My development tools

On a number of occasions, I’ve been asked what tools I use while I code. Here’s the short list:

• Visual Studio Code: Free code editor from Microsoft
• GitKraken: Git GUI
• iTerm2: macOS Terminal replacement
• Dracula Theme: A dark theme for many things

Visual Studio Code

My goto editor is Visual Studio Code (Code for short). I rarely have to leave it thanks to the integrated Terminal support, which also picks up my shell of choice: Zsh (Z shell). It also has extensions for the major languages and frameworks.

GitKraken

While Code does have basic Git integration, I prefer using a separate Git GUI. I also like having a visual representation of what’s happening with Git, which can be obscured when using the command line. I used Sourcetree for many years, but recently made the switch to GitKraken. For all my open source coding projects, I use the free version, which has been more than sufficient for my needs.

iTerm2

The default macOS Terminal is fine, but iTerm2 is better! There are a lot more features and customizations that make it more convenient.

I also have a separate repo that I use to configure my Terminal. It’s super basic, but it helps me get up and running on a new machine with the Terminal configuration that I like. It’s also Terminal agnostic: if I’m on a Linux machine, I can use it there too.

Dracula Theme

Last, but not least… is the Dracula Theme. I like it dark, and the color palette is pleasing to the eye. It also supports many popular tools, including Code, iTerm2, and Zsh.

Conclusion

Give these tools a try and hopefully they improve your productivity!