Every single year that I’ve been doing this, I hear about the next “totally awesome” way to write code. And more often than not, the new thing is certainly very shiny.
When it comes to projects, with the exception of coding standards (which will be part 4 of this series) I am not a fan of telling developers how to write code. If you’ve got someone who likes to write code using Notepad on a Microsoft Windows machine, more power to them. Oh, you like coding in SublimeText3 on Mac – go for it.
If you work on one of my projects there are only a few rules I have about how you write your code:
- It must maintain the agreed-upon standard (such as PEP8)
- Your code – under penalty of my ire – must work on the designated system. If it WFM, “Works for Me” then you must get it working on the chosen system. (More on this topic in the test and build posts) And trust me, there’s plenty of people out there – including other contributors to this site – who would shudder to think of my ire directed singly upon them.
- Use whatever the agreed upon (preferably Git) source code control system.
- Use whatever build system is in play. Usually, this is done via a Jenkins server, but I’m not picky. I want consistency, and I want to make sure that the output of the project is reliable. More on build systems in the CI/CD section.
Notice something odd in there: nowhere did I say you had to use this particular editor or debugger. I honestly couldn’t care less if you like to write your code using Comic Sans or SourceCodePro. I really don’t care if you like to code using EMACS or Sublime. The tools one uses to write code should be selected through a similar vetting process to purchasing a good chef’s knife: use what you feel most comfortable using.
But, in the interest of showing what a rather more seasoned coder uses, here’s my setup:
Keyboard – Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard – I spend 8-16 hours a day on a keyboard, so I want my keyboard to be comfortable and able to handle heavy use. The good thing (besides that this is a great keyboard) they’re nice and cheap. So when one dies, I just buy another.
Mouse – ROCCAT Kone Pure Color – This is just a really great mouse.
Editor- Vim or, as of recent Neovim – I’ve used Vi/Vim for decades so I’m a bit of an old hat at using them.
Operating System – Debian Linux – When you want the best and you don’t want extra crap getting in your way; accept only the best.
I use that same setup at work as well as home. I am not endorsed by any of the product manufacturers; I just know what works for me. If I find a keyboard in the same form-factor as the one I’m using with Cherry MX Browns, I’ll buy two of them in a heartbeat.
I have also made use of PyCharm and Atom. Both of which I still use with Vim Keybindings.
