Write effective prompts for Bob

What is a prompt?

Prompt components

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• Instruction: Directs Bob on what task to perform. The instruction is written as a clear command such as “Summarize this Python function" or “Generate an SBOM for this API.” Strong instructions reduce ambiguity and lead to more relevant results.
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• Role: Assigns Bob a specific role or persona to adopt when generating the response. For example, you might say "You are a senior software engineer with expertise in Python." This helps Bob tailor its response to fit the perspective of that role.
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• Context: Context provides additional background or details that shape Bob’s response. The context might include a description of the situation, tone, audience, or key information you want incorporated. Context helps Bob stay aligned with the task.
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• Example: Examples include one or more examples that demonstrate the desired pattern, format, or tone. Providing examples is especially useful when you want the output to follow a specific style or structure. Examples help Bob interpret what a good response means.
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• Cues: A cue is a brief piece of text that leads into the type of response you want. Cues are often placed at the end of the prompt to nudge Bob’s output generation in the right direction.

Prompt best practices

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• Be specific: The more specific your prompt, the better Bob can understand what you want. Instead of asking "How do I write a Python function?", ask "How do I write a Python function that takes a list of numbers and returns the average?"
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• Provide context: If your prompt is about a specific project or codebase, provide some context about it. This helps Bob generate a response that is relevant to your situation. Use Bob @ context mentions to reference specific files.
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• Break down tasks: Like you would when refining a task in your backlog, break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. This can help Bob generate more accurate and focused responses.
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• Include examples: If you are adding a new API, direct Bob to review well written API's in your codebase to use as examples. You can also include examples in your prompt to show Bob the format or style you want.

Write a prompt

Write a Python function that prints the date and time.

from datetime import datetime

def print_datetime():
    now = datetime.now()
    print(now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))

You are a senior software engineer with expertise in Python 3. Write a Python 3 function that prints the current date and time in UTC format. The function should be well documented and include error handling, modeled after https://realpython.com/ref/best-practices/exception-handling/.

"""
utc_datetime.py — Utility for printing the current UTC date and time.
"""

from datetime import datetime, timezone

def print_utc_datetime() -> None:
    """Print the current date and time in UTC (ISO 8601 format).

    Retrieves the current moment from the system clock, attaches UTC timezone
    info, formats it as an ISO 8601 string, and writes it to stdout.

    Returns:
        None

    Raises:
        OSError: If the system clock cannot be read (e.g., hardware failure or
            OS-level permission restrictions).
        ValueError: If datetime formatting unexpectedly fails (e.g., year out
            of the supported range).

    Example:
        >>> print_utc_datetime()
        Current UTC date and time: 2025-07-15T13:42:00.123456+00:00
    """
    try:
        now_utc: datetime = datetime.now(tz=timezone.utc)
    except OSError as exc:
        # System clock is unavailable or inaccessible.
        raise OSError("Failed to read the system clock.") from exc

    try:
        formatted: str = now_utc.isoformat()
    except ValueError as exc:
        # Extremely unlikely, but guard against out-of-range datetime values.
        raise ValueError(
            f"Failed to format the datetime object: {now_utc!r}"
        ) from exc

    print(f"Current UTC date and time: {formatted}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    print_utc_datetime()

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