Pen and paper. I put a mm-high paper stack into a transparent file and take one sheet out and put it on top. This way it's comfy to write on (soft surface) and it leaves a nice afterimage on a file after a while, which is visible at an angle in daylight. Very cozy and professional, plus doesn't collect dust. I also put a sheet back under if it has any value, so I can address it later. But usually I strike out points, rewrite what's left on a new sheet and bin the old one. I tend to use thin-ish gel pens cause you can add details in fine strokes if needed. For space management I'm using an arm mount for the display, so that the keyboard can go all the way under it, leaving space for the paper. I also tend to work at long tables, at least outstretched arms long, so it has enough space for everything including "amenities", because otherwise the logistic issues start piling up and harm the setting.
Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
21–29 of 29 posts
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#22The code is notes
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#2340+ unsaved tabs in Notepad++, mixed stuff, containing keywords about the things I'm working right now, 2-3 line descriptions about an idea or how to proceed with something in the future, copy-pasted and "annotated" fragments of logs or code under reverse engineering (would do most of this stuff by hand but have an awful handwriting). Plus a booklet to scribe quick ideas, play with an algorithm in my head, and draw s…
If your computer power cycles it will be a mini Burning of Alexandria !
Not OP, but Notepad++ does restore open tabs. :-)
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#24Antinote, it's very useful. I found out about it on Reddit a month ago.
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#25I use plain and simple .txt files.
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#26Console.log(write your content)
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#27Code comments, README.md, TODO.md, or Obsidian notes.
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#28I really like big deskpads. The bigger the better. Having a big calendar/grid paper sheet right under your keyboard makes it so much more likely for me to pre-plan things because I can sketch faster than I can type.
Here's an idea for someone: have some easy-to-rattle off key combo you can push to record the current state of whatever application is currently focused on screen (what project/files are open in my IDE, what tab is focused in my browser, etc) to a little sqlite instance somewhere. Show a notification with an easy to write down unambiguous ID that auto increments, probably including the date. Like 14APRB or something.
I can jot that down in my notepad. Later on, I can bring that workspace back up using the ID I wrote down, so that way I'm not writing file paths and method names down on paper.
Re: Ask HN: As a programmer, How do you take notes while coding?
#29If it’s related to the task at hand, I create a comment block inside the ‘main’ file. Sometimes the comments are spread out so I make sure not to commit them to git which is easy because I’m a GUI using heretic. Sometimes I even have a single commit that contains all the comments with a simple DELETE ME commit message. I simply move the comments up to HEAD and append new comments to it where necessary.
Otherwise I send myself a DM in slack.
I actually use slack self-DM for all sorts of notes and TODOs. They’re available on multiple devices, they have an amazing preview functionality for files and urls, they accept markdown to a degree, they’re still around when the power goes out, etc.
For something more long term like a journal, I use Bear.app.