What do you do if you want to optimize your workflow as a computer engineer using automation and technology?

To optimize your workflow as a computer engineer, automate repetitive tasks using scripting languages, use version control systems like Git, implement CI/CD pipelines, use code review and project management tools. Enhance productivity with IDEs, create reproducible environments with Docker, leverage cloud services, and stay updated with new technologies. The goal is to focus on problem-solving and creating value by eliminating manual tasks.

Automatic unit testing is what has always helped me the most in my coding workflow. The first step in building complicated scientific software is to be sure that the single base bricks are both correct and efficient.

To optimize workflow as a computer engineer using automation and technology: Identify repetitive tasks. Use scripting and automation tools. Implement CI/CD pipelines. Utilize version control systems. Monitor performance and analyze data. Adopt Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Streamline documentation processes. and finally, Continuously improve and iterate.

Automating repetitive tasks is key to optimize workflow. It saves time and avoids errors. Automating repetitive tasks will reduce time as well as manual work.

One of the key factors in automation is enforcing standardization. Whether that takes the form of IAC dictating what your infra looks like or deployment pipelines that standardize how applications are built & deployed. By enforcing the things that we as people tend to forget about, or rather than look to the docs, just do it our own way, we come out with a stronger, clearer & arguably more robust system.

I don’t personally love code generators. They do have their place I suppose, but they tend to be inconsistent. I do use them to build me templates for documents I am working on and for that , they really are pretty good.

In your real-life scenario as a freelancer, leveraging code generators and templates can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency. By utilizing code generators, you can automate repetitive tasks such as creating GUI components, database queries, or web services, saving you time and effort. Similarly, templates provide reusable code snippets that can be customized for various purposes, enabling you to quickly generate classes, methods, or headers tailored to your project requirements. This approach streamlines your workflow, allowing you to focus more on delivering high-quality solutions to your clients within deadlines.

In my experience I have never used code generators or templates, not even for APIs. I like the freedom of making my own mistakes. :P

This! The larger the organization, the larger delta you will get among developers & development teams. Best practices help to minimize the odd errors & make it easier to troubleshoot as they do occur. When Chad rolls his own & I am the one troubleshooting it, it is more work to get inside his way of thinking & then complete the task.

It is very important to learn best practices for every language, pattern or system that you're using and adopt the coding standards of the language and most importantly, the company you're working on. However, in today's working environment it's also important not to forget about KISS. Make it work, then upgrade on the go.

IDEs & plugins are a mixed bag for me. Yes VS Code gets the job done & honestly I’m ok with it being fairly vanilla. I do like to add some formatting plugins as well as linking to my repo, but I don’t get into modding the UI.

IDEs are the programmer's best friend; I personally use only VSCode and when I'm on Linux I use Vim; when it comes to plugins, whilst one can download any plugin that suits your needs you should also be careful when working on a computer that's not yours; read your company agreement and rules. You don't want to catch a spyware (or worse) in your company's laptop!

Optimize your workflow as a computer engineer: 1. Identify repetitive tasks. 2. Automate using scripting languages like Python. 3. Implement CI/CD pipelines. 4. Use DevOps tools for infrastructure automation. 5. Utilize version control systems like Git. 6. Explore project management tools. 7. Keep learning about automation technologies. Boost productivity and focus on creative tasks!

It's always important to avoid being the lone-wolf in a project. There's a reason why you're part of a team; don't be afraid to ask others when you're in doubt and make sure to let others know of your ideas. This can create a highly collaborative environment which ultimate goal is to make things better, together.