From personal development to team collaboration effectiveness
Introduction✍️
Over the past year, I’ve tested dozens of development tools, and they’ve affected my development productivity in different ways. In this article, I’ll share 18 game-changing tools that have truly improved my productivity. For each tool, I’ll share my personal experience, explaining why it’s recommended and how to maximize its value.
Rating system explained⭐
Each tool is scored out of 100 and evaluated along the following dimensions:
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Functional integrity (20 points)
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User experience (20 points)
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Learning curve (20 points)
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Collaboration support (20 points)
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Value for money (20 points)
Star conversion:
95-100 points=⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
90-94 points=⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
85-89 points=⭐⭐⭐⭐
80-84 points=⭐⭐⭐☆
75-79 points=⭐⭐⭐
1️⃣ Core development tools💻
✅ Apidog – Complete API Development Solution
Why choose it?
Compared with the postman, bee dog Provide more comprehensive solutions for API management, development, file collaboration, automated testing and simulation services. It is very consistent with OAS principles and is especially suitable for team use. bee dog.
Core advantages
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Integrate API documentation and debugging
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Powerful data simulation capabilities
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Comprehensive team collaboration capabilities
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Visual automated test scenario arrangement
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Multi-format import/export support
Tips
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Maximize automated testing capabilities
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Establish comprehensive API documentation standards
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Configure environment variables to facilitate switching
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Accelerate development with analog services
✅ Cursor – redefining the smart coding experience
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (95 points)
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Price: Free for basic functions, $16/month for professional version
Why it matters in 2024
In 2024, Cursor has become my default code editor. It perfectly inherits the advantages of VS Code, while achieving a qualitative leap in AI program assistance.
Core advantages
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Built-in AI assistant, quick response, accurate code suggestions
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Natural language code generation and refactoring support
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Smart debugging suggestions to quickly find problems
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Perfect integration with GitHub Copilot
Tips
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Take full advantage of AI assistant capabilities, especially refactoring and debugging
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Maintain your familiar VS Code shortcuts and workflows
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Generate code templates using natural language descriptions
✅ JetBrains Suite – Professional Developers’ Choice
Why is it still recommended?
Despite the power of Cursor, JetBrains IDE is still irreplaceable for certain areas such as Java development.
Core advantages
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In-depth language understanding and reconstruction support
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Comprehensive debugging capabilities
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Powerful plugin ecosystem
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Professional database tools
Tips
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Selective purchase based on needs
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Combined with Cursor for use in different scenarios
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Focus on refactoring and debugging features
2️⃣ AI programming assistant🤖
✅ GitHub Copilot – AI Programming Assistant
Why choose Artificial Intelligence Assistant of the Year?
As the most mature artificial intelligence programming assistant, Copilot continues to impress in 2024.
Core advantages
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Extremely high code completion accuracy
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Powerful contextual understanding
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Support multiple programming languages
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Deep integration with GitHub ecosystem
Tips
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Use natural language descriptions in comments
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Effectively use the Tab key to complete operations
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Combined with unit testing to improve code quality
✅ ChatGPT – a universal assistant for developers
Why is it essential?
Unlike GitHub Copilot’s coding focus, ChatGPT serves as a smart advisor to address various development challenges from architectural design to problem diagnosis.
Core advantages
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Excellent contextual understanding
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Detailed explanations and examples
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Supports various programming tasks
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Code review capabilities
Tips
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Prepare a clear problem description
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Request specific code examples
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Leverage conversation flows for in-depth discussions
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Use GPT-4 to get more professional advice
✅ Amazon CodeWhisperer – AWS ecosystem artificial intelligence assistant
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (85 points)
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Price: Free for personal use, paid for professional version
Why should you consider it?
For developers who heavily use AWS services, code whisperer Provide AI program support specifically for the AWS ecosystem.
Core advantages
Tips
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Used in conjunction with AWS service scenarios
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Focus on security best practices
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Using IDE plug-ins
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Stay informed about new features
3️⃣ Version control and collaboration🤝
✅ Git & GitHub/GitLab – Standard code management
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (95 points)
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Price: Free for basic functions, paid for enterprise version
Why is it standard?
By 2024, Git will still be the de facto standard for version control, and GitHub/GitLab provide a complete development collaboration platform.
Core advantages
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Comprehensive version control capabilities
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Powerful CI/CD integration
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Active open source community
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Excellent project management functions
Tips
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Establish a standardized branch management strategy
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Leveraging Actions/CI Automation
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Standardized submission message format
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Make good use of projects for task management
4️⃣ Development efficiency tools🚀
✅ Docker – essential for container deployment
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (94 points)
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Price: Free for individuals, paid for businesses
Why is it essential?
Containerization has become the standard for modern development, and Docker makes environment configuration and application deployment easier than ever.
