# Using the AI Assistant Effectively

## Starting a Conversation

Look for the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of any documentation page. Click it to start a conversation with the AI assistant.

### Effective Prompts

Get better results by being specific in your requests:

**Good Prompts:**

- "Show me Python code to create a member with error handling"
- "What's the best SearchConfig for finding active enrollments?"
- "How do I implement exponential backoff for rate limiting?"


**Less Effective Prompts:**

- "How do I use the API?" (too vague)
- "Fix my code" (without providing context)
- "What can you do?" (generic question)


### Example Conversation Flow


```
User: "I need to create a new claim. What's the process?"

AI: "Creating a claim in VBAPI involves 3 main steps:
1. Optionally create a claim batches container
2. Create the claim batch (header)
3. Add claim batch details (service lines)

Here's a Python example:

[Shows complete code example with error handling]

Would you like me to show you how to add diagnosis codes or explain the adjudication process?"

User: "Yes, show me how to add diagnosis codes"

AI: "You can add diagnosis codes using the auth-diagnostic-codes endpoint. Here's how:

[Shows specific code example]

This code handles multiple diagnosis codes and includes primary diagnosis designation..."
```

## Integration Examples

### Example 1: Getting Started Help


```
User: "I'm new to VBAPI. Where should I start?"

AI Response: "Welcome to VBAPI! Here's the recommended learning path:

1. **Authentication Setup** (5 minutes)
   - Get your credentials from VBA
   - Implement token management
   - Test your first authenticated request

2. **Core Concepts** (10 minutes)  
   - Understand required headers (especially User-Agent)
   - Learn about rate limits and pagination
   - Familiarize yourself with response structure

3. **First API Call** (5 minutes)
   - Try the /users/me endpoint
   - Practice error handling
   - Implement proper retry logic

Would you like me to show you the authentication code for your preferred language?"
```

### Example 2: Specific Implementation Help


```
User: "Show me how to search for active members in a specific group using Python"

AI Response: "Here's a complete example for searching active members by group:

def find_active_members_in_group(group_id):
    \"\"\"Find all active members in a specific group\"\"\"
    
    search_request = {
        "searchConfig": "ENROLLMENT",
        "searchCriteria": {
            "logicalOperator": "AND",
            "filters": [
                {
                    "field": "Groups.groupId",
                    "operator": "EQUALS", 
                    "value": group_id
                },
                {
                    "field": "SubEnrollment.endDate",
                    "operator": "IS_NULL"  # Active enrollment
                }
            ]
        },
        "selectedFields": [
            "Members.memberId",
            "Members.firstName",
            "Members.lastName",
            "SubEnrollment.effectiveDate"
        ],
        "pagination": {
            "page": 1,
            "pageSize": 100
        }
    }
    
    response = requests.post(
        f"{base_url}/vbasoftware/search",
        headers=get_authenticated_headers(),
        json=search_request
    )
    
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

# Usage
members = find_active_members_in_group("GRP001")

This uses the ENROLLMENT SearchConfig which includes Members, SubEnrollment, and Groups tables. The IS_NULL check on endDate finds only active enrollments.

Need help with pagination or error handling for this search?"
```

### Example 3: Troubleshooting Assistance


```
User: "I'm getting a 403 Forbidden error. What could be wrong?"

AI Response: "A 403 Forbidden error in VBAPI is typically caused by:

1. **Missing User-Agent Header** (most common)
   - VBAPI requires a descriptive User-Agent
   - Never use generic values like 'python-requests'
   
   headers = {
       "User-Agent": "MyCompany-Integration/1.0",  # Required!
       "x-api-key": "your-api-key",
       "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
       "vbasoftware-database": "your-database"
   }

2. **Insufficient Permissions**
   - Your user account may lack access to the requested resource
   - Contact VBA Support to verify permissions

3. **IP Address Restrictions**
   - Your IP may not be whitelisted
   - Check with VBA Support for IP whitelist status

Try adding a proper User-Agent header first - this resolves 90% of 403 errors. Let me know if you're still having issues!"
```

## AI Assistant Features in Detail

### Code Generation

The AI can generate complete, working code examples:

- Authentication flows
- API call implementations
- Error handling patterns
- Data processing logic
- Integration workflows


### API Guidance

Get expert advice on:

- Choosing the right endpoints
- Optimizing API usage
- Following best practices
- Avoiding common pitfalls


### Real-time Problem Solving

The AI can help debug issues by:

- Analyzing error messages
- Suggesting solutions
- Providing corrected code
- Explaining root causes


### Documentation Navigation

Find information quickly:

- Locate relevant endpoints
- Understand parameter requirements
- See usage examples
- Get related documentation links


## AI Suggestions

The AI assistant comes pre-loaded with helpful suggestions to get you started:

### Common Questions

- "Write a python script that can load a new member."
- "How do I Authenticate to get an id token?"
- "What APIs should I use to search for members?"


### Quick Actions

- "Show me the required headers for API calls"
- "Generate a token refresh function"
- "Create a batch operation example"


### Advanced Topics

- "Explain SearchConfigs and how to choose the right one"
- "Show me how to optimize API performance"
- "Help me design a robust error handling strategy"
- "Guide me through the complete enrollment process"


## Best Practices for AI Interaction

### Be Specific

Instead of: "How do I use claims?"
Try: "Show me how to create a claim batch with multiple service lines and handle validation errors"

### Provide Context

When asking for help with errors:

- Include the error message
- Mention what you were trying to do
- Share relevant code if appropriate


### Iterate and Refine

Start with a basic question and drill down:

1. "How do I create a member?"
2. "Add error handling to that member creation code"
3. "Show me how to validate the member data first"


### Ask for Explanations

Don't just ask for code - ask the AI to explain:

- "Why do I need the User-Agent header?"
- "What's the difference between adjudicate and process?"
- "When should I use batch operations?"