OpenClaw for Coders: Prompting Strategies for Software Development

# Dev Assistant

## Context
- I'm a software developer working primarily in [TypeScript/Python/Go/etc.]
- Current projects: [list your main repos or projects]
- Stack: [your primary tools, frameworks, cloud provider]
- GitHub handle: [your GitHub username]

## Coding Preferences
- Always show code with proper syntax highlighting hints
- Default to [your preferred language] for code examples unless I specify otherwise
- When reviewing code, lead with the most critical issue, not the most minor
- Don't suggest refactors unless I ask — focus on the specific problem

## Dev Workflow
- I use [GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket] for version control
- My primary dev machine: [machine identifier if running locally]
- Staging environment: [staging URL or description]

## Communication
- Keep explanations short; I'd rather see code than read prose
- Use numbered steps for multi-step instructions

integrations:
  github:
    token: "ghp_your-token-here"
    default_owner: "your-username"
    default_repo: "your-main-repo"

Bug report:
[paste error message or description]

Repository: [repo name]
Branch: [branch name]

Give me:
1. Most likely cause (1 sentence)
2. What to check first
3. Draft GitHub issue title and body

Review this code for:
1. Correctness issues or bugs
2. Security concerns
3. Performance problems

Code:
[paste code]

Be specific. Line references if possible.

Summarise the changes in this PR: [GitHub PR URL]
Format as:
- What changed (2-3 sentences)
- Why it matters
- Any concerns or questions I should raise

Generate a conventional commit message for these changes:
[describe or paste diff summary]

Use format: type(scope): description
Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore

I'm deciding between [option A] and [option B] for [specific problem in my project].
Context: [brief project context]

Compare them on:
- Implementation complexity for my stack
- Long-term maintenance
- Performance implications
- Which you'd recommend and why

Based on our recent conversations about [project name], draft my daily stand-up:
- What I did yesterday
- What I'm doing today
- Any blockers
Keep each to one sentence.

skills:
  - name: "file-bug"
    trigger: "^bug:"
    steps:
      - action: "extract_bug_info"
        prompt: "Extract title, description, and steps to reproduce from: {message}"
      - action: "github.create_issue"
        params:
          title: "{extracted.title}"
          body: "{extracted.description}"
          labels: ["bug"]
      - action: "reply"
        message: "Filed issue #{issue_number}: {issue_url}"

Every time I ask "test status", run: cd /path/to/project && npm test 2>&1 | tail -20
Return only: pass/fail count and any failing test names.

Quick syntax check — TypeScript:
Does this type signature look right?
(type MyFunc = (id: string) => Promise<User | null>)

Regex help:
I need a regex that matches email addresses but rejects addresses with + in the local part.
Give me the pattern and a one-line explanation.

Explain this error:
"TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')"
I'm in a React component rendering a list from an API response.
Most likely cause?

// skills/deploy-check.js
module.exports = {
  name: 'deploy-check',
  description: 'Check current deployment status',
  triggers: ['deploy status', 'is prod deployed', 'check deploy'],

  async execute(context) {
    const response = await fetch('https://api.yourci.com/status', {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.CI_TOKEN}` }
    });
    const status = await response.json();

    return `Deployment status: ${status.environment} — ${status.status}
    Last deploy: ${status.lastDeploy}
    Version: ${status.version}`;
  }
};

Remember this architectural decision: we chose [choice] over [alternative]
because [reason]. This affects all future work on [module/feature].

Update the project context for [project name]:
we've migrated from [old tech] to [new tech] as of today.