If you are a software developer, you must be exploring new ways to get your Mac ready for new tools, frameworks, accessories, and more. To evolve as a developer, you should keep learning new skills that make your task easier.
In this article, we will discuss the settings, shortcuts, tools, tips, and tricks essential for making your laptop efficient for programming tasks.
macOS Settings
By tweaking your MacBook settings, you can make it more responsive for you as a developer. In the System Preferences, go to Keyboard, click Shortcuts, and select Function Keys from the list displayed on the left.
In addition, the Dock must be set up to ‘Automatically hide and show the Dock.’ Set the ‘Tap to Click’ option for Trackpad as it’s faster to tap instead of click. Enable the trackpad dragging to easily select the text and drag files through double tap.
Also, change settings in the Finder to see all file name extensions. To do this, click Preferences, go to Advanced, and select ‘Show all filename extensions.’ Also, make sure you can find apps like Screenshot App via Spotlight Search.
macOS Shortcuts
Learning new programming software for Mac is already an excellent experience, and developers are often introduced to new technologies like Github, Command Line, Git, and more. With new tools coming and going, developers often oversee the need to learn keyboard shortcuts.
Investing time in getting familiar with keyboard shortcuts saves you time and effort in the long run. For example, you should know that pressing the Command + Shift + Right Arrow keys will the code written at the right of the cursor.
As a programmer, learning the ways to quickly edit the code will make you efficient at work. Learn the basic keyboard shortcuts like Command + F keys, open the Find bar, Ctrl + Tab toggles the tabs to the right, or Command + A will highlight the entire file.
Command-Line Tools
Getting familiar with the command-line tools will make your work easier as a developer. Here is a list of some of the most proficient tools you can learn.
Homebrew is a popular package manager that allows you to install, update, and uninstall command-line tools and macOS applications. To install it, you may also be required to install the XCode Command-line tools on your Mac.
iTerm2 is an excellent replacement for the Terminal app. After you install iTerm2, go to the Dock to replace the Terminal. Alternatively, open Spotlight by pressing Command + Space and typing in iTerm2. You can also show or hide the iTerm2 window using a hotkey.
Zsh is another command line tool that gives you quick access to available commands that you may require. Pressing the Tab again will allow you to navigate between options by tapping the Tab key or the Right and Left arrow keys. Press Space to confirm the command.
macOS Applications
A host of applications are available to use for developers. These apps are designed to improve productivity while developing code. As a developer, you must find new and proven ways to automate your work using applications and tools.
Visual Studio Code of a proficient IDE or code editor available for software developers. The application is open-source and includes hundreds of extensions that simplify coding. Visit Visual Studio Marketplace to find extensions for popular languages and frameworks.
Alfred is another useful productivity app that improves your efficiency through keywords, hotkeys, and text expansion tools. Using the tool, you can easily find files and applications on a local drive or on the web.
Web Tools and Accessories
There are tons of free web tools that you can use via Safari or any other browser. These tools include Clippy, Gifcap, db diagram, Get Waves, uiGradients, Graphviz Online, Keycode, Mastershot, Create App, Boxy, and many more.
Apart from that, there are an array of accessories that you can use to simplify web development. Using Dual USB-C docking stations will turn your USB-C port into 12 ports that you can use for connecting different external devices you might be using as a developer.
Using mechanical keyboards or programming keyboards will give you more control over commands. When it comes to computer mouse, there are a lot of ergonomics models you can use for comfort and convenience while working for longer hours.
Tips and Tricks
A few tips and tricks will allow you to work more efficiently on your MacBook. For example, creating a dotfiles repo will help you to store all your files in one location. Use NPX (Node Package Execute) to view and run commands from the npm package without using JSON.
Zsh command line tool gives you access to cross-platform copy-and-paste commands. It allows you to copy and paste commands right from and into the Terminal. In addition to the above-mentioned tips and tricks, declutter your laptop regularly for better productivity.
Learning a programming language might be easy, but getting acquainted with your tools and accessories takes time. So, spend some time out of your busy work routine to learn keyboard shortcuts, tweak macOS settings, and understand new tools and accessories.
