Read Also: 5 Best Books on Object-Oriented Programming
For programmers, there are some tools that not only make your job simpler but also open upon a whole world of opportunities for you. A programmer who knows just the language he/she programs in falls ways behind a person who knows a couple of time-saving tools as well. This probably won’t be the first time you are hearing about these tools, and that is actually a serious problem. Most young professionals already know about these tools, they just don’t take the time to learn them properly and when they are assigned a task that involves usage of these tools, they often lack.
That is why we believe knowing about this list, and understanding each tool is very important. So if you are looking for some tools that would help you enhance your skills as well as your professional rank in the market, we have just the anecdote for you.
7 Essential Tools for Programmers
Here are the tools that could help put you on the map of professional developers and up to speed with the Software Industry. Understanding these tools is a very good way to maximize your work output and achieve success in your career as a software developer.1. Github
As you gain experience in the field of Computer programming, you start dealing with more and more complex and large projects. As you make changes to your project in an incremental and iterative manner, it is important to track the changes in case you have to go to a previous version. Github is an effective way of managing your code and controlling different versions. As a programmer, you should have a grasp on the basic concepts such as branching, forks, commits, and pull requests. It is quite possible that many people are working on the same project and each one has to make branches so as to avoid disrupting the overall source code of the project.Github has become a household name for developers now. It not only provides storage; it also allows a large team of developers to work together smoothly on large scale projects. If you are just starting out, you should definitely start studying about Git and this is a nice place to start: Git Complete: The definitive, step-by-step guide to Git
2. Linux commands
There are many Linux commands that can be used to make life simpler for programmers. Linux is a state of the art Operating System. No matter what language you are coding in, you will have to work on a UNIX based operating system anytime soon so it would be best if you learn Linux so you can easily use the power of Linux commands to speed up your work. Linux Command Line basics
3. Build Tools
Build tools like Maven, Gradle is very important in today's programming world. The build tool is helpful to convert computer source code to binary code. You can also package the binary code into a jar or war file. Build tools can also run automated tests.4. SVN
For version control, we started off by mentioning Git. Git does have more than 70% of the market share when it comes to the usage of controlling versions. However, many organizations use SVN as the trusted source of teamwork and version control of their projects. SVN was around long before Git was, and it won’t be going away any time soon so it’s probably better that you start learning it to have another option to use for your organization.5. SQL
SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is another tool that every programmer should learn early on in their career. With the tons of data around us, only those who know how to play with and manipulate the data will be successful in the coming years. SQL is used to perform basic CRUD operations on a database. The CRUD operations are Create, Retrieve, Update, and Delete. There is a lot of information available about SQL online and many good books have been written about it as well so you should definitely check them out. Students of Computer Science must have heard about SQL in Database courses studied at University. Even a surficial knowledge of SQL is enough to get you started and you can learn it along the way. Start here: The Complete SQL Bootcamp 2020: Go from Zero to Hero
6. Python
Python is a fast-growing object-oriented language with a syntax much simpler than the other languages you may have studied to date. It is powerful, versatile, and very easy to use. Nowadays it is used very frequently at the enterprise level to create large scale applications that require automation as well. The syntax is quite simple and close to that of a scripting language than to a structured language, yet it has all the functionalities of a structured language.There are quite a lot of online courses available that can introduce you to the basic concepts of Python as an Object-Oriented Language as well as many books written by reputed professors of some of the best universities around. Check this for details: Complete Python 3 Programming Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced.
7. Microsoft Excel / Word/ PowerPoint
Microsoft Excel is a very basic tool that you can learn without any background knowledge of computer programming. It is very easy to learn, yet it is a very powerful and essential need for any company. Microsoft Excel comes as a part of Microsoft Office, which is the most used tool around the globe for creating documents, sheets, and presentations. That makes it even more important to learn Excel. Whichever organization you join, they would most certainly be using Microsoft Excel and would ask you to join in on the work too. If you have a sufficient amount of skill, you will do just fine. Otherwise, you will be left behind. Start here: Microsoft Excel - Excel from Beginner to AdvancedAnother tool that is part of the Microsoft Office Suite is Microsoft Word. Like other modules of MS office, MS word is frequently used in almost every other office and it is a basic requirement before anyone offers you a job. In your career as a Software Designer and Developer, you will be required to write user stories, use cases, and design documents quite frequently so Microsoft Word would be a handy skill to acquire. You can find more details here Master Microsoft Word Beginner to Advanced
After MS Word and Excel, the third most frequently used tool out of the Microsoft Office Suite is Powerpoint. Its primary usage is in creating presentations. As a student of Computer Science, you might have been asked by your professors to prepare PowerPoint presentations on different topics from time to time. But you will be surprised to know that PowerPoint isn’t just used by students. Many professors use it for academic purposes and it is normal practice in companies to use Powerpoint to present company progress and performance using PowerPoint slides. Check this link for a good place to start: Powerpoint 2016 2019 - Master PowerPoint presentation.
We have laid down the basics of essential tools for every programmer. These tools comprise a set of must-have skills for programmers, whether they are working in the field of Web Development, Android Development, iOS development, or any other form of modern software development. Learning them would surely put your career on the right track.