Mastering a development workflow means more than just writing clean code. Efficiency comes from small wins—keyboard shortcuts, smarter debugging, cleaner file structures. If you’re looking to level up fast, these tips and tricks buzzardcoding provides offer just that. You can check out a detailed breakdown in this strategic coding practices guide, where real-world developers share what actually works.
Know Your Editor (and Master It)
Whatever IDE you’re using—VS Code, IntelliJ, Sublime—dig in. Learn the shortcuts, configure extensions, tailor your environment. You shouldn’t be reaching for the mouse to run code or open a terminal. Automating common tasks inside your editor saves minutes on the hour, hours on the week.
Also: set up your linter. Whether it’s ESLint, Pylint, or Flake8, let the machine nag you before runtime does.
Version Control: Use It Like You Mean It
Git isn’t just for pushing to GitHub once a month. It’s a timeline of your thought process. Keep commits small and descriptive. Branch meaningfully. Squash and rebase when merging refined features. Avoid “Fix again” commit messages—they’re the sign of lazy tracking.
Bonus: Set up aliases. git st for git status, git co for checkout. Faster typing, smoother flow.
DRY and Meaning It
The age-old “Don’t Repeat Yourself” rule isn’t about being clever. It’s about being consistent and faster. Reusable functions, shared components, templates, automated tests—reuse logic wherever it makes sense. You don’t get awards for reinventing filters or rebuilding UI cards every project.
This is where the real spirit of tips and tricks buzzardcoding shines—bite-sized efficiencies that scale.
Automation Is Your Friend
Build scripts. Prettier. Webpack. Husky. Git hooks. Anything that can trigger a process automatically should. We’re not just talking about production deployment—local automation helps eliminate “Oops, forgot to run tests” moments.
Try this mental check: If you find yourself doing something repetitive for the third time, stop. Script it.
Debugging with a System
Debugging shouldn’t be a desperate shuffle through console logs. Build a strategy. Set breakpoints with intent. Know how to read stack traces. Isolate, reproduce, then test. Use logs, but also use your IDE’s debugger. It’s there for a reason—you don’t get extra points for flying blind.
Also: Don’t underestimate a good rubber duck (literally or otherwise).
Know Where to Copy From
Not all stack overflow answers are created equal. Learn to distinguish between a band-aid and a well-reasoned solution. Building a personal snippet library—code blocks you’ve tested and trust—saves time and protects from copy-paste bugs.
Better yet, curate from trusted sources (like the tips and tricks buzzardcoding blog). Bookmark what works.
UI/UX Isn’t a “Later Problem”
If users can’t use the app, it doesn’t matter how genius your backend is. Clear labels, logical flows, responsive design—these aren’t extras. They’re part of the build. Use tools like Storybook to prototype components and get feedback early.
And test on real devices. Emulators aren’t the same as your aunt’s ancient iPhone.
Performance First, Refactor Second
It doesn’t have to be lightning-fast the second you open your editor. But performance should always be a background consideration. Are you loading ten libraries to get one utility function? Are you querying the database more than you need to?
Start with code that works. Then tighten. Trace performance bottlenecks early using tools like Lighthouse, DevTools, or Profiler. Don’t let “I’ll fix it later” stop you from writing scalable code now.
Read Other People’s Code Regularly
You’ll write better code by reading bad code. Also by reading great code.
Skim open-source repos. Participate in code reviews. Help junior devs untangle mistakes. You’ll not only improve your skills—you’ll level up your ability to communicate and architect.
And if you’re feeling stuck, get inspired by seeing how others solved similar problems—even if you don’t use their approach.
Soft Skills Are Hard Core
Being a dev isn’t just technical. It’s communication, negotiation, and intuition too. Can you explain what your code does to a PM? Can you write an issue ticket someone else can take over confidently?
Get good at talking about your code. Humility and clarity go further than you’d think.
Final Takeaway: Consistency Wins
All the shortcuts in the world don’t mean much if you don’t develop muscle memory. The most powerful tips and tricks buzzardcoding shares are the ones that become second nature with repetition.
Work smarter. Keep it lean. Stay curious. You don’t need to be a 10x developer—you just need to ship clean, tested code that works today and still makes sense six months from now.
If you want even deeper insights into tailoring your workflow, practice-building habits, and dev-approved tools, the strategic coding practices guide is worth bookmarking.
Pick three tips today. Implement them this week. Watch your build speed up.