What is a Development Workspace?
In software development, the development workspace is where you organize and configure your machine for local software development.
Why is the Development Workspace Important?
As a software engineer, you must always know where everything is on your machine(s). We don't just download or save things to random directories and forget about it. If and when you act that way, you inevitably look like a noobie, always taking forever to find the file or folder you need - before you can even start working with it.
This is one of those little details that shows how comfortable someone is in general with their work. A seasoned pro can open up their CLI and immediately move into the proper directory to start working on the task at hand. A beginner will often fumble for several minutes while trying to remember where they downloaded or saved some file or folder.
Configure Your Development Workspace
To counteract this, you'll set up a workspace containing all your work for this course so you'll always know where to go and where to find your work.
1. Open a CLI Window
2. Change Directories into your Documents Folder
cd ~/Documents
If you're using a terminal emulator on Windows and are having trouble with the ~, simply cd into the Documents folder using the full path:
cd C:\\Users\\YOUR\_USER\_NAME\\Documents\\
3. Create a New Directory Named "CodingNomads"
mkdir CodingNomads
4. Move into that new directory
cd CodingNomads
5. Create New Directories
Within the "CodingNomads" directory, create three new directories - "resources", "labs", and "projects".
mkdir resources labs projects
Please note that it is important to name files and folders with names that denote their contents. Try to imagine your future self at 5 a.m., needing to change an old project that you haven't seen in over a year for a deadline only a few hours away. While this is a worst-case scenario and can be avoided, choosing a name that passes this test will always keep you ready :)
6. Use This Workspace
Moving forward, place all your coding-related work in the "CodingNomads" directory or one of its sub-directories. You can create as many new directories as you choose. Just try your best to stay organized and make it all clear. You want to just know where your work/files are without having to fumble around and guess every time.
Summary: Development Workspace
- The development workspace is where you write code on your machine
- Knowing where your files are will save time in the future
- Properly naming your files and directories facilitates your future understanding of old projects