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Adrian

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#### What Tools Does a Principal Frontend Engineer Use?

Welcome to the second episode of our **“Developer’s Tool Set”** series, where we dive into the technologies and workflows that power our engineering teams. Today, we’re focusing on the toolkit of a **Principal Frontend Engineer** - the key tools they rely on to build, maintain, and scale applications efficiently.

This article takes the form of an interview with one of our senior developers, offering firsthand insights into their daily workflow. We’ll explore not only the technical stack - backend frameworks, frontend libraries, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps tools - but also some more casual topics. Expect answers to questions like: What’s your favorite mobile app? Which browser do you use? Do you prefer dark mode or light mode?

Whether you’re an aspiring Principal Frontend Engineer or just curious about our tech ecosystem, this guide will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how our team works.

Let’s dive in!

#### Adam Misiorny, Principal Frontend Engineer

I have been coding for **over 20 years** now. I started my developer journey writing **PHP** code, mostly using the [**Symfony**](https://symfony.com/)framework and **good old [jQuery.](https://jquery.com/)**

Halfway through my career, I fully shifted to the **JavaScript stack,** focusing mainly on the frontend.

Nowadays, I’m part of the platform team in one of our projects, where I deal with frontend architecture, automation, optimization, and technical debt - all to help our frontend teams work as efficiently as possible.

#### Essential Tools

I recently migrated from [**Visual Studio Code**](https://code.visualstudio.com/) + [**Copilot**](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview) to [**Cursor,**](https://www.cursor.com/) mostly for its AI capabilities.
As for extensions, I’m using plugins for [**ESLint,**](https://eslint.org/) [**GraphQL,**](https://graphql.org/) [**Docker,**](https://www.docker.com/) [**Cucumber,**](https://cucumber.io/) environment variable file highlighting, [**GitHub Actions**](https://github.com/actions) and pull request integration, as well as [**GitLens.**](https://www.gitkraken.com/gitlens)

#### Languages & Frameworks

I work mostly with **TypeScript/JavaScript.** I try to do as much as possible in my editor: [**Cursor,**](https://www.cursor.com/) but for the terminal and running apps, I’m using [**Ghostty.**](https://ghostty.org/)

Since I work with **a three-monitor setup, I use one monitor for the editor and browser, and another purely for the terminal.**

For browsing and debugging, I use Google Chrome.

For Git management, I use [**Sourcetree.**](https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/)

I mainly work with the **React** library and frameworks like **Next.js** and [**Modern.js.**](https://modernjs.dev/en/)

A must-have for me is [**GraphQL Codegen,**](https://the-guild.dev/graphql/codegen) which allows us to generate all the code for backend communication based on the schema, with proper types.

For Slack integration, I use [**Bolt.js.**](https://tools.slack.dev/bolt-js/)

For monorepo management, I use [**Turborepo.**](https://turbo.build/)

#### Code Management & Collaboration

- Git
- Github
- Slack
- Jira
- Confluence
- Figma


#### DevOps & Deployment

We currently have several legacy workflows in the project on [**CircleCI,**](https://circleci.com/) but for all new workflows, we use **GitHub Actions,** as it is more convenient to work with.

And also, we use:
- [**Grafana**](https://grafana.com/) for infrastructure monitoring,
- [**Sentry**](https://sentry.io/welcome/) for error reporting,
- [**Jaeger**](https://www.jaegertracing.io/) for tracing,
- **Google Cloud Logs** for logging.

#### Debugging & Testing

Depending on the situation, I use the **editor debugger, browser debugger,** or even **good old console.log** when it gets the job done.

For testing, I use:
- [**Jest**](https://jestjs.io/) and **React Testing Library** for unit tests,
- [**Cypress**](https://www.cypress.io/) for full-stack end-to-end tests, 
- [**Playwright** ](https://playwright.dev/)for frontend-only E2E tests.

#### Productivity & Workflow

I use [**Raycast**](https://www.raycast.com/) with multiple plugins and shortcuts to simplify and speed up common tasks, and **I rely on the right mindset - always questioning why something is happening or not working to get to the root cause and solve it effectively.**

#### Learning & Self-Development

Everywhere I can find useful, high-quality information - online courses, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Medium, etc.

Recently, I’ve really been into watching [**Theo**](https://www.youtube.com/@t3dotgg) and [**ThePrimeTime**](https://www.youtube.com/@ThePrimeTimeagen) on YouTube.

Lately, I've been using [**Bolt.new**](https://bolt.new/) for some quick experiments with new code.

