I believe that all code monkeys (should) strive to be the best that they can be. Part of doing so is adapting your own process to maximize productivity and to make things easier for yourself. This is just a spur-of-the-moment post about some of the specific things I have discovered/changed in my few months at Translate.org.za that has had a big influence on the way that I develop software.
In stead of discussing each item in detail (which I've done in other posts for some of them), I'll just list them and say why/how it has contributed to my coding.
Python
Even though I have used Python before applying at Translate.org.za, I have (as with primary languages for all previous jobs) learned a lot about it since I started using it full-time. It has become my lingua franca and a very satisfying one at that.
VIm
Pimped out with the help of various tutorials, tips and plug-ins together with years of slowly getting to know the editor itself, VIm has become a great IDE for Python coding. It is surely one of the things that I would be lost without.
pdb
Having worked with Mono for a few years before, I wasn't used to using a debugger: there was no working debugger at the time and I don't know about its current state. While still searching for a decent (and working) Python debugging plug-in for VIm, pdb is doing a very fine job. It is surprisingly easy to use and probably even better than having an integrated debugger. I would have like to see a bit more IPython-like features, but the current pdb is still a life-saver!
git
As discussed before this has really shaken up my understanding of the role of version control. With git I just feel much safer and powerful, which means I don't have to hesitate about committing/branching and how it will influence other people until I'm sure I want to push it to a public server. I find myself cringing every time I have to use Subversion, asking "How can I use git?".
