#Best Practices Guide

Master the art of using GitHub tools effectively with proven strategies, workflows, and tips for optimal productivity.

#🎯 General Best Practices

#Communication Style

Be Clear and Specific

✅ Good: "Show me the authentication middleware in src/middleware/auth.js" ❌ Avoid: "Show me the auth stuff"

✅ Good: "Create an issue for the login button not working on mobile Safari" ❌ Avoid: "Create an issue for the bug"

Provide Context

✅ Good: "Find all React components that use the useState hook for form handling" ❌ Avoid: "Find components with state"

✅ Good: "Analyze the performance impact of the database queries in the user service" ❌ Avoid: "Check performance"

Use Natural Language

✅ Good: "What files were changed in the last commit to fix the payment bug?" ✅ Good: "Help me understand how the authentication flow works" ✅ Good: "Create a feature branch for implementing dark mode support"

#Request Structure

Start with the Goal

"I need to fix the shopping cart bug where items aren't being saved" "I want to understand how the user authentication system works" "I'm implementing a new feature for email notifications"

Be Specific About Files and Locations

"Update the UserProfile component in src/components/UserProfile.tsx" "Check the database connection logic in lib/db/connection.js" "Create a new API route in pages/api/users/[id].js"

#📁 File Operations Best Practices

#Reading Files

Request Relevant Context

✅ Good: "Show me the UserService class and explain its main methods" ✅ Good: "Display the API configuration with environment variables" ✅ Good: "Read the package.json and highlight the main dependencies"

Ask for Explanations

"Show me the authentication middleware and explain how it validates tokens" "Display the database schema and walk me through the relationships" "Read the configuration file and explain each setting"

#Creating and Updating Files

Provide Requirements

✅ Good: "Create a React component for user profiles with props for avatar, name, and email" ✅ Good: "Add error handling to the login function with proper try-catch blocks" ✅ Good: "Update the API route to include input validation using Joi"

Specify Standards

"Create a TypeScript interface with proper type definitions" "Add JSDoc comments to all public methods" "Follow the existing code style and naming conventions" "Include unit tests for the new functionality"

#File Organization

Follow Project Structure

"Create the new component in the appropriate folder following the project structure" "Organize imports according to the project's import order" "Use the same naming conventions as existing files"

#🔍 Code Search Best Practices

#Effective Search Strategies

Use Multiple Search Types

Start broad: "Find all authentication-related code"
Then narrow: "Show me the JWT token validation specifically"
Get specific: "Find the token refresh logic in the auth service"

Combine Text and Semantic Search

"Find all functions named 'validateUser' and also find code that validates user input" "Search for 'axios' and also find code that makes HTTP requests"

#Search Optimization

Use Domain-Specific Terms

✅ Good: "Find Redux action creators for user management" ✅ Good: "Show me React hooks that handle form validation" ✅ Good: "Find Express middleware for authentication"

Specify File Types and Locations

"Search for 'useState' in all TypeScript files in the components directory" "Find database queries in the models folder" "Look for API endpoints in the routes directory"

#🐛 Issue Management Best Practices

#Creating Quality Issues

Use Descriptive Titles

✅ Good: "Login button redirects to wrong page on mobile Safari" ✅ Good: "API response time degraded by 300% after recent deployment" ✅ Good: "[Feature Request] Add dark mode toggle to user settings"

Provide Complete Information

Title: Shopping cart items disappear after page refresh Description:

Steps to reproduce: Add items to cart, refresh page, items are gone
Expected: Items should remain in cart
Actual: Cart is empty
Browser: Chrome 91, Safari 14
Device: iPhone 12, MacBook Pro
Impact: Users lose their selections, affecting conversion

#Issue Organization

Use Consistent Labels

Type: bug, feature, enhancement, documentation Priority: critical, high, medium, low Area: frontend, backend, api, database, ui/ux Status: needs-review, in-progress, blocked, ready

Smart Assignment

"Assign this React component bug to the frontend team" "Who should handle this database performance issue?" "Suggest assignees for the API security vulnerability"

#🔄 Pull Request Best Practices

#Creating Effective PRs

Write Clear Titles and Descriptions

Title: Add user authentication with JWT tokens Description:

#Summary

Implements JWT-based authentication
Adds login/logout functionality
Includes password reset feature

#Changes

Added AuthService with token management
Created login/logout API endpoints
Implemented protected route middleware
Added user session management

#Testing

All existing tests pass
Added unit tests for auth service
Manual testing on staging environment

#PR Workflow

Keep PRs Small and Focused

✅ Good: One feature per PR ✅ Good: Related changes grouped together ✅ Good: Clear scope and purpose ❌ Avoid: Multiple unrelated changes ❌ Avoid: Massive PRs with many features

Request Appropriate Reviews

"Request review from the backend team for API changes" "Ask the security team to review authentication changes" "Get UI/UX review for interface modifications"

#🌿 Branch Management Best Practices

#Naming Conventions

Use Descriptive Branch Names

✅ Good: feature/user-authentication ✅ Good: fix/shopping-cart-bug ✅ Good: hotfix/security-vulnerability ✅ Good: refactor/database-queries

Follow Team Conventions

feature/JIRA-123-user-profile bugfix/issue-456-login-redirect hotfix/critical-security-patch release/v2.1.0

#Branch Lifecycle

Keep Branches Current

"Sync my feature branch with the latest main branch" "Update this branch with recent changes from develop" "Rebase my branch to include the latest fixes"

Clean Up Regularly

"Show me branches that can be safely deleted" "What merged branches should I clean up?" "Archive old feature branches that are no longer needed"

#🤖 AI Analysis Best Practices

#Getting Quality Analysis

Provide Context for Analysis

✅ Good: "Analyze the security of the user authentication system" ✅ Good: "Review the shopping cart component for performance issues" ✅ Good: "Check the API endpoints for proper error handling"

Ask Specific Questions

"What security vulnerabilities exist in this authentication code?" "How can I improve the performance of this database query?" "What architectural improvements would you recommend?"

