Migrating to Spaced IDE: Step-by-Step ChecklistMigrating to a new integrated development environment is both an opportunity and a risk: you can gain productivity, better workflows, and new features, but without planning the transition can disrupt development and introduce friction across teams. This checklist walks you through a practical, step-by-step migration to Spaced IDE — from evaluation and planning to rollout, training, and post-migration improvements.
1) Assess goals and scope
- Define why you’re switching to Spaced IDE. Common goals: faster development, better debugging, improved collaboration, consistency across teams, or access to specific language tooling.
- Identify which teams, projects, and repositories will migrate first (pilot group) and which will follow.
- Decide success criteria: measurable KPIs such as build time changes, number of IDE-related support tickets, developer satisfaction scores, or time-to-commit.
2) Inventory current environment
- List all languages, frameworks, and runtimes used across projects (e.g., Java, Python, Node.js, Rust).
- Catalog existing editor/IDE configurations, extensions, plugins, linters, formatters, and debuggers.
- Note any custom tools, scripts, or workflows tied into the current IDE (e.g., task runners, code generators, internal CLIs).
- Record CI/CD interactions that depend on IDE tooling (e.g., local pre-commit hooks, test orchestration).
3) Evaluate Spaced IDE compatibility
- Verify Spaced IDE supports your primary languages and frameworks, or confirm whether community/official plugins exist.
- Check compatibility with debuggers, build tools, and language servers your projects rely on (LSP support, specific debug adapters).
- Confirm Spaced IDE can integrate with your version control system, code review tools, and remote development platforms.
- Determine support for workspace-level configurations, monorepos, and large codebases.
4) Map features and plugin equivalents
- Create a side-by-side list of essential features and plugins from your current IDE and their Spaced IDE equivalents.
- Identify gaps and potential workarounds (custom scripts, alternative plugins, or feature requests to extension authors).
- Prioritize must-have features for the pilot: those that block development if missing (e.g., language-specific debugger, refactoring tools).
Example small mapping table:
| Current feature/plugin | Spaced IDE equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prettier formatter | Spaced Formatter plugin | Configure via .spacedconfig |
| Python LSP | Built-in Python server | Requires virtualenv detection settings |
| Custom build script | Task runner integration | Add as custom task in workspace settings |
5) Prepare configuration & workspace templates
- Standardize editor settings (indentation, line endings, encoding) in a shared configuration file that Spaced IDE can consume.
- Create workspace templates for different project types (backend, frontend, microservice, library), including recommended extensions and tasks.
- Add editorconfig, linting, and formatting rules to repositories to decouple code-style from individual IDE settings.
- Store recommended settings and extensions in a centralized repo or internal docs site for easy adoption.
6) Setup automation and onboarding scripts
- Build scripts to auto-install recommended extensions and apply workspace settings for Spaced IDE.
- Provide a one-command setup script for new hires to clone the repo, install tools, and open the project in Spaced IDE.
- If you use containerized development, prepare and publish Spaced-compatible dev container images or remote workspace configurations.
7) Pilot migration
- Choose a small, representative pilot team and 1–3 non-critical projects to migrate first.
- Run the setup script and walk the team through the workspace templates and recommended settings.
- Track issues and friction points with the pilot — performance, missing features, breakages, or confusing defaults.
- Collect quantitative and qualitative feedback: task completion times, error rates, developer satisfaction.
8) Training and documentation
- Prepare short, focused training: 30–60 minute live demos and recorded walkthroughs covering Spaced IDE basics, shortcuts, debugging, workspace setup, and team conventions.
- Write quick reference guides: common keyboard shortcuts, how to run and debug tests, and how to manage extensions.
- Maintain an FAQ for common migration issues and troubleshooting steps.
9) Rollout strategy
- Based on pilot results, iterate on workspace templates, scripts, and documentation.
- Plan phased rollouts by team or project priority. Consider migrating teams with fewer external dependencies first.
- Provide migration windows where support staff are available (e.g., dedicated office hours) to resolve blockers quickly.
- Use feature flags or opt-in mechanisms so teams can revert temporarily if a critical issue arises.
10) Integrations and CI/CD alignment
- Ensure local workflows mirror CI environments (same linters, formatters, and test runners).
- Update CI pipelines if they rely on IDE-specific artifacts or hooks. Move any required checks to repository configuration rather than IDE settings.
- Validate that pre-commit hooks and automated code-formatting run consistently for Spaced IDE users.
11) Security and compliance
- Review and configure permissions for any Spaced IDE extensions that access network resources or remote services.
- Ensure secrets management follows organization policies—avoid storing credentials in workspace settings.
- Check that remote development and syncing features comply with data governance and regulatory requirements.
12) Measure success and iterate
- Monitor KPIs defined in step 1: rate of IDE-related issues, code quality metrics, build/test times, and developer sentiment.
- Survey teams after migration milestones and review recorded support tickets to identify common pain points.
- Iterate on templates, extensions, and automation based on feedback.
13) Long-term maintenance
- Assign an internal “Spaced IDE champion” or small team responsible for maintaining recommended settings, updating templates, and triaging extension issues.
- Schedule periodic reviews of the recommended extensions list and workspace images.
- Encourage internal contributions to extension configs and templates as teams discover improvements.
Appendix: Quick checklist (one-page)
- Define goals and success metrics
- Inventory languages, tools, and extensions
- Verify Spaced IDE compatibility
- Map feature/plugin equivalents
- Create workspace templates and settings
- Build setup and onboarding scripts
- Run a small pilot and collect feedback
- Produce training materials and docs
- Phase rollout with support windows
- Align CI/CD and pre-commit hooks
- Check security and compliance
- Monitor KPIs and iterate
- Assign ongoing maintenance owners
If you want, I can convert this into a printable checklist PDF, create example workspace templates, or draft onboarding scripts for your specific tech stack. Which would you like next?
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