#### All-Time Favorite Tool

[**Cursor!**](https://www.cursor.com/)

#### Quick Questions
- Operating system? → **MacOS**
- Light mode or dark mode? → **Dark mode** everywhere where possible
- Browser? → **Chrome** / [**Brave**](https://brave.com/)
- Favorite browser extensions? → [**React Developer Tools,**](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/react-developer-tools/fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi) [**Last Pass,**](https://www.lastpass.com/) [**GraphQL Network Inspector,**](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/graphql-network-inspector/ndlbedplllcgconngcnfmkadhokfaaln) [**Apollo Client Devtools**](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/apollo-client-devtools/jdkknkkbebbapilgoeccciglkfbmbnfm)
- Your favorite app? → [**Raycast**](https://www.raycast.com/)

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Developer’s Tool Set part 2: Principal Frontend Engineer

Frontend Engineering

UX/UI Design

Research & Discovery

AI For Your Business

Services

Case Studies

Career

About us

Blog

**PozTechTalks is a unique series of generally available meetings of practitioners from three leading Poznań technology companies - Apptension, Bitnoise and STX Next. Based on our experience and projects that we have managed, we talk about technologies, good and bad practices, tools we use, business issues and technical details of solutions that we have introduced in projects for our top clients.**

This is the fifth episode of our videopcast #PozTechTalks, which we've been creating together with Apptension and STX Next, with the help of Krzysztof Kempiński!
This time we are talking about how to start a project.
What is important in setting up the development environment? What tools are needed to run the project? What do you need to take care of at the beginning so that the project can develop well?

**Who creates PozTechTalks?**

- STX Next - the Largest Python House in Europe,

- Apptension - the best combination of design and technology,

- Bitnoise - the specialists for demanding projects.


**Together we have:**

- 39 years on the market

- +496 employees

- + 70 projects per year




PozTechTalks odc. 5 - Środowisko deweloperskie - jak rozpocząć projekt?

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PozTechTalks #05: Development environment - how to start a project? 

#### Cursor AI Assistant

The introduction of AI into IT has unlocked many new possibilities. A developer's daily life evolves with each passing month, and new tools multiplying rapidly. Until now, I’ve been resistant to many of them, but I’ve finally discovered something that feels like a milestone for me: **an AI built into the development environment that behaves like a smart and helpful colleague.**

Last year, I increasingly asked GPT for improvements to my code. It performed exceptionally well, spotting things I usually overlooked, helping me find simple bugs, or suggesting alternative solutions. Everything would be perfect if it were not for the need to give context to the code I show. I started realizing that, to write a good prompt, I needed to describe what I was actually working on, what I had worked on before and what I would be working on in the future. GPT is not familiar with the design patterns or practices we use in the company. Copying code into the chat was also problematic - you want to tell the AI as much as possible, but you can’t reveal too much, and you need to keep the prompt readable. **Cursor solves these issues** (and many others).

Sure, sometimes Cursor doesn’t fully grasp what you mean (you still need good prompting skills), but it sees more, understands more, and eliminates the need to copy code from one window to another. Working with Cursor feels like a pair programming session. I sit down, code something, and the built-in AI suggests where I might have missed something or even predicts the next line. If needed, I can chat with it - or even argue - just like with a real coworker.
The three core features of Cursor that I use are **autocomplete,** **code generation,** and **chat.**


#### Autocomplete 

I have autocomplete enabled almost all the time. Cursor tracks where I am in my code and suggests meaningful completions in real time. For example, if I assign function A to variable A in one line, it predicts that in the next line, I might call function B on variable B. And what if I change a variable or function name? Cursor catches that and even points out where in the file I need to update it. With a single keyboard shortcut (usually a ‘Tab’), I can integrate Cursor’s suggestions directly into my code.

#### Code Generation

Code generation is where things get even more fun. Here, we work with prompts, but Cursor writes code directly inside our files. Don’t worry - it doesn’t delete what you’ve written. It simply suggests an addition, which you can accept, reject, or modify with extra instructions. How do I use it? It’s incredibly helpful when creating new code based on existing project structures. A simple prompt like, _Hey Cursor, generate something based on this file_ gives me a rough skeleton of new code in seconds-something that would normally take me minutes.
And what about writing unit tests? It’s fantastic. If you don’t follow a strict TDD approach, generating tests for existing code works phenomenally well.

#### Chat Functionality

I use the chat feature when I know the solution won’t be straightforward or when I need to understand some piece of code. With Cursor, I can interact, ask follow-up questions, request more examples, and explore hypothetical scenarios. It also provides documentation references like other chatbots, but a key advantage is that I can control how much context I share. I can limit it to a few lines or provide multiple files - even what’s happening in the built-in terminal. Imagine having difficulties with some command or package that you don't know how to install. You no longer need to dig through Stack Overflow in search of a solution - Cursor will do it for you.


#### Migration and Pricing

The easiest way to switch to Cursor is from Visual Studio Code since it’s a fork of VSC. It offers a similar UI and the same core functionality as Microsoft’s original product. The migration process is smooth, and you won’t lose your preferences or extensions.

But let’s talk about pricing. You can use Cursor for free, but the AI will respond less frequently and more slowly. There’s also no guarantee that the free plan will remain available or won’t become even more limited in the future. To unlock the full potential of this IDE, you’ll need a plan costing $20 or $40 per month. For large companies, this investment makes sense (your managers are allowed to expect better performance from you 😏), but for smaller projects, it might be a pain in the neck.


Still, it’s **worth giving Cursor a shot** to see how it can streamline, accelerate, and automate your workflow. Without torturing your senior, more experienced colleague every few minutes.

