My iPhone “Coding” Setup

Us IT guys, we all have our preferred setups. Software, tools, operating systems, keyboards, prefered browsers… We could fight unholy wars about them.

I consider myself to be a pretty flexible guy, myself. I don’t really worry about IDE’s, mostly because I can’t remember what IDE stands for and because I use Coda 2 for 90% of the things I do.

Coda 2 is a Mac app, and while I’m a Mac user at work my Mac(s) aren’t always in use. I usually use my Windows 10 laptop, but that means I’m struggling when the time comes to write some code or SSH into a server.

In that case, I could whip out my Macbook and find a way to make it work on my desk, or I could whip out my iPad / iPhone. They both also have a version of Coda installed. It’s a bit more limited in its features but it can access the credentials Coda2 stores in the cloud, and it’s got an easy to use SSH client. The only downside is that you’d be typing on an on-screen keyboard.

But today, I found what might be the ideal setup when I’m in a literal tight spot and need to use Coda for a bit. I present to you, my iPhone-As-A-Coding-Device setup

SetupIPhone

This setup leaves me with plenty of room for my notebooks and the likes, while still giving me a good programming experience. Here’s what my setup looks like:

  • iPhone 6 Plus with Coda installed
  • Apple keyboard, connected through bluetooth

That’s pretty basic so far. But take a look at my screen. I am streaming my iPhone to my PC, so I’m able to work in a big, easy to use window!

That’s because I’ve got 5kplayer installed, a tool that allows you to use Airplay to stream your iPad / iPhone to your Windows machine (if they’re on the same network). The configuration couldn’t be easier. Just install the software, and your iDevice will recognize the PC and it’ll be able to stream both sound and video.

You can resize the window, and up until 1920×1080 and even a bit higher, the content looks pretty great. Perfect when you need to do 15-20 minutes of programming. Or, in my case, when I need to stream a video from my iPhone to my Windows PC because my PC refuses to play the file. Long story, don’t ask.

How about you guys? Do any of you have particular or unusual setups or hacks? Let us know in the comments!

 

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