Core advantages
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Consistent development environment
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Rapid deployment capability
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Excellent resource isolation
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Extensive imaging ecosystem
Tips
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Optimize image size using multi-stage build
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Follow Dockerfile best practices
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Implement multi-container applications with Docker Compose
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Focus on image security scanning
✅ iTerm2 + Oh My Zsh – enhanced terminal experience
Why configure it?
A modern terminal experience can significantly improve development productivity, and this combination provides the best command line experience possible.
Core advantages
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Powerful terminal split screen function
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Rich themes and plugins
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Smart command completion
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Good interface customization
Tips
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Install commonly used zsh plug-ins
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Configure personalized themes
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Set command alias
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Improve efficiency with shortcuts
5️⃣ Debugging and monitoring tools🔍
✅ Chrome DevTools – essential for front-end debugging
Why is it important?
As the most powerful browser debugging tool, it covers almost all front-end development and debugging scenarios.
Core advantages
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Powerful component detection
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Complete network monitoring
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Convenient performance analysis
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Useful console features
Tips
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Master keyboard shortcuts
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Make good use of the Source panel for debugging
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Leverage performance for analysis
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Master the advanced use of the console
✅ Datadog/New Relic – Application Monitoring Expert
Why is it needed?
In the microservice architecture, a complete monitoring system is the key to ensuring application stability.
Core advantages
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Comprehensive monitoring indicators
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Powerful alert function
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Intuitive data visualization
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Decentralized tracking support
Tips
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Set reasonable alarm thresholds
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Create a custom dashboard
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Take full advantage of APM capabilities
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Focus on cost optimization
✅ Redis Desktop Manager – Redis visual management
Why is it recommended?
As a Redis visual management tool, it makes database operations intuitive and efficient, and is especially suitable for the development and debugging stages.
Core advantages
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Intuitive data browsing interface
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Support multiple data format display
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Convenient data import/export
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SSL connection and cluster management support
Tips
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Use shortcuts to improve efficiency
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Regularly back up connection configurations
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Pay attention to big data access performance
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Used with the command line
6️⃣ Project management and documents📝
✅ Notion – Knowledge management and collaboration platform
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (93 points)
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Price: Free for personal use, $8/user/month for team use
Why is it standard?
Notion has evolved into a core platform for team knowledge management and collaboration, with impressive flexibility and functionality.
Core advantages
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Ultimate flexibility and customization
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Powerful database function
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Excellent collaboration features
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Rich template resources
Tips
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Establish a clear document structure
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Use templates to maximize efficiency
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Use database functions for project management
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Keep files up to date
✅ Jira – Professional project management tool
Why still use it?
Despite new alternatives, Jira remains the most established solution for professional project management, especially agile development.
Core advantages
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Comprehensive agile development support
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Powerful workflow customization
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Detailed reporting and statistics
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Rich plugin ecosystem
Tips
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Simplify workflow to avoid complexity
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Improve efficiency with quick actions
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Customize key report templates
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Use with Confluence
7️⃣ Productivity enhancement tools⚡
✅ Fig – Modern Terminal Assistant
Why try it?
Fig brings an IDE-like auto-completion function to the terminal, significantly improving command line efficiency.
Core advantages
Tips
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Familiar with common command completion
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Add custom completion rules
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Use with iTerm2
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Regularly updated as-built data
✅ Linear – Next generation project management
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (92 points)
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Price: Free tier available, $8 per user per month for teams
Why is it rising?
Linear redefines project management with modern design principles, delivering impressive speed and user experience.
Core advantages
Tips
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Master keyboard shortcuts
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Establish a clear project hierarchy
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Leverage automated workflows
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Integrate with GitHub
✅ Raycast – Productivity Launcher
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (91 points)
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Price: Basic version is free, Pro version is $10 per month
Why is it better than traditional launchers?
Raycast is more than just a launcher; it’s a programmable productivity platform that dramatically improves the efficiency of your daily workflow.
Core advantages
Tips
Recommended tool combination🎯
Entry level developer package
Full developer package
Team collaboration suite
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The above tools + Linear + Notion + Jira
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Budget: ~$80/person/month
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Recommended: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Conclusion 🎯
These 18 tools make up my 2024 development toolkit, and each tool serves a different area to improve development efficiency. The prevalence of artificial intelligence-assisted development tools indicates that this will become a key area in 2025!
Outlook 2025🚀
As artificial intelligence tools continue to evolve, development tools in 2025 are expected to become smarter and more automated. Pay close attention to:
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Advances in artificial intelligence-assisted programming
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Next generation collaboration tools
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Cloud native development tools
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Low-code/no-code platform
Feel free to share your tool lists and experiences in the comments!
Reference link📚