Here's how you can save time as an application developer.

1 Prioritize Tasks

Effective time management begins with prioritizing your tasks. Focus on the most critical features or bugs first. Use a method like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks by urgency and importance, helping you to tackle high-priority issues that have a significant impact on your project. This way, you avoid getting bogged down by less critical tasks that can consume your time without contributing much to your project's progress.

2 Use Frameworks

Leveraging frameworks can save you a considerable amount of time. Frameworks provide a foundation of pre-written code which you can build upon, thus avoiding the need to write common features from scratch. For example, using a web development framework like Django or Ruby on Rails can automate tasks such as user authentication or database management, allowing you to focus on the unique aspects of your application.

3 Automate Testing

Automating your testing process is crucial for saving time in the long run. By writing tests that automatically verify the functionality of your code, you can catch bugs early and often, reducing the time spent on manual testing. Utilize test-driven development (TDD), where you write a test before writing the code that fulfills the test. This approach ensures that all new features are tested and can prevent the introduction of new bugs.

4 Version Control

Utilize version control systems like Git to manage changes to your codebase efficiently. Version control allows you to keep track of modifications, collaborate with other developers without overwriting each other's work, and revert to previous states if something goes wrong. This practice saves time by avoiding the confusion that can arise from untracked changes and makes it easier to isolate and fix issues when they occur.

5 Refactor Code

Regularly refactoring your code—restructuring existing code without changing its external behavior—can save time in the future. Clean, well-organized code is easier to read, understand, and modify. By refactoring, you can reduce complexity, improve code maintainability, and make it easier for yourself and others to work with the codebase, which can lead to a more efficient development process.

6 Collaborate Smartly

Effective collaboration with your team can significantly reduce development time. Use tools that facilitate communication and share knowledge, such as instant messaging platforms and project management software. Establish clear coding standards and documentation practices so everyone is on the same page. Pair programming, where two developers work together at one workstation, can also be a valuable practice for sharing knowledge and reducing errors.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?