Developer tools, explained by someone who uses them.

Short, practical notes on version control, editors, linting, dependencies and code signing, with the trade-offs left in.

$ git switch -c fix/rounding
$ npm ci
$ npm run lint && npm test
$ git commit -m "Fix currency rounding"

git

Version Control Habits That Save You Later

Version control is only as useful as the history you leave in it. A few habits make that history something you can actually use.

editors

Choosing an Editor or IDE Without the Holy War

The best editor is the one you know well. Still, the difference between a plain editor and a full IDE is worth understanding.

quality

Linters and Formatters: Let the Machine Argue About Style

Code review time is precious. Spend it on logic, and let automated tools handle formatting and common mistakes.

dependencies

Package Managers and Lockfiles

Installing a library takes one command. Keeping a project's dependencies reproducible and safe takes a little more care.

security

Code Signing and Sideloaded Apps: What a Signature Proves

A signature tells you who published an app and that it has not been altered since. It does not tell you the app is good. Knowing the difference matters most when installing outside an app store.

maths

Converting Odds Formats in Code: Decimal, Fractional and Implied Probability

Sports data, games and forecasting tools all express likelihood as odds. The conversions are simple, but rounding and the bookmaker's margin catch people out.