# 5 Dev Tools I Wish I Knew Earlier

As a student developer juggling assignments, side projects, and the dream of building something legendary — I often found myself lost in chaos. Broken deployments, ugly code, repeated mistakes... and then, slowly, I discovered tools that felt like hidden treasure chests.

In this blog, I’ll share five dev tools that changed the way I write, test, and ship code. These tools didn’t just make me faster — they made me better.

Whether you're a newbie, a backend beast, or just exploring the dev jungle — these are tools you’ll wish you had in your belt from Day 1.

Let’s dive in. 🛠️💻

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🚢 1. Docker – The DevOps Swiss Army Knife

Docker is like magic for deployment. It wraps your entire app with its dependencies into a single container. Before Docker, my projects ran on my machine but failed on others. Now? No more “but it works on my laptop!” excuses.

Why it’s awesome:

• Easy app isolation
• Makes deployments smoother
• Perfect for learning DevOps early

“Containers taught me how real engineers ship code.”

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🧪 2. Postman – API Testing, Simplified

Postman isn’t just a tool; it’s a superpower. When I started working on backend APIs, I manually hit URLs in the browser. Postman turned that chaos into structure. Test requests, headers, body, and responses — all in one place.

Why it’s awesome:

• Clean API testing
• Saves time and sanity
• Great for understanding REST

“I finally understood what an HTTP status code really meant.”

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🔍 3. GitLens – The Sherlock Holmes of VS Code

Ever looked at code and wondered: Who wrote this? Why was it changed? GitLens answers all of that — inside your VS Code. It brings git blame, commit history, and insights into your code editor.

Why it’s awesome:

• Know who wrote what (and why)
• Track code evolution
• Improves collaboration on teams

“GitLens helped me debug like a detective.”

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🌐 4. Railway – Cloud Deployments in Minutes

No more complicated AWS or Heroku setups. Railway is the new-age platform that lets you deploy full-stack apps in minutes. As a student, this meant quicker prototypes and faster feedback.

Why it’s awesome:

• Deploy with one click
• Free tier for students
• Works great with backend apps

“It made me feel like a DevOps wizard.”

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🎨 5. Prettier – Code That Looks Like Poetry

Prettier made me fall in love with clean code. Forget about spacing issues and formatting fights. With one save, your messy code becomes elegant. It’s like having a coding butler who irons your shirts.

Why it’s awesome:

• Consistent code formatting
• Works across JS, HTML, CSS, etc.
• Saves time on code reviews

“Beautiful code makes debugging feel less painful.”

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💎 Bonus Tools I Love

Here are a few more that deserve a mention:

• ChatGPT – For explaining errors and learning concepts
• Notion – My second brain for organizing everything
• Figma – Quick UI mockups for full-stack projects
• Live Server Extension – Preview HTML/CSS instantly

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🎯 Final Thoughts

Tools won’t make you a 10x developer overnight — but they shape how you think, build, and debug. Don’t wait until you're overwhelmed. Start exploring. Install that extension. Run that Docker command. Open Postman and break things.

I wish I knew them earlier. But I’m glad I know them now.

And now… so do you. 😊

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Let me know your favorite dev tool in the comments below. Or tag me if you write your own list! Sharing is learning.

#DevTools #WebDevelopment #Backend #CodingLife #Productivity