CS Tools

Understanding theory is important, but you’ll also need to create programs efficiently. This section covers a number of tools that are widely used to make software development easier and more productive.

Topics Covered

  • Terminals and shell scripting
  • Vim text editor
  • Command line environments
  • Version control
  • Debugging tools
  • Build systems
  • Package managers
  • And more

Course

CourseDurationEffortPrerequisites
The Missing Semester of Your CS Education2 weeks12 hours/weekNone

Why This Course?

While most computer science curricula focus heavily on theoretical concepts and programming languages, they often overlook the practical tools that developers use every day. The Missing Semester fills this gap by teaching you the command-line tools and best practices that will dramatically improve your productivity as a developer.

Course Content

The Missing Semester covers:

  1. Shell and Shell Tools - Learn to navigate and control your computer using the terminal
  2. Vim - Master this powerful text editor that can significantly speed up your coding
  3. Data Wrangling - Process and transform data efficiently using command-line tools
  4. Command-line Environment - Manage sessions, background jobs, and remote machines
  5. Version Control (Git) - Track and manage changes to your codebase
  6. Debugging and Profiling - Find and fix problems in your code
  7. Metaprogramming - Automate build systems and dependency management
  8. Security and Cryptography - Understand basic security concepts

Learning Outcomes

After completing this section, you will:

  1. Be comfortable working in command-line environments
  2. Use version control effectively for collaboration and code management
  3. Edit text efficiently using powerful editors
  4. Automate repetitive tasks with shell scripts
  5. Navigate and manage systems more effectively
  6. Work with remote servers

Importance for Computer Science

Mastering these tools will:

  • Save you time - Automation and efficient workflows reduce repetitive work
  • Improve collaboration - Version control facilitates teamwork
  • Provide flexibility - Command-line tools work across different platforms
  • Enable remote work - Terminal-based tools are ideal for working with remote servers
  • Prepare for industry - These tools are used daily by professional developers