My Favorite Tools for IAC & DevOps Success

“Your tools won’t make you a great engineer — but the right ones will help you become one faster.”

Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of editors, plugins, and utilities. Some stuck, some didn’t — but a few have become indispensable in my daily workflow. Here are the ones that make my work smoother, my code cleaner, and my job a lot more fun.

1. Visual Studio Code — The Swiss Army Knife of Editors

I’ve used everything from Notepad++ to JetBrains IDEs, but VS Code hits the sweet spot between speed, features, and flexibility. I have my thoughts on Microsoft and their products, but overall I think it’s hard to beat VS Code. A free software I can’t seem to replace — and why should I? It’s great, not perfect, but find me a solution to anything that is perfect.

Why I love it:

Cross-platform: Works exactly the same on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Lightweight yet powerful: Loads quickly but supports heavy features via extensions.
Integrated terminal: No need to keep switching windows.
Git integration: Stage, commit, and push without leaving the editor.
Extensible: Lots of available extensions for making coding easier.

My go-to extensions:

Terraform: HashiCorp Terraform extension for syntax highlighting and validation.
YAML: Red Hat YAML plugin.
GitLens: Makes Git history easy to understand.
Material Icon Theme: Makes file navigation faster with visual cues.
Conventional Commits: Makes my commit messages consistent and easy to follow.
Continue: AI-assisted coding & scripting.
Prettier - Code formatter: Makes my code consistent and easy to read.
Microsoft Terraform: Offers Azure code examples and explanations inside of VSCode

2. Syntax Highlighting — Read Code at a Glance

It sounds basic, but proper syntax highlighting can dramatically improve how quickly you understand code. Whether you’re reviewing a pull request, writing Terraform, or troubleshooting YAML, colors help you spot patterns, typos, and errors instantly.

Pro tip: In VS Code, pick a theme with good contrast for your eyes — I’m partial to Monokai Pro and One Dark Pro.

3. Integrated Git Tools — Version Control Without the Pain

I use both:

VS Code Git Sidebar — Great for quick commits, staging, and diffs.
CLI Git — For more complex workflows like rebasing or stash management.

Why it matters: Git is the backbone of DevOps — making it painless to commit, review, and roll back changes means you move faster and break less.

4. Markdown Preview — Write and See It Live

As someone who blogs and documents infrastructure, Markdown preview in VS Code are a timesaver.

Press:

Ctrl + Shift + V  (Windows/Linux)
Cmd + Shift + V   (Mac)

…and you instantly see what your .md file will look like when rendered.

This is huge for README.md files, blog posts, and documentation — no guessing what formatting will break.

5. Linters & Formatters — Automate Clean Code

Tools like:

terraform fmt
YAML by: Redhat
Prettier

…take the manual work out of formatting and help your team stay consistent. This means fewer “nitpick” code review comments and more focus on real issues.

6. REST Clients — Test APIs Quickly

Postman VS Code Extension
Or simple curl commands in the terminal.

This makes debugging microservices and APIs much faster.

Final Thoughts

The right tools don’t replace skill — but they amplify it. If you can work faster, spot problems earlier, and document more clearly, you become more effective in any DevOps role.

If you’re new to DevOps, start by learning:

VS Code with a few extensions
Git basics (both CLI and GUI)
Markdown preview & syntax highlighting

These alone will make you feel more “fluent” in your day-to-day work — and they scale with you as your skills grow.

What are your favorite tools? Drop me a message — I’m always looking to try something new.