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Your New Work Buddy - Cursor Review 

#### What Tools Does a Senior Full Stack Developer Use?

Welcome to first episode of our **“Developer’s Tool Set”** series, where we dive into the technologies and workflows that power our engineering teams. Today, we’re focusing on the toolkit of a **Senior Full Stack Developer** - the key tools they rely on to build, maintain, and scale our applications efficiently.

This article takes the form of an interview with one of our senior developers, offering firsthand insights into their daily workflow. We’ll explore not only the technical stack - backend frameworks, frontend libraries, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps tools - but also some more casual topics. Expect answers to questions like: What’s your favorite mobile app? Which browser do you use? Do you prefer dark mode or light mode?

Whether you’re an aspiring full stack developer or just curious about our tech ecosystem, this guide will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how our team works.

Let’s dive in!

#### Łukasz Duraj, Senior Full-Stack Developer.

I have **13 years of experience.** I mainly program in **PHP** and **NodeJS.** Additionally, I have worked commercially with Java and Python on the backend, as well as with various frontend tools - from jQuery and Angular 1 to React, React Native for mobile, and React frameworks like Remix and Next. I also focus on application architecture on the backend and cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP).

#### Essential Tools

I use the entire IntelliJ suite - **PHPStorm, WebStorm, IDEA,** and **PyCharm.** These tools provide a very rich feature set. The most important tool for me is always the **debugger,** whether it’s **XDebug integration in PHPStorm** or running applications with built-in framework tools. It’s crucial for me to be able to step through an application from checkpoint to checkpoint.

Additionally, integrations with **Docker, databases,** and **Git** (such as performing Code Reviews directly in the editor) are indispensable.

#### Languages & Frameworks

It depends on the project. **I prefer working without a framework or with micro-frameworks.** In PHP, these would be **Symfony-based micro-frameworks,** and in Python, Flask. However, I most often work with:
- **Nest.js** in NodeJS
- **Symfony/Laravel** in PHP
- **Django** in Python


#### Code Management & Collaboration

I only use **[Git](https://git-scm.com),** as SVN is rarely used nowadays.
I’ve worked with **[GitHub](https://github.com), [GitLab](https://gitlab.com),** and **[Bitbucket](https://bitbucket.org),** and I don’t have a strong preference between them.
For team collaboration, it depends on the project. I mainly use **[Slack,](https://slack.com)** but I’ve also worked with **[Discord](https://discord.com)** and even [Gadu-Gadu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadu-Gadu) back in the day.

For project management, I’ve used many tools, including **[Jira](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira), [Trello](https://trello.com), [Asana](https://asana.com), [Phabricator](https://phacility.com),** and **[YouTrack.](https://www.jetbrains.com/youtrack)** However, **[Linear](https://linear.app/) has recently won me over with its fantastic process automation features.**

#### DevOps & Deployment

**I work extensively with CI/CD** and have set up CI/CD pipelines from scratch using **GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Bitbucket Pipelines, CircleCI,** and **Jenkins** - depending on project needs.

For monitoring and logging, I primarily use **[Sentry,](https://sentry.io/welcome/)** but I also rely on AWS **[CloudWatch](https://aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/)** and **[GCP](https://cloud.google.com/)** logs. I’ve worked with **[Datadog](https://www.datadoghq.com/) and [Grafana](https://grafana.com/)** logs as well.

#### Debugging & Testing

**The IDE debugger** is my primary tool - I try to use it **always and everywhere.**

I test using libraries built into the respective environment, such as **[PHPUnit](https://phpunit.de/index.html)** for PHP and **[Jest](https://jestjs.io/)** for NodeJS.

#### Productivity & Workflow

I use **Google Keep** for quick notes and **Google Calendar** to manage everything I need to remember or schedule.
I’ve tried many productivity tools, but none worked for me in the long run.
At one point, I also used the **[Pomodoro technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique)** quite often.

#### Learning & Self-Development

Mainly conference talks. I also buy books on software architecture and take courses from **[DevStyle.](https://devstyle.pl/)**
I follow materials published by **[Bottega IT Minds.](https://bottega.com.pl/)**

#### All-Time Favorite Tool

**[Docker](https://www.docker.com/)** ❤.
That's my primary tool. Except the NVM for managing NodeJS versions, I don’t have any installed tools - I set up everything locally using Docker.
This allows me to virtualize any environment and tools I need. Most tools also have Docker images, so testing them is as easy as pulling the right image.

#### Quick Questions
- MacOS, Windows, or Linux? → **Linux**
- Light mode or dark mode? → **Dark mode**
- Which browser do you use? → **Chrome**
- Favorite browser extensions? → **[Grammarly](https://www.grammarly.com/), [Simple Translate](https://simple-translate.sienori.com/)**
- Your favorite mobile app? → Recently fell in love with **[BookBeat](https://www.bookbeat.com)**

Developer’s Tool Set part 2: Principal Frontend Engineer

Adam

Your New Work Buddy - Cursor Review

Maciej

Developer’s Tool Set part 1: Senior Full-Stack Developer

Łukasz

PozTechTalks #05: Development environment - how to start a project?

Magdalena

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