Developer Productivity

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title: ‘Productivity Tools & Tricks for Developers’ description: ” order: 1 videoId: https://youtu.be/C_jQahOnGUU?si=4sEQHvUd8uoVhG_N tags: [‘CSE Starter’, ‘core’]

These tools are optional. You don’t need them to become a great developer.

The goal isn’t to have the fanciest setup—it’s to reduce repetitive work so you can spend more time solving problems.

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⌨ Learn Keyboard Shortcuts First

The biggest productivity boost comes from learning keyboard shortcuts.

Start with:

• Copy, paste, undo, and redo.
• Switching applications.
• Window management.
• Opening the terminal.
• Shortcuts in your code editor.

Learning a few shortcuts each week can save hours over time.

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Vim & Neovim (Optional)

You don’t need Vim or Neovim to become a good developer.

Some developers enjoy them because they provide a fast, keyboard-first workflow and are highly customizable.

If you’re curious, give them a try—but don’t feel pressured to switch.

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Window Management

You’ll constantly switch between your editor, browser, terminal, and documentation.

Learning your operating system’s window management shortcuts is often enough.

If you want more control, consider a tiling window manager:

• Linux: i3, Sway, bspwm
• macOS: AeroSpace, Yabai
• Windows: FancyZones (PowerToys)

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Browser Keyboard Navigation (Optional)

Extensions like Vimium let you browse using only your keyboard, making it easier to navigate documentation and GitHub.

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Launcher

Launchers help you open applications, search files, and run commands without reaching for your mouse.

Popular choices:

• Raycast / Alfred (macOS)
• Flow Launcher (Windows)
• Rofi (Linux)

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Clipboard Manager

A clipboard manager stores your copy history, allowing you to paste items you copied minutes or even days ago.

Recommended options:

• CopyQ (Cross-platform)
• Maccy (macOS)
• Ditto (Windows)