F04

Tools of the Trade

“Every builder needs a toolbox”

The shellFreeThe shell lets you talk to your computer by typing commands instead of clicking. You'll learn where you are (pwd), what's here (ls), and how to move around (cd). · 12 min
Files and foldersFreeCreate, copy, move, rename and delete files and folders by typing. Plus how to read file permissions, the rules for who can read, change or run each file. · 13 min
Pipes and redirectionFreeSmall commands that each do one thing can be snapped together with the pipe symbol (|), so the output of one becomes the input of the next. And > saves any output into a file. · 15 min
Shell scripting🔒 MembersPut shell commands in a file and you've written a script, a program that repeats your work with one command. Variables, loops and exit codes make scripts smart. · 15 min
Finding things and regular expressions🔒 Membersfind locates files by name; grep -r searches inside every file. Regular expressions describe patterns of text (like "any phone number"), so you can search for shapes, not just exact words. · 16 min
Your command-line environment🔒 MembersMake the shell your own. Environment variables (like PATH) tell programs where things are, aliases make shortcuts, and dotfiles save your setup. Plus how to stop runaway programs and connect to other computers with ssh. · 14 min
Editors and your dev environment🔒 MembersProgrammers spend more time editing code than writing it. A good editor (like VS Code) plus a few keyboard skills, and even a little Vim, make that time faster and more pleasant. · 14 min
Git 1: saving snapshots🔒 MembersGit takes snapshots of your project called commits, so you can see what changed, when, and why, and go back any time. The everyday loop is edit, add, commit. · 16 min
Git 2: branches and merging🔒 MembersA branch is a separate line of work, so you can try an idea without disturbing the main version. Merging brings the work back together, and a conflict is git asking you to choose when two changes collide. · 17 min
Git 3: working with others🔒 MembersRemotes like GitHub let a whole team share one project. Clone to get a copy, push to share your commits, pull to get theirs, and use pull requests to review changes before they're merged. · 17 min
Debugging and profiling🔒 MembersA debugger lets you pause a program and look inside it, line by line. Logging leaves a trail of what happened, and a profiler shows which part of your program is slow, so you fix the right thing. · 15 min
Packaging and shipping code🔒 MembersReal projects stand on other people's code (packages). Package managers install them, version numbers say what changed, lockfiles freeze exact versions, and virtual environments and containers keep each project's setup separate and repeatable. · 15 min
Code quality🔒 MembersProfessional code is checked by machines and people before it ships. Formatters fix style, linters catch mistakes, type checkers catch wrong kinds of values, automated tests catch broken behavior, CI runs them all on every change, and code review shares knowledge. · 16 min
Coding with AI assistants🔒 MembersAI assistants can explain errors, draft code and even run commands for you. You'll learn how they work, why their code needs checking, and the habits that make them a superpower instead of a source of hidden bugs. · 14 min
Security basics for developers🔒 MembersA few habits protect your users and your projects. You'll see how hashing works, why passwords are stored salted and hashed, how keys and two-factor login keep accounts safe, and how to keep secrets out of your code. · 16 min
Boss level: automate your workflow🔒 MembersTurn a boring Monday-morning chore into a script, keep it safe in git, and ship an improvement through a branch, a teammate's surprise push and a pull. It uses the shell, scripting, pipes and git together, like a real developer's week. · 35 min

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