Tutorials / By Role & Use Case

Intermediate

Set Up a Developer Workspace on Mac

A good dev setup keeps your editor, terminal, browser, and docs each in the right place — and gets you back to coding after a context switch in one keystroke. This tutorial builds a developer workspace with stages for projects and auto-tiling for the windows inside each one.

Editor
Browser
v2.0 schematic. Each pane has its own tabs. Click Editor or Terminal without moving the other panes.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Make a stage per project or context

    Create a stage for each project you switch between — e.g. App, API, and Infra — plus a Comms stage for Slack and Mail. Opt+1 through Opt+9 jump between them instantly, so switching projects doesn't mean digging through windows.

  2. 2

    Auto-tile the code monitor with TabStack

    Set your main monitor to TabStack and choose a starting preset. Incoming windows follow New Window Placement. Drag a divider to resize adjacent panes; drop a window in a pane's center to join its tabs, or on an edge to split off a pane.

  3. 3

    Keep reference material in a tabbed pane

    For docs, API references, and Stack Overflow tabs, use a TabStack pane on a second monitor. Stack several reference windows in one slot and flip between them with tabs — they stay out of your editor's way.

  4. 4

    Set up a build/log layout you can return to

    Save the arrangement of terminal, logs, and editor as a preset so a fresh stage starts ready to work. Use Opt+Down to retile after you've opened a burst of new windows.

  5. 5

    Send stray windows where they belong

    When a simulator, a preview window, or a one-off browser pops up on the wrong stage, Opt+Shift plus the stage number sends it to the right place without breaking your flow.

Tips

  • BetterStage disables the AX enhanced-UI animation that makes Chrome, Firefox, and Electron apps animate resizes — so snapping VS Code or a browser is instant.
  • Keep a dedicated Comms stage so Slack and Mail notifications never land on top of your editor.

Frequently asked questions

Does auto-tiling work with VS Code, terminals, and browsers?

Yes. TabStack tiles any standard window, including Electron apps like VS Code, terminal emulators, and browsers. BetterStage suppresses the resize animation that some of these apps otherwise play.

Can each monitor use a different layout?

Yes. Window Modes are per-monitor within each stage. Use different TabStack presets and tab groups on your code and reference screens, or keep one screen in Enhanced Native.

Is this setup free?

Stages and snap zones are free (up to three stages). TabStack is a Pro feature. Eligible Macs can start a 7-day free Pro trial; previous trials do not reset.

Try it yourself

BetterStage is free for up to three stages with full snap zones. Eligible Macs can start a 7-day Pro trial — AI Staging, TabStack panes and tabs, Saved Workspaces, Layout Presets, and Pinned Displays. Previous trials do not reset; managed AI credits are separate. Free users on eligible Macs can also try Pro for 15 minutes once every 24 hours. See how to start a daily Pro preview.

Download BetterStage

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Related tutorials

Build an Auto-Tiling Coding Layout with TabStack

Build a coding layout with resizable panes, tab groups, and configurable window placement.

Save and Reuse Window Layouts with Presets

Start from reusable pane layouts with tabs — Split View, Focus + Stack, and more.

Organize Multiple Monitors into Focused Workspaces

Stages span every display, each monitor runs its own mode, and pinned screens stay put.