Developer tools: how to be more productive?

“Productivity is not about doing more in less time, is about to do better using this time”

I think that a developer needs to use the time to create solutions, not necessarily use this time to create code. I’ll explain better.

Imagine you are creating a new module in your application, this module uses a model named “Order”, you are looking at the json with all module mapping, it’s about 150 properties. Now, imagine you are writing property by property, type by type, you’ll use a lot of time with a mechanical task, you are not thinking, just writing. You aren’t creating a solution, you are just coding.

Ok, now you agree with me that just code is so boring, creating solutions, on the other hand, are the motivation to be a developer, but, how we can be more productive avoiding “just coding”.

In this article, I’ll list some tools that are helping me a lot, you need to judge if it makes sense in your context, in your company, in your tasks, but, know these tips can help you in the future.

1. Raycast

Raycast is a launcher, an alternative to Spotlight.

The most important features here are:

  • Clipboard history: if you don’t use a clipboard history yet, you are losing life!
  • Snippets: have all your snippets in one place, and… USE SNIPPETS, not only to code, but to another informations, like email, phone, every text that you need to type every time.
  • Scripts: you can create your own scripts, using input, output. An important script to me is to change slack status when I’m going to have a lunch, it changes the status, the icon and a due time.
  • Extensions: Raycast contains a lot of scripts done, as open source, a lot of them are develper scripts.
  • Fastest spotlight: It delivery all important Spotlight features, but, in my opinion, Raycast is faster.
  • See all extensions and think about this amazing app.

2. Paw

“The most advanced API tool for Mac”, and I agree with it. As an Apple developer, I love native applications but is not only it.

Paw allows you to map all your backend endpoints with your team, using environments, personal variables, and other features that help you to keep updated.

But for me, the best feature is the integration with extensions. You can use the default extensions or create your own. If you create an extension to a famous framework, your extensions can turn as default to, I created on to work with Moya.

The extensions are amazing because you can create an automation to your network layer, don’t miss time again writing code to your network mapping. Of course, is important to have patterns in your network layer. If you don’t have it yet, I recommend seeing the Moya framework.

3. Visual Studio Code

First of all, if you are a web developer, go to the next app, you’re already convinced that VSCode is one of the bests coding editing apps.

BUT IF YOU ARE A MOBILE DEVELOPER, read with attention.

Visual Studio Code is currently one of the bests coding editing apps. To me, the most important feature of VSCode is speed.

If you use Xcode or Android Studio and you need to open a project, you need a lot of time only to open the project. After the project opening, need to index… VSCode looks like an instant. Now you say to me, “But I need the index, intellisense…”, I’ll answer you, “You truly need this all time?”. When you’ll change a folder structure, change dependency files, fix indentation problems, create files, write json, property files, do you need to lose too much time with indexing and the IDE, just to make these tasks?

I great tip to you, is to install the code command to use in Terminal. With this command, you can type code . and open the current folder in VSCode, or specific files too.

In a conclusion, I’m not recommending you to replace your IDE with VSCode, I’m recommending you to use this tool as an additional tool, to improve your productivity.

4. JSON Export

Not least, but a little outdated, JSON Export is an open-source mac app to create models based on json. I love this app to not complex projects, but can be extended to other cases too. Personally, one reason I like this app, it’s because I created this icon 🙂

It supports a lot of languages and solves the problem of losing a lot of time creating models.

Don’t forget that it’s open-source, you can fork and change the exports as you need.

5. Pocket

Not necessarily a developer tool, but a helper to improve your knowledge.

Pocket is a “link saver”. You can send to pocket all your important articles links and read them inside the Pocket App. The app downloads all articles and allows you to read offline.

I think that’s an important tool to developers because it’s a centralizer of contents, when you need to find an article that you have been read before, you can find it easily.

6. Bear

Last but not least is the Bear app. Bear is a note app: “Markdown Notes for iPhone, iPad, and Mac”.

I used a lot of note apps across last years, now, my favorite is the Bear app. I like it because it’s easy to use, to organize and it uses markdown… Then it supports code!

I use to save notes, but the most important: code snippets! Not snippets to be autocompleted, but snippets to save codes to use before, like news of swift, or code patterns.

Bear can save HTML pages to, can replace Pocket.

Concluding

That’s it, some tools to help you to be more productive, I hope it helps you!

If you have some questions or suggestions, send me on Twitter!

My recommendation to you is: use the most part of your time thinking and the rest of your time, coding!