From Chaos To Order

Once upon a time, in the humble beginnings of my journey as a junior React Native Expo developer, I was the embodiment of chaos. Picture this: scribbled notes spread across multiple papers, reminders popping up everywhere, a daunting heap of digital and physical clutter that could make Marie Kondo wince. It was a typical scene of someone learning the ropes and trying to grasp the complexities of a new field. But, as we know, chaos and development don't exactly mesh.

The Notion Infatuation

Then, like a knight in shining armor, Notion entered my life. With its quirky paper look-alike sketches and the promise of simplicity, it instantly caught my eye. It was as if someone handed me a magical tool to organize my scattered brain. Like a child with a new toy, I was elated! Every little thing, every thought, every note found a home in Notion. But soon, as with any relationship, the honeymoon period ended, and the quirks that I found charming initially began to seem like limitations.

That said, the Notion dev team did a commendable job of paying close attention to the community feedback (I hope they're still doing it). We can't have everything perfect, can we?

The Obsidian Obsession

Just when I was feeling a little offbeat with Notion, Obsidian showed up, claiming to be a digital embodiment of my brain. It was like it was trying to lure me in with its unique feature - a graph, which Notion lacked. Being an enthusiast of neuroplasticity, the idea of interlinked notes making a graph resonated with my curiosity. A bird's-eye view of how my thoughts connected - quite exciting, eh? And let's not forget about the joys of the MD markup, making it a breeze to move notes between different environments.

However, breaking up is hard, especially when you've invested a lot into the relationship. My life, in its entirety, was laid out in Notion. In addition, Obsidian's UI/UX seemed a little alien to me. Compared to Notion, it felt less human. So, like an old married couple, I stuck to Notion, for better or worse.

The GitBook Revelation

Fast forward to a time, now that I am single-handedly developing a React Native Expo-based app for the complex world of e-commerce with a Saleor backend. As my code and notes on Notion grew, so did my unease. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. And that's when I had my 'aha!' moment.

There had to be a tool out there made specifically for software documentation. A sudden recollection of the countless GitBook-based docs I had perused over the last year brought me my revelation. If successful dev teams were leveraging it, why couldn't I? So, I took the plunge, and it was like a breath of fresh air. A code editor that accommodates not just JavaScript but JSX as well, a straightforward UI/UX, everything I loved about Notion but tailor-made for a software developer like me.

Getting Things in Order

I immediately transferred all my notes and structured my workspace, keeping in mind future collaboration. I organized the main section as an onboarding tool for any new developers, and a second section titled 'Products' focuses on the app features, like creating and editing products, listing them, and search query operations. I initially tried creating separate GitBook sections for Redux, Expo file routing, and such, but soon realized that context is king.

Just as modularization and the Single Responsibility Principle are crucial in computer science, keeping related content together made more sense. It's almost poetic how the principles of coding helped structure my note-taking strategy!

Conclusion

So here's my tale, a story of exploration, trial and error, and, ultimately, growth. Whether it's cleaning up your physical space or streamlining your digital one, it's always about finding what suits you best. Notion, Obsidian, or GitBook, it's not about which one is the best. It's about which one is the best for you. So go out there, brave explorer, and find your perfect fit! And remember, chaos might be where we start, but it doesn't have to be where we end.

May your notes be ever organized, and your code forever bug-free!

NBR0KN