Mac@Developers
Developer quick start guide on Mac
Unique keyboard shortcuts
- Search across entire Mac (CMD-SPACE)
- Application Settings (CMD-,)
- Kill process (OPT-CMD-ESC)
- Kill application (CMD-TAB and press Q on highlighted application)
- Screenshot (CMD-SHIFT-5 and/or CMD-SHIFT-4)
Advanced user settings
- Enable Right-mouse click ( > System Settings > Mouse > Secondary click)
- Delete file by pulling file onto Bin in Dock at bottom of screen
- Setup keyboard shortcuts ( > System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input)
- Advanced Finder configurations
(Settings > Advanced > Show all filename extensions)
(View > Show Status Bar)
(View > Show Path Bar)
(Go Press-ALT for hidden menu options)
Showing hidden files in Finder CMD-SHIFT-PERIOD (“.”) - Multiple soft keyboards ( > System Settings > Keyboard > Input Source > Edit > Show input menu in menu bar)
- Show Emoji & Symbols (top bar-click on Keyboard > Show Emoji & Symbols)
- Apple Symbol (OPTION-SHIFT-K)
Core developer pre-installed apps (open by pressing CMD-SPACE)
- Activity Monitor
- Terminal
- Shortcuts (Mac built-in Macro builder)
Useful 3rd-party apps for developers (requires payment to developer | > App Store)
- TGPro (real-time monitoring of CPU performance – https://www.tunabellysoftware.com/tgpro/)
- iStatMenu (Advanced Mac system monitoring – https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/)
- Magnet (adds keyboard shortcuts to resize / position any window on screen – https://magnet.crowdcafe.com)
- ColorSlurp (enhanced colour management across entire Apple ecosystem – https://colorslurp.com)
- Bartender (manage which apps appear in menu bar – https://www.macbartender.com)
- TextMate (Powerful and customizable text editor – https://macromates.com)
- JSON Viewer (Lightweight free JSON tool – https://jsonviewer.app
- OK JSON (Scriptable JSON formatter / tool – https://apps.apple.com/app/id1576121509)
- RapidAPI (Beautiful HTTP Client for developers (formally known as Paw – https://paw.cloud)
- Transmit 5 (File transfer app – https://panic.com/transmit/)
- AirBuddy (Wireless device manager – https://v2.airbuddy.app)
- Alfred 5 (productivity and workflow tool for the power user – https://www.alfredapp.com)
- Little Snitch – (tool to monitor and block network connections https://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index-de.html)
Built-in command line tools (Mac specific)
- open (open – open files, directories, apps)
- sips (scriptable image processing system)
- pbpaste / pbcopy (Clipboard functions)
- hdiutil (manipulate disk images (attach, verify, create, etc))
- osascript (execute OSA scripts (AppleScript, JavaScript, etc.))
- plutil (property list utility)
- system_profiler (reports system hardware and software configuration.)
- log (Access system wide log messages created by os_log, os_trace and other logging systems)
- sysadminctl
- networksetup
- launchctl (Interfaces with launchd)
- softwareupdate (system software update tool)
- PlistBuddy (/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy – property list editing)
- say (because its fun)
Further reading
- Mac tips for Windows switchers / https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204216
- Get to know the Finder on your Mac / https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201732
- macOS User Guide → https://support.apple.com//guide/mac-help/
- Employee Starter Guide – macOS Ventura Productivity – PDF → https://asw-corp.apple.com/Salesresource/L596897A-en_GB
- Employee Starter Guide – macOS Ventura Basics – Presentation → https://asw-corp.apple.com/Salesresource/L596902A-en_GB
- Employee Starter Guide – macOS Productivity – Presentation → https://asw-corp.apple.com/Salesresource/L593022A-en_GB
