containerClient = blobServiceClient.GetBlobContainerClient(containerName);
    BlobClient blobClient = containerClient.GetBlobClient(fileName);

    await blobClient.UploadAsync(fileStream);
}

5. To download a file from Blob Storage:

async Task<Stream> DownloadFileFromBlobStorage(string containerName, string fileName)
{
    BlobContainerClient containerClient = blobServiceClient.GetBlobContainerClient(containerName);
    BlobClient blobClient = containerClient.GetBlobClient(fileName);

    var response = await blobClient.DownloadAsync();
    return response.Value.Content;
}

In this example, ChatGPT provided guidance on how to use Azure Blob Storage effectively, including uploading and downloading files using the Azure.Storage.Blobs library.

Conclusion

By leveraging the power of ChatGPT, you can enhance your pair programming experience. The AI-powered language model can assist you with code optimization, debugging, idea-to-code conversion, architecture advice, and help working the cloud. With ChatGPT as your coding buddy, you’ll be better equipped to tackle complex software development challenges and improve the overall quality of your code.