Yesterday was my last day of the four week tour. I enjoyed learning about each project and getting a chance to pair with everyone. I've noticed each craftsman has a different way of developing and different sets of tools that they use to craft software. If I had to compile a list, this is what it would look like:
I think knowing how to use all of these tools is beneficial, so I plan to learn how to use them very well. When pairing with another developer, you can easily adapt to his/her environment and be ready to add value to the work at hand. One thing that was nice to see is how vim is slowly becoming every craftsman's favorite editor. Even if they're starting off with the high learning curve editor, they're using it daily to quickly pick up new commands and make it part of their development environment.
Overall, the tour was a great way to learn about every project and a challenge to see if I was able to come into a project and contribute, either by developing code, pairing, or acting as a rubber duck. I think I did contribute to all projects and add value to them.
The next couple of weeks, I'll be busy on some challenges, so I may be on and off blogging about the experience. The end is near.