Tools I use to code better

TL;DR: Linters and Formatters

What if I could have a tool that would point out imperfections in my code?

Has this thought ever crossed your mind?

Well, it crossed mine 😆

At some point, I don’t remember when, I started looking into something that would “fix” this problem for me. I think I read somewhere that a Senior Developer usually had these skills:

• the ability to write consistent code;
• the ability to write readable code;
• and others.

So as I was transitioning from a Mid-level Developer into the Senior role, it was only natural that I started working towards these objectives.

And while in my adventures through the internet, I found something called Linters and Formatters, which played a huge part into me getting this position as a 🌟Senior Developer🌟.

But then you ask:

What are you talking about, Gustavo???

Relax, I’ll do a quick summary and then explain which tools I’m currently using, alright? 💓

What is a linter?

Simply put, a linter is a tool that programmatically scans your code with the goal of finding issues that can lead to bugs or inconsistencies with code health and style. Some can even help fix them for you! — Colby Fayock via freeCodeCamp

What is a formatter?

To summarize, a formatter is what formats your code.

Yeah yeah, I know, this is obvious 😆

But we use them to format our code because they can:

• Keep our code formatting decisions consistent (’ over ”, no trailing commas, etc);
• Help newcomers into a codebase;
• Help us to build and enforce a style guide;
• Clean up an existing codebase.

So why wouldn’t we use it?

Okay, so now you get it… but then you ask:

What tools do you use, Gustavo?

These are the tools that I’m currently using at work and in my personal projects:

• Linters
  • ESLint - (Useful stuff)
  • Stylelint - (Useful stuff)
• Formatters
  • Prettier

And as a bonus, here’s my configuration stuff.

If you are in the same place as I once was, when I was thinking “What should I learn to be a better developer?”, here goes my advice to you:

Explore stuff!

The more you know, the better.

Thanks for reading all the way through! ❤️