Software Engineering

Generating complex database queries from natural language

AI is used in a separate chat to turn a developer's description of tables, columns, and reporting goals into tailored SQL for complicated analytics and aggregation tasks.

Why the human is still essential here

The engineer still defines the problem, provides the schema context, evaluates the query, and decides whether the solution is correct and efficient for the application.

How people use this

Ad hoc reporting query draft

A developer describes tables, filters, and grouping rules in plain English and AI drafts a first-pass SQL query for a one-off analytics report.

ChatGPT / Claude

Window function and join builder

AI turns a request for rankings, rolling totals, or multi-table aggregations into SQL that uses joins, CTEs, and window functions the engineer can refine.

ChatGPT / GitHub Copilot

ORM logic to raw SQL translation

A developer explains application logic written in an ORM and AI converts it into raw SQL for debugging, optimization, or direct database execution.

ChatGPT / JetBrains AI Assistant

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How I use A.I. as a Software Engineer

I've been a software engineer for basically my whole life, at least ever since I first taught myself to write HTML code when I was 12 years old, and in the modern era when Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models are commonplace, I of course have adapted with the times, as I had done before whenever a new paradigm shift in the engineering landscape had come about.

In this modern era of A.I. vibe coded apps that get built and deployed while full of bugs and security holes, which then get trivially hacked in short order and the company's data all leaked online, I thought I'd write a little about how I, a career software engineer since 2008, approach the use of A.I. in my projects.


If you happen to be a junior developer just getting started in this space and relying heavily on A.I. to do most of your job, maybe reading about my approach to A.I. could be helpful to inspire you on a different way of doing it, and help you grow as a self-sufficient developer who uses A.I. only as a tool to automate the tedious parts but without it being a crutch that you rely on too heavily that you couldn't survive without it.

NP
Noah PetherbridgeFull-stack software engineer
May 6, 2026