My Top 10 Python Scripts That Make Life Easier as a Developer 🐍

These aren’t flashy — but they save me time, clicks, and headaches every single day.

My Top 10 Python Scripts That Make Life Easier as a Developer 🐍

Being a developer isn’t just about writing code — it’s about managing chaos. Between repetitive tasks, debugging, deployments, and side projects, even the smallest time-savers can feel like superpowers.

Over the years, I’ve written and refined a collection of Python scripts that quietly make my day smoother, my workflow faster, and my sanity intact.

Today, I’m sharing the 10 I use the most — simple, effective, and built to solve real problems developers face.

1. Project Bootstrapper

Problem: Setting up new projects manually is tedious.

import os 
import subprocess 
 
def bootstrap_project(name): 
    os.makedirs(f"{name}/src", exist_ok=True) 
    with open(f"{name}/README.md", 'w') as f: 
        f.write(f"# {name}\n\nProject initialized.") 
    subprocess.run(["python3", "-m", "venv", f"{name}/venv"]) 
    subprocess.run(["git", "init"], cwd=name) 
    print(f"Project '{name}' bootstrapped successfully!") 
 
# Usage 
bootstrap_project("awesome_project")

What it does: Creates a new project folder with virtualenv, .gitignore, README, src/, and Git initialized.

2. Folder Organizer

Problem: Download folder chaos.

import os 
import shutil 
from pathlib import Path 
 
def organize_downloads(path): 
    for file in os.listdir(path): 
        if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(path, file)): 
            ext = Path(file).suffix[1:].lower() 
            target = os.path.join(path, ext) 
            os.makedirs(target, exist_ok=True) 
            shutil.move(os.path.join(path, file), os.path.join(target, file)) 
 
# Usage 
organize_downloads("/Users/you/Downloads")

What it does: Sorts files into folders based on file type.

3. Time Tracker

Problem: You worked all day. But on what?

from datetime import datetime 
 
def log_time(task): 
    with open("time_log.txt", "a") as f: 
        f.write(f"{datetime.now()} - {task}\n") 
    print("Time logged.") 
 
# Usage 
log_time("Fixing API rate-limit bug")

What it does: Lets you log tasks and time from the terminal.

4. API Tester

Problem: You don’t want to keep opening Postman for every endpoint test.

import requests 
import json 
 
def test_api(url): 
    res = requests.get(url) 
    print(json.dumps(res.json(), indent=2)) 
 
# Usage 
test_api("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1")

What it does: Hit APIs from the terminal and show response nicely.

5. Password Generator

Problem: Still using abc123? Shame.

import random 
import string 
 
def generate_password(length=12): 
    chars = string.ascii_letters + string.digits + string.punctuation 
    return ''.join(random.choice(chars) for _ in range(length)) 
 
# Usage 
print(generate_password(16))

What it does: Generates secure, random passwords.

6. Clipboard Text Formatter

Problem: You copy text and always need to clean it up.

import pyperclip 
 
def clean_clipboard(): 
    text = pyperclip.paste() 
    cleaned = text.replace('\n', ' ').replace("“", '"').replace("”", '"') 
    pyperclip.copy(cleaned) 
    print("Clipboard cleaned.") 
 
# Usage 
clean_clipboard()

What it does: Formats clipboard text (e.g., removes line breaks, fixes quotes).

7. Log Highlighter

Problem: Scanning logs manually is a nightmare.

def highlight_logs(file_path, keywords): 
    with open(file_path) as f: 
        for line in f: 
            if any(k in line for k in keywords): 
                print("\033[91m" + line.strip() + "\033[0m") 
            else: 
                print(line.strip()) 
 
# Usage 
highlight_logs("server.log", ["ERROR", "CRITICAL"])

What it does: Highlights keywords in log files for easy reading.

8. Website Availability Checker

Problem: Wondering if the site is down for you or everyone.

import requests 
 
def check_website(url): 
    try: 
        r = requests.get(url, timeout=5) 
        print(f"{url} is UP (status: {r.status_code})") 
    except requests.RequestException: 
        print(f"{url} seems DOWN.") 
 
# Usage 
check_website("https://example.com")

What it does: Pings a website and shows if it’s up.

9. Unused Image Cleaner

Problem: Your project has 500 images. 50 are used.

import os 
 
def clean_unused_images(image_dir, code_dirs): 
    used = set() 
    for code_dir in code_dirs: 
        for root, _, files in os.walk(code_dir): 
            for f in files: 
                if f.endswith(('.html', '.css')): 
                    with open(os.path.join(root, f)) as file: 
                        used.update(file.read()) 
 
    for img in os.listdir(image_dir): 
        if img not in used: 
            os.remove(os.path.join(image_dir, img)) 
            print(f"Deleted: {img}") 
 
# Usage 
clean_unused_images("static/images", ["templates", "static/css"])

What it does: Deletes images not referenced in your HTML/CSS.

10. Daily Journal Entry

Problem: Can’t remember what you did yesterday.

from datetime import datetime 
 
def write_journal(): 
    today = datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d") 
    with open(f"journal_{today}.md", "w") as f: 
        f.write(f"# Journal Entry - {today}\n\n## What I did:\n- ") 
    print(f"Journal created: journal_{today}.md") 
 
# Usage 
write_journal()

What it does: Creates a markdown entry with a timestamp.

Final Thoughts

None of these scripts are groundbreaking on their own — and that’s the point. They’re small, scrappy solutions that solve real problems.

And honestly, that’s where Python shines: quick wins that scale. Whether it’s tidying up your workspace, automating repetitive tasks, or keeping you focused — a little Python can go a long way.

If you found this helpful, I’d love to know which one you’d try — or if you’ve got your own secret script up your sleeve, drop it in the comments 👇

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