How to Use Variables in Prompt | Slides

Providing variables in prompts is crucial for creating flexible, reusable, and contextually accurate prompts. Here are best practices for integrating variables into prompts, along with examples:

1. Use Descriptive Variable Names

• Ensure variable names clearly describe their purpose or content.
• Avoid ambiguous or generic names.

Example:

"Generate a summary of the article titled '{article_title}' published on {publish_date}."

2. Use Placeholders for Variables

• Represent variables as placeholders (e.g., {variable_name}, [variable_name], or <variable_name>).
• Clearly distinguish placeholders from static text.

Example:

"Provide a detailed report about [product_name] including its features, price, and customer feedback."

3. Define Default Values for Optional Variables

• Assign default values for variables that may not always be provided to avoid incomplete prompts.

Example:

"Translate the text '{text_to_translate}' into {target_language:English}."

(Default value: English)

4. Specify Input Types for Variables

• Indicate the expected type of input (e.g., string, number, date).
• This ensures the variables are correctly formatted and meaningful.

Example:

"Calculate the monthly payment for a loan of {loan_amount:float} at an interest rate of {interest_rate:float}% over {loan_term:int} months."

5. Use Context-Specific Variables

• Tailor variables to the domain or application context for clarity and relevance.

Example (E-commerce):

"List the top 5 best-selling products in the {category_name} category for the month of {month}."

6. Provide Context for Variables

• Include additional details in the prompt to clarify how the variable should be used.

Example:

"Create a marketing tagline for a product named '{product_name}', which is aimed at {target_audience}, and emphasizes {key_feature}."

7. Avoid Overloading Prompts with Variables

• Use only the variables necessary to achieve the task.
• Avoid overly complex or crowded prompts.

Example (Simple):

"Write a short description for the item '{item_name}'."

Example (Complex - Avoid):

"Describe the item '{item_name}' with features '{feature_1}', '{feature_2}', and '{feature_3}' for the audience '{audience}', considering the context '{context}'."

8. Validate and Sanitize Variables

• Ensure that variables are properly validated and sanitized before inclusion in the prompt to prevent malicious inputs or errors.

Example:

"Generate a travel itinerary for the city '{city_name}' for {number_of_days:int} days."

9. Use Variables in Structured Formats

• For structured outputs, include variables as keys to guide the format.

Example (JSON-like Prompt):

"Provide a JSON output for the employee details:/n{/n  'name': '{employee_name}',/n  'age': {employee_age:int},/n  'position': '{job_title}'/n}"

10. Test Prompts with Multiple Variable Scenarios

• Ensure prompts work with all possible variable combinations, including edge cases (e.g., empty or default values).

Example:

"Generate a weather update for {city_name}. If {city_name} is not provided, use 'New York'."

Advanced Examples

1. Personalized Assistance:

   "Schedule a meeting for {user_name} with {meeting_subject} on {meeting_date} at {meeting_time}."
   

2. Dynamic Filtering:

   "Retrieve a list of all employees in the department '{department_name}' hired after {hire_date:YYYY-MM-DD}."
   

3. Creative Writing:

   "Write a story set in {location}, featuring a character named {character_name} who is on a mission to {mission}."
   

4. Data Retrieval:

   "Find the {metric_name} for {company_name} from {start_date} to {end_date} and display it in a table."
   

By following these best practices, you can make prompts more robust, easier to manage, and adaptable to diverse use cases.