Chapter 2 · Practice 1 of 4
Name the files, the scenario and what "fixed" looks like
From Writing task prompts
Why it matters
Claude Code's docs show the difference specific context makes:
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| add tests for foo.py | write a test for foo.py covering the case where the user is logged out; avoid mocks |
| fix the login bug | users report login fails after session timeout; check the token refresh in src/auth/; write a failing test that reproduces it, then fix it |
| add a calendar widget | look at how existing widgets on the home page are built and follow that pattern |
The specific versions do four things: scope the task, point to sources, reference existing patterns and describe the symptom with what done looks like.
GitHub's Copilot guide gives the same advice: be specific about requirements and provide examples of inputs, outputs and implementations.
Do
- Point to an existing file that shows the pattern to follow
Avoid
- "Fix the bug" with no symptom, location or definition of fixed