Developer Tools

IDE, debugging, profiling, and CLI tools for productive development.

IDEs / Editors

VS Code Extensions (Essential)

// .vscode/extensions.json
{
  "recommendations": [
    "dbaeumer.vscode-eslint",           // ESLint
    "esbenp.prettier-vscode",           // Prettier
    "bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss",        // Tailwind
    "ms-python.python",                 // Python
    "ms-python.pylance",                // Pylance
    "golang.go",                        // Go
    "rust-lang.rust-analyzer",          // Rust
    "redhat.java",                      // Java
    "vscjava.vscode-java-pack",         // Java pack
    "scala-lang.scala",                 // Scala (Metals)
    "kotlin.kotlin",                    // Kotlin
    "ms-azuretools.vscode-docker",      // Docker
    "hashicorp.terraform",              // Terraform
    "redhat.vscode-yaml",               // YAML
    "github.vscode-github-actions",     // GitHub Actions
    "ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers", // Dev Containers
    "usernamehw.errorlens",             // Inline errors
    "streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker" // Spell check
  ]
}

IntelliJ IDEA Plugins

• Key Promoter X — Learn shortcuts
• Rainbow Brackets — Nested bracket colors
• String Manipulation — Text transformations
• GitToolBox — Enhanced Git UI
• SonarLint — Real-time code quality

Debugging

General Principles

• Reproduce first — Minimal failing case
• Binary search — Narrow down location
• Log strategically — Structured logs > printf
• Use debugger — Breakpoints, watch expressions, conditional breakpoints

Language-Specific

VS Code Debug Configurations (.vscode/launch.json)

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Launch Node/TS",
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "runtimeExecutable": "pnpm",
      "runtimeArgs": ["dev"],
      "console": "integratedTerminal"
    },
    {
      "name": "Python: FastAPI",
      "type": "python",
      "request": "launch",
      "module": "uvicorn",
      "args": ["main:app", "--reload"],
      "jinja": true
    },
    {
      "name": "Go: Launch",
      "type": "go",
      "request": "launch",
      "mode": "auto",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/cmd/api"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rust: Debug",
      "type": "lldb",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/target/debug/my-app",
      "args": [],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
    }
  ]
}

Remote Debugging

• Java: -agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=*:5005
• Node: --inspect=0.0.0.0:9229
• Python: python -m debugpy --listen 0.0.0.0:5678 --wait-for-client -m uvicorn main:app
• Go: dlv debug --headless --listen=:2345 --api-version=2 --accept-multiclient

Profiling

CPU / Memory Profilers

Continuous Profiling (Production)

• Pyroscope — Open source continuous profiling
• Datadog / Grafana Pyroscope — Managed
• Google Cloud Profiler — GCP native

CLI Productivity

Modern CLI Replacements

Terminal Multiplexers

• tmux — Sessions, windows, panes; persistent
• zellij — Modern, plugins, layouts
• screen — Legacy, ubiquitous

Shell Enhancements

• Starship — Cross-shell prompt (fast, configurable)
• zoxide — Smart cd (learns your directories)
• fzf — Fuzzy finder (files, history, git, processes)
• direnv — Per-directory env vars (auto-load .envrc)
• atuin — Shell history sync + search (encrypted)

Git CLI

• lazygit — TUI for git (commit, stage, rebase visually)
• gitui — Rust-based TUI alternative
• git-delta — Better diffs (git config --global core.pager delta)
• commitizen — Conventional commit wizard (cz commit)

API Development

REST Clients

• Bruno — Open source, Git-friendly (stores as plain text)
• Insomnia — Feature-rich, team sync
• HTTPie — CLI (http GET :8080/users)
• VS Code REST Client — .http files in editor
• curl / xh — Scriptable

GraphQL

• GraphiQL — In-browser IDE
• Altair — Desktop client
• Postman — Also supports GraphQL

gRPC

• grpcurl — CLI (grpcurl -plaintext localhost:5005 list)
• BloomRPC — GUI for gRPC
• Postman — gRPC support

Database Tools

Migration Tools

• golang-migrate — Go, CLI, multiple DBs
• Atlas — Declarative schema (Terraform-like)
• Liquibase — XML/YAML/SQL, Java ecosystem
• Flyway — SQL/Java migrations, Spring Boot default

Container / K8s Tools

Documentation / Diagrams

Diagrams as Code

• Mermaid — Markdown-embedded (GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Obsidian)
• PlantUML — UML, C4, more diagram types
• Structurizr — C4 model DSL (Java/Kotlin/Go/JS)
• GraphViz (dot) — General graph visualization
• d2 — Modern declarative diagrams

Architecture Documentation

• C4 Model — Context, Container, Component, Code
• ADR — Architecture Decision Records (adr-tools)

Related Notes

• Build Tools — Build systems, bundlers
• Static Analysis — Linting, type checking
• Package Management — Dependencies, registries
• • — Language-specific tooling
• CI CD Best Practices — CI integration
• Observability — Production profiling

Sources: VS Code Docs, JetBrains Guides, Language-specific debugging guides, CNCF Landscape, Thoughtworks Radar