Keyboard shortcuts "count" as automation in my book, so that's already a good start :-).
Do you use code completion? If so, that's a form of automation highly relevant to programmers (and if not,
you should!). There are tons of ways to automate the insertion of code fragments, and that gets you not only faster results but a decreased chance of typing errors.
My book isn't specifically for programmers; it's about automation more broadly. It goes far beyond functionality built into the Mac, including things like macro utilities, clipboard enhancements, launchers, programmable
word processors, AppleScript, Automator, shell scripts, and much more. I'd be shocked if you didn't find at least a few things that will save you time and effort, regardless of what you're using your Mac for. (And, after all, I assume you use your Mac for things besides programming!)
Cheers,
Joe