7 Web Tools for Web Developers

Well, we certainly hope that everyone is enjoying the Olympics thus far. We support Team USA of course.

Now, there are many web developers out there of all levels. Each developer uses their own tools. Of course, it’s always good to have a large number of tools in the chest. Here are some good tools any dev. should use.

1) Notepad++
This is like a pumped up and pimped out Notepad. You can code in many languages, ranging from HTML/XHTML to PHP, CSS, Java, Javascript, Python, and others. It is a lightweight program that has syntax highlighting, multiple files in a tabbed file system, multi-language support, macroing, page preview, and TextFX, which lets you do things like run HTML Tidy. Now you will never need to suffer through the lack of features in regular old Notepad.

2) Codetch Plugin for Firefox
This puppy is a must-have for users who want to edit code on the fly. This tool is like Dreamweaver except free. It loads extremely fast (I notice no lag time) and it can edit code permanently for any file on your server. This makes validation very simple since you can fix an error right away because the code changes permanently.

3) VIM
This tool is called Visual Editor Improved. It is friendly and easier to use than its original, Visual Editor (VI). VI and VIM are modal editors meaning that the same key can have more than one job depending on the mode you set. It isn’t that intuitive, but it is amazing with efficiency once you get used to it.

4) Emacs
This program is sort of like VI in that it was (and is) more of a Unix/Linux program. However, this program is pretty beast with its custimazations. It has a powerful macro feature like Notepad++, can view and edit the file system, manage remote files, browse the web, check e-mail, and others. This program takes some getting used to. There is a simpler to use version called Xemacs out with standard menus and icons.

5) HTML Validator Plugin for Firefox
This simple plugin simply validates the XHTML on the current website with the W3 Validator. It lists each error with error messages, help on correcting said errors, and syntax highlighting of the error. It also has HTML Tidy to clean up your page.

6) Web Developer Toolbar for Firefox
This toolbar lets you validate your pages, edit pages (not permanently, but you can see what the change looks like), view your page in different sizes and resolutions, and get a speed report. This tool is pumped up with many different little settings to play with that will make any dev’s job easier.

7) Firebug Plugin for Firefox
This plugin lets you inspect you code, view code as an outline, and debug your code. It shows you what parts of your code are affected by lines earlier on. Changes you make are not permanent, but you can view results immediately after a refresh. It structures the code very nicely for ease of use.

Here are 7 non-IDE tool that anyone web dev should use to save money, space, memory on their pcs while speeding up their work.

Enjoy!
Voltaire