Engineering Tools
Software Development
Integrated Development Environments
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Code | Lightweight, extensible code editor with excellent language support | Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) for quick access to all features. Install the Live Share extension for real-time collaboration. |
| IntelliJ IDEA | Powerful IDE for JVM languages with advanced code analysis | Learn keyboard shortcuts for navigation and refactoring. Use code templates to boost productivity. |
| Sublime Text | Fast, minimalist code editor with powerful editing capabilities | Master multiple selection editing (Ctrl+Click) and use the Goto Anything feature (Ctrl+P) for quick file navigation. |
| Eclipse | Open-source IDE with strong plugin ecosystem for Java development | Use working sets to organize projects. Customize perspectives for different development tasks. |
| PyCharm | Python-focused IDE with scientific tools and web development support | Use the Scientific Mode with Matplotlib support for data science work. Configure remote interpreters for containerized development. |
Version Control
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Git | Distributed version control system for tracking code changes | Use interactive rebase (git rebase -i) to clean up commit history before pushing. Create aliases for frequently used commands. |
| GitHub | Platform for hosting and collaborating on Git repositories | Use GitHub Actions for CI/CD automation. Take advantage of code review tools like suggested changes and review requests. |
| GitLab | Single application with integrated CI/CD, issue tracking, and container registry | Implement CI/CD pipelines with built-in Docker support. Use issue boards for agile project management. |
| Bitbucket | Git repository management solution with integrated CI/CD and Jira integration | Use Bitbucket Pipelines for integrated CI/CD. Implement branch permissions for better code governance. |
Project Management
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Jira | Project management tool for agile teams to plan, track, and release software | Use keyboard shortcuts (press ‘?’) to navigate quickly. Create custom filters and dashboards for your specific needs. |
| Trello | Visual collaboration tool that organizes projects into boards | Use Power-Ups to integrate with other tools. Apply labels and due dates consistently for better organization. |
| Asana | Task and project management tool with timeline and portfolio views | Use custom fields to track additional metadata. Set up rules to automate repetitive workflow actions. |
| ClickUp | All-in-one productivity platform with docs, reminders, goals, and scheduling | Customize statuses to match your workflow. Use multiple assignees for collaborative tasks. |
Documentation
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Notion | All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases | Create templates for recurring document types. Use linked databases to connect related information across pages. |
| Confluence | Team collaboration software for creating, sharing, and organizing documentation | Use page trees and labels for better organization. Take advantage of blueprints for standardized document types. |
| Swimm | Documentation tool that keeps docs in sync with code | Use code-coupled documentation to ensure docs stay updated with code changes. |
| Read the Docs | Platform for hosting technical documentation with version control | Use versioned documentation to match software releases. Automate builds with webhooks on repository changes. |
DevOps & Infrastructure
Containerization
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Docker | Platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers | Use multi-stage builds to create smaller images. Leverage Docker Compose for managing multi-container applications. |
| Kubernetes | Container orchestration system for automating deployment, scaling, and management | Use namespaces to organize resources. Implement health checks and resource limits for stability. |
| Podman | Daemonless container engine for developing, managing, and running OCI containers | Use rootless containers for improved security. Compatible with Docker CLI commands for easy transition. |
| containerd | Industry-standard container runtime with an emphasis on simplicity, robustness and portability | Use with Kubernetes for optimized container runtime performance. |
CI/CD
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Jenkins | Open-source automation server for building, testing, and deploying code | Use Jenkinsfile for pipeline-as-code. Implement parallel stages to speed up builds. |
| GitHub Actions | Automation workflow tool integrated directly into the GitHub platform | Use reusable workflows and actions to reduce duplication. Implement caching between workflows to speed up processes. |
| GitLab CI/CD | Integrated CI/CD solution within GitLab with auto DevOps capabilities | Use include statements to share configuration across projects. Implement environments for deployment tracking. |
| CircleCI | Continuous integration and delivery platform with powerful orchestration capabilities | Use workspaces to share data between jobs. Implement dependency caching for faster builds. |
Infrastructure as Code
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Terraform | Infrastructure as Code tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely | Use modules to create reusable infrastructure components. Implement remote state with locking for team collaboration. |
| Pulumi | Infrastructure as Code tool that uses familiar programming languages | Use standard programming constructs for reusable components. Implement policy packs for governance. |
| Ansible | Agentless automation tool for configuration management and deployment | Use roles for reusable automation components. Implement idempotent playbooks for reliable execution. |
| Chef | Configuration management tool for automating infrastructure configuration | Use test kitchen for cookbook development and testing. Implement attributes for environment-specific configuration. |
Cloud Platforms
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Comprehensive cloud platform with over 200 fully featured services | Use cost allocation tags for budgeting. Implement organizational SCPs for governance. |
| Microsoft Azure | Cloud computing service for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications | Use resource groups for logical organization. Implement Azure Policy for governance. |
