Devs how much does an extra screen help in programming like reading documentation while coding etc

#discuss #help #codenewbie

Top comments (5)

Always use a second screen. One with the IDE open and the other one with documentation or just some console or debug window open.

A second screen is also quite useful during online meetings or chats on one screen while viewing stuff on the other. If you share your screen during a meeting, you could just share one of the screens and have something else open on the other one.

riidom • Jun 14 '20 • Edited

I have one screen at home, two at work. The second screen is surely nice, but I wouldn't call it mandatory. To put it other way round, the lack of a second screen at home is occasionally mildly annoying.

Making use of virtual desktops and auto-tiling gets you 80% towards a second (real) screen.

Also: Having a second screen makes you wanting a third one earlier or later.

Nathan Minchow • Jun 13 '20

As a web developer, my primary use for a secondary screen is to display some sort of preview for the site I am working on. If I'm doing any kind of frontend development, having an immediately visible live-preview can save a lot of time.

Outside of web development, secondary monitors are nice to have for documentation, watching tutorials, managing multiple code editors, and more.

I still find myself coding on my laptop around my home often enough that I wouldn't say a secondary monitor is necessary, but it's certainly helpful.

AviKKi • Oct 12 '20

While coding I use the extra monitor for -

Docs, stack-overflow or googling
Checking the output while doing web development.
Playing anime as noise XD weird but helps me to concentrate.
Browser console to check the logs, on primary monitor I just toggle between browser and code editor.

While designing you obviously need some space or you'll end up scrolling and changing windows a lot; and multiple monitors are still cheaper than ultra huge monitor.

PS: Moving your eyes from one monitor to another takes some time, there isn't a lot you can understand from your peripheral vision. So instead of switching your eyes, you just end up looking at one monitor for ~80%