Use Task Runners for Common Coding Tasks
The author advocates for the use of task runners to standardize common coding workflows across different repositories. By using tools like 'make', 'mise', or 'just', developers can reduce cognitive load and improve consistency.
Why it matters
Standardizing developer workflows improves productivity and reduces errors in complex, multi-repository software environments.
You can make your software developer life suck a bit less by using task runners to run common coding tasks consistently across multiple repositories
(Originally published in 2019. I pulled this one from the archives and gave it a fresh makeover after a reader reached out to tell me they misses this article.)
In my day to day as a software developer I often switch between different code repositories. Each repository can be written in a different tech stack but there are common tasks I need to run in all of these repositories, regardless of the stack: I need to install dependencies, build the source code, lint my code, format it, run tests, run database migrations, deploy to a staging environment, create a new version, start dependent services, you get the idea.
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