Welcome to the land of coding and developing!

Getting your bearings in this digital, new world can be intimidating at first. Getting sustainable and organized with all the files and projects can seem overwhelming. From beginner to professional, good coders implement the same practices. Here, we give you the top organizational tips to launch your own coding adventure.

Develop Your Workflow

sfldby847wOrganization is key to a coder’s workflow. With all of the extensive files and different iterations of coding sequences, you can’t afford to not be organized if you want to see your projects come to life. So, get ready to get organized! Organization for coders comes in the form of code repositories, also known as a “repo”. A repo is storage space or backup of your code on an external server. Much like syncing your files to the cloud, the repo’s function is to backup projects by archiving large amounts of code so you can organize all your projects without killing the storage on your device and safeguarding your glorious code if your computer crashes. Repos allow you to swiftly and efficiently split a project into two separate working directions.

Creating different iterations in code is paramount to a coder’s life, in that they try several ways to get their desired outcome or to create different variations that operate different functions. Creating a workflow in repos allows you be able to compare different iterations of code that you can tinker with individually. Repos also allow you to retract bad coding decisions and retrieve your pre-buggy work. Recovering your code before it gets broken is an essential time saver and way to not lose your mind trying to rewrite hours of code. If you don’t know already, you will soon: coding can go awry at any point, so develop your workflow with repos to become an efficient and successful coder. Archive all your code into code repositories like a digital filing cabinet to organize your workflow!

Teamwork Makes The Dreamwork

Startup Stock PhotosFor a career in coding, you will work on a team at some point. Especially if you plan on working with an agency or a start up. Developing apps, software, websites or anything else that requires an extensive amount of coding takes a team of developers that can work well together. So, you need organization that allows you to work seamlesslywith other coders! To do this you have to be able to go into an environment that can facilitate comparing, editing, and exchanging different variations of code among the team. Source code repositories are again your answer! Source code repositories are the environment where developers can collaborate and work together. A code repository enables multiple people to view and edit the code while preventing an individual’s work from being overwritten or erased during the editing process. A team can write and revise the same file and two copies will be saved. It also helps you to keep track of revisions when working on a team because it will keep accurate logs of edits and record any bugs that pop up so you can follow the progression to your final product.

Even if you aren’t working in a team now, working with a repository on your own prepares you for when you need to collaborate with other developers in the future. A team of coders can actually make wireframes that can become a tangible product; use code repositories to effectively and efficiently work with other developers so you can write your ideas into reality!

Refurbish Your Code

Processed with VSCO with 5 presetWho wants to re-rewrite code that already exists and works? By keeping your projects organized and archived on repos, you can easily retrieve bits of code to reuse in future projects, which is just a smart and efficient workflow method. As well as staying in sync when you’re on a team, sharing snippets of code will keep things rolling at a fast pace. Always repurpose what you have already taken the time to hash out.

Also, code repositories are very often used by open-source projects or other multi-developer projects and can be on an online host like GitHub or BitBucket. This means there is a ton of open source code to use as a resource. These sites let you grab code for certain functionalities or operations or even fully fleshed out projects where you can copy and tweak or use as inspiration for your own code. But regardless, these host repos sites are a gold mine for repurposing already written code to integrate into your project. Sites like Bootstrap have pre-written HTML and CSS up for the taking for faster web development. Apple has fully fleshed out Swift code for native IOS development that you can plug and chug right into Xcode. Write smart and use what people have already written for basic functionality so you can spend your time focused on writing your unique, innovative code for the features that are going to set your project apart from the rest.

Now you’re ready to start writing! Get organized and plan out what projects you are going to be working on in the foreseeable future. Remember that determining what your project needs is crucial to picking a repository. Integrate a repo into your workflow, get all of your projects organized, and watch the magic happen. You’re on your way to becoming a pro-coder!