#Acting on Analysis

Validate AI Suggestions

"Review the AI suggestions and explain why they're recommended" "What are the trade-offs of implementing these suggestions?" "How would these changes impact the existing functionality?"

Prioritize Improvements

"Which AI suggestions should I implement first?" "What's the impact vs. effort for these recommendations?" "How should I prioritize these code quality improvements?"

#📊 Repository Management Best Practices

#Repository Organization

Maintain Clear Structure

"Analyze the current repository structure and suggest improvements" "How should I organize this growing codebase?" "What's the best folder structure for this type of project?"

Document Everything

"Generate comprehensive README documentation" "Create API documentation from the codebase" "Add contributing guidelines for new developers"

#Repository Health

Regular Maintenance

"What dependencies need updating?" "Show me security vulnerabilities that need attention" "What branches can be cleaned up?" "Are there any stale issues that should be closed?"

Monitor Quality

"Analyze the overall code quality trends" "Show me the test coverage status" "What's the technical debt situation?"

#🚀 Workflow Optimization

#Efficiency Tips

Batch Similar Operations

"Review all open pull requests and prioritize them" "Analyze all components in the user interface for consistency" "Update all outdated dependencies in the project"

Use AI for Routine Tasks

"Generate boilerplate code for new components" "Create standard issue templates" "Suggest appropriate labels for new issues"

#Automation Strategies

Set Up Smart Workflows

"Configure automatic PR reviews for common issues" "Set up automated issue labeling based on content" "Enable smart notifications for critical issues"

Continuous Improvement

"Analyze our development workflow and suggest improvements" "What bottlenecks exist in our current process?" "How can we speed up the code review process?"

#🎨 Team Collaboration Best Practices

#Communication

Clear Documentation

"Document the decision-making process for this feature" "Explain the architectural choices in the PR description" "Add comments explaining complex business logic"

Effective Code Reviews

"Focus on logic, security, and maintainability in reviews" "Provide constructive feedback with specific suggestions" "Ask questions to understand the reasoning behind changes"

Create Learning Resources

"Generate documentation for new team members" "Create troubleshooting guides from common issues" "Document best practices and coding standards"

Mentor Through Code

"Explain complex code patterns to junior developers" "Show examples of good code structure and organization" "Demonstrate proper error handling and testing approaches"

#🔒 Security Best Practices

#Security-First Approach

Regular Security Reviews

"Perform security analysis on all authentication code" "Check for common vulnerabilities in API endpoints" "Review data handling for privacy compliance"

Secure Development Practices

"Validate all user inputs in the new feature" "Ensure proper authentication for sensitive operations" "Add rate limiting to prevent abuse"

#Privacy and Compliance

Data Protection

"Review data collection practices for privacy compliance" "Ensure proper encryption for sensitive data" "Implement secure data deletion processes"

#📈 Performance Best Practices

#Performance Monitoring

Regular Performance Checks

"Analyze database query performance" "Check frontend bundle size and loading times" "Review API response times and optimization opportunities"

Proactive Optimization

"Identify performance bottlenecks before they become issues" "Optimize critical user paths for better experience" "Implement caching strategies for frequently accessed data"

#💡 Advanced Tips

#Expert-Level Usage

Leverage AI for Complex Tasks

"Analyze the entire application architecture and suggest improvements" "Perform cross-repository analysis to identify common patterns" "Generate comprehensive migration plans for major changes"

Combine Multiple Tools

"Search for performance issues, then analyze them, then create improvement tasks" "Find security vulnerabilities, create issues, and assign to security team" "Analyze code quality, document findings, and create improvement roadmap"

#Continuous Learning

Stay Updated

"What new features are available in the latest version?" "How can I improve my usage of these tools?" "What are the emerging best practices in this technology stack?"

Share Knowledge

"Document successful patterns for the team" "Create examples of effective tool usage" "Share insights and learnings with the community"

#🚨 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

#Over-Reliance on AI

Always validate AI suggestions with domain knowledge
Don't automatically implement all AI recommendations
Maintain human oversight for critical decisions

#Information Overload

Focus on actionable insights
Prioritize high-impact issues
Don't try to fix everything at once

#Inconsistent Practices

Establish team conventions and stick to them
Document and share best practices
Regular team alignment on tool usage

#Neglecting Security

Always consider security implications
Don't skip security reviews for "simple" changes
Implement security as part of the development process

#✅ Quick Reference Checklist

#Before Starting Work

Connect to the correct repository
Understand the current codebase structure
Check for any blocking issues or dependencies
Review relevant documentation

#During Development

Use clear, specific requests
Validate AI suggestions before implementing
Document decisions and reasoning
Test changes thoroughly

#Before Submitting

Review all changes for quality and security
Ensure proper documentation is updated
Verify all tests pass
Get appropriate reviews

#After Completion

Document lessons learned
Clean up branches and temporary files
Share knowledge with the team
Plan follow-up improvements

Best Practices Guide | Github Tools