| Google Cloud Platform | Suite of cloud computing services running on Google infrastructure | Use project hierarchy for resource organization. Implement VPC service controls for security. |
Data Engineering
Data Integration
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| dbt | Transformation tool that enables analytics engineers to transform data in warehouses | Use Jinja templating for reusable SQL components. Implement documentation and testing for data quality. |
| Apache NiFi | Data flow automation tool with drag-and-drop interface | Use processors for data transformation and routing. Implement controller services for shared resources. |
| Talend | Data integration and integrity platform with open source roots | Use built-in data quality components for profiling and cleansing. Implement reusable joblets for common patterns. |
Data Storage
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Snowflake | Cloud data platform with separation of storage and compute | Use zero-copy cloning for instant environment setup. Implement resource monitors for cost control. |
| Google BigQuery | Serverless, highly scalable data warehouse with machine learning capabilities | Use partitioning and clustering for query optimization. Implement authorized views for data sharing. |
| Amazon Redshift | Cloud data warehouse with massively parallel processing architecture | Use distribution styles for query performance. Implement workload management for query prioritization. |
Data Processing
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Spark | Unified analytics engine for large-scale data processing | Use DataFrame API for optimized execution. Implement broadcast variables for join optimization. |
| Apache Kafka | Distributed event streaming platform for real-time data pipelines | Use replication for fault tolerance. Implement consumer groups for parallel processing. |
| Apache Airflow | Platform to programmatically author, schedule, and monitor workflows | Use dynamic DAG generation for workflow automation. Implement custom operators for extended functionality. |
AI & Machine Learning
AI Development
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Jupyter Notebooks | Web-based interactive development environment for data science and machine learning | Use JupyterLab for enhanced functionality. Convert notebooks to scripts for production deployment. |
| Google Colab | Cloud-based Jupyter notebook environment with free GPU access | Use GPU runtime for accelerated model training. Mount Google Drive for persistent storage. |
| TensorFlow | End-to-end open source platform for machine learning | Use TensorBoard for visualization and debugging. Implement tf.data for efficient input pipelines. |
Prompt Engineering
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API | Platform for accessing advanced AI models like GPT-4 for various applications | Use system messages to set assistant behavior. Implement temperature control for response creativity. |
| Anthropic Claude | AI assistant designed for helpful, honest, and harmless responses | Use XML tags for structured prompts. Implement constitutional AI principles for alignment. |
ML Operations
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| MLflow | Platform to manage the ML lifecycle including experimentation and deployment | Use autologging for automatic experiment tracking. Implement model registry for versioning and staging. |
| Weights & Biases | Experiment tracking and model management with visualization tools | Use sweeps for hyperparameter optimization. Implement artifact tracking for dataset versioning. |
Site Reliability Engineering
Monitoring
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Prometheus | Open-source systems monitoring and alerting toolkit | Use labels for multi-dimensional data model. Implement recording rules for expensive queries. |
| Grafana | Open-source platform for monitoring and observability with visualization capabilities | Use templates for dynamic dashboards. Implement alerting with multiple notification channels. |
| Datadog | Monitoring and analytics platform for cloud-scale applications | Use integration templates for quick setup. Implement synthetic monitoring for user experience tracking. |
Incident Management
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| PagerDuty | Incident management platform with on-call scheduling and response features | Use escalation policies for alert routing. Implement post-incident reviews for process improvement. |
| Opsgenie | Alerting and on-call management platform with scheduling capabilities | Use forwarding rules for alert prioritization. Implement on-call override for special circumstances. |
Internal Developer Portals
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Backstage | Open-source platform for building developer portals with software templates | Use software templates for standardized project creation. Implement custom plugins for organization-specific functionality. |
| Port | Internal developer portal with service catalog and self-service actions | Use blueprints for custom asset modeling. Implement scorecards for service maturity tracking. |
Mechanical Engineering
CAD Software
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| AutoCAD | 2D and 3D computer-aided design software for precise technical drawings | Use dynamic blocks for parametric designs. Implement sheet sets for drawing management. |
| SolidWorks | 3D CAD design software with simulation and product data management | Use design tables for configurable parts. Implement motion studies for mechanism validation. |
| ANSYS Fluent | Computational fluid dynamics software for fluid flow modeling and simulation | Start with coarse mesh to test setup, then refine. Use named selections to easily apply boundary conditions. |
Simulation
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| MATLAB | Numerical computing environment for algorithm development and data analysis | Vectorize operations instead of using loops for better performance. Use the profiler to identify and optimize bottlenecks. |
| Abaqus | Finite element analysis software for engineering simulation | Use symmetry to reduce model size. Implement mesh refinement in high-stress areas. |
Prompt Engineering
Prompt Development
| Tool | Main Value | Pro Tips |
|---|---|---|
| PromptBase | Marketplace for buying and selling quality AI prompts across various domains | Use category filtering to find domain-specific prompts. Analyze successful prompt structures to improve your own crafting skills. |
| AIPRM | Browser extension providing prompt templates for AI models like ChatGPT | Use suggested prompts as starting points for customization. Create your own prompt templates for repetitive tasks. |