# Lab Notebooking for the Software Engineer

DevFeed: [Lab Notebooking for the Software Engineer](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/lab-notebooking-for-the-software-engineer-21911.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.nelhage.com/2010/06/lab-notebooking-for-the-software-engineer/>)

Author: Nelson Elhage

Published: 2010-06-20T22:53:07Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Nelson Elhage](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/nelson-elhage.md>)

Topics: [Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software.md>), [Documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/documentation.md>), [Git](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/git.md>), [Org mode](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/orgmode.md>), [Emacs](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/emacs.md>)

Tags: [advice](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/advice.md>), [backups](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/backups.md>), [documentation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/documentation.md>), [emacs](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/emacs.md>), [files](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/files.md>), [git](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/git.md>), [software-engineer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-engineer.md>), [writing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/writing.md>)

## AI overview

This article offers practical advice for software engineers who want to keep lab notebooks while working. It recommends using a text file, maintaining an append-only log, keeping automatic backups, and developing regular note-taking habits.

## Source excerpt

A few weeks ago, I wrote that software engineers should keep lab notebooks as they work, in addition to just documenting things after the fact. Today, I'm going to share the techniques that I've found useful to try to get in the habit of lab-notebooking my work, even though I still feel like I could be better at writing things down. Here's my advice for keeping a lab notebook as a computer scientist: