What's changed: Created Professional Cloud Developer Chapter 3 (Domain 2 "Build and test": dev environment = CLI emulators/unit tests, Cloud Shell/Cloud Workstations, Cloud Code, Gemini Code/Cloud Assist; build and test = Cloud Build/Artifact Registry, Binary Authorization (provenance), CI automation of unit/integration tests).
3.1Setting up the development environment
Understand emulating services with the Google Cloud CLI for local development and testing, using Cloud Code, Cloud Shell, Cloud Workstations, and Gemini Cloud Assist, IDE integrations, and configuring environments that boost developer productivity.
Fast, correct development needs a good dev environment. Use Google Cloud tools from local validation to consistent cloud-based environments.
3.1.1Local development and emulation
To iterate fast without cloud cost or latency, mock services locally with Google Cloud CLI emulators (Firestore, Pub/Sub, Spanner, etc.) and run unit tests. This speeds the dev/test loop without connecting to the cloud. Map "validate fast locally = emulators + unit tests."
3.1.2Cloud dev environments and tools
For consistent environments, use browser-based Cloud Shell (a quick ephemeral environment) or team-standardized Cloud Workstations (managed dev environments). Add Cloud Code to IDEs (VS Code/JetBrains) to integrate deploy and debug. Use Gemini Cloud Assist and Gemini Code Assist for AI-assisted completion, explanation, and troubleshooting. Map "standardized dev environment = Cloud Workstations," "IDE integration = Cloud Code," "AI assist = Gemini Code/Cloud Assist."
Common: requirement → tool. E.g., "test locally without connecting to the cloud" = CLI emulators + unit tests; "quick browser-based" = Cloud Shell; "standardized managed dev environment" = Cloud Workstations; "deploy/debug in the IDE" = Cloud Code; "AI code assistance" = Gemini Code Assist.
Watch the mix-ups: (1) Emulators are for local validation, not a production substitute. (2) Do not confuse Cloud Shell (ephemeral, quick) and Cloud Workstations (standardized, managed). (3) Cloud Code is IDE integration, distinct from the CLI itself.
3.1.3Section summary
- Local validation = CLI emulators + unit tests for fast iteration
- Cloud env = Cloud Shell (quick)/Cloud Workstations (standardized); IDE integration = Cloud Code
- Gemini Code/Cloud Assist for AI assistance (completion/explanation/troubleshooting)
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Quick check
(just a quick review)Q1. To develop/unit-test fast locally without connecting to the cloud, which best fits?
Q2. For a team-standardized, managed development environment, which is best?
Q3. To integrate deploy and debug into an IDE (e.g., VS Code), what do you use?
Q4. Which is a quick, ephemeral command-line environment usable from the browser?
Q5. For AI-assisted code completion, explanation, and ops troubleshooting, what do you use?
Q6. Which correctly describes the role of emulators?