Back then, websites were only used so that people could have centralized data storage. Nowadays, we write our thoughts, connect with our friends and loved ones, and buy our groceries through a website.
But these advancements also mean a demand for various factors like speed and security. We need web development tools that can help us streamline our codes or make our website secure.
Why Use Web Development Tools?
The thing with web development is that it is a long process that involves many stages. That’s because we want to ensure that our website will make it convenient for the visitors to use it.
According to Sytian Web Developer Philippines, you will have a lot of things on your plate as web developer. This includes choosing the right framework, selecting the host and server, and most importantly picking the best web development language. Luckily, you can use tools and software to make our job less strenuous.
These web development tools are designed to simplify and streamline the development process. However, choosing the wrong one can compromise your work.
In this post, we’ve listed a couple of front-end development tools to help you get started.
Sublime Text
This text editor is great for small to large businesses and is an excellent tool used to code, markup, and prose. Using this feature, you can easily edit files side by side.
Moreover, Sublime’s secret to success is mainly attributed to the program’s vast array of keyboard shortcuts. As mentioned, it can do simultaneous editing.
It also has quick navigation to files, lines, and symbols. If you’re spending more than 8 hours in your editor each day, the seconds that you save on every process eventually adds up.
It supports Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. Perhaps the only con of this tool is that it doesn’t support mobile platforms yet.
GitHub
Every web developer’s worst nightmare is when they’re working on a project feature only to find themselves screwing up.
That’s where GitHub comes in.
When you roll out your project with the service, you can easily view the changes you made and revert to the previous version when needed.
There are also several reasons why this tool is vital for web developers.
For one, the repository hosting service features a rich open-source development community. They also have other components like bug tracking, task management, feature requests, and wikis.
jQuery
Although JavaScript has been widely known as an essential front-end language by web developers, it also comes with issues. It’s filled with browser inconsistencies. Its complicated syntax also means that the functionality also suffered.
That was until 2006 when a short, cross-platform JavaScript library called jQuery entered the picture. Its goal is to simplify the front-end process. It also abstracted many of the functionality that’s usually left out for developers to figure out on their own.
The tool offers an easy-to-use API that allows tasks such as Ajax and animation a lot simpler. It can also work in several browsers. All in all, this tool provided a much larger scope in creating animations, adding plugins, or just navigating through documents.
Nowadays, there’s no doubt that jQuery is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries out there.
Chrome Developer Tools
Wouldn’t it be nice if you were editing your CSS and HTM in real-time? How about debugging your JavaScript while running a performance analysis of your website?
Well, Google’s Chrome Development Tools allows you just like that.
Available both on Chrome and Safari, it lets developers access the internals of their web applications. You can also get support from the active DevTools Community. However, note that this can be used in one browser only.
It also features a plethora of network tools that let them optimize loading flows. Another feature is a timeline allows you to understand what the browser is doing at that very moment. What’s great about this web development tool is that Google releases updates every six weeks or so.
Using Chrome DevTools, you can view messages, run and debug JavaScript on Console, edit pages on the fly, quickly diagnose problems, and optimize the website speed.
Visual Studio Code
Most front-end developers need a great code editor. That’s why we’re mentioning one of the top code editors out there, the Visual Studio Code.
Usually, this open-source code editor from Microsoft comes with the following remarkable features:
- Smart code completion
- Built-in debugger
- Syntax highlighting
- Easier deployment capabilities
It also offers built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript & Node.js. Other languages like Java, PHP, Python, and C++ are also supported using extensions. This is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Sass
Sass is perhaps one of the most well-known CSS extension languages out there. Basically, it extends the functionality of CSS like inheritance, easier nesting, inline imports, and so on.
It’s also highly compatible with all CSS versions. Thus, it is convenient for developers to utilize any available CSS library.
However, you need to install and set up Sass first in your project before using it. After installing, it’s then easier to compile your Sass to CSS via the sass command.
Several developers and tech developers also support the tool. There are also several popular frameworks out there that are built with Sass.
Angular.JS
This tool allows you to extend your HTML vocabulary. HTML is excellent with static documents but not so much with dynamic views. This tool will provide you with an environment that’s expressive, readable, and fast to develop.
It also provides you with a toolset that allows you to create a framework from your app development.
Its comprehensive toolset can also work with other libraries. Thus, it gives you the flexibility to modify or replace the feature depending on your development workflow.
Moreover, in terms of community support, it will surely impress you as it is being used by many developers worldwide.
Bootstrap
Do you want to build a website without spending a lot of time on CSS? Then this tool is precisely what you need.
A CSS kit made by developers at Twitter, Bootstrap quickly became the CSS framework of reference.
Here are some of its well-loved features:
- A quick and easy way to build highly responsive and great-looking websites.
- Because this tool is widely used, it has a large community as well. There is also a bevy of free templates and websites with a lot of helpful tutorials.
CodeKit
While beginners might find this a bit challenging to use at first, this is actually built to boost your time creating a website.
The best part is that CodeKit also works exceptionally well with several languages. Minimizing codes can decrease the file sizes, which also reduces HTTP requests via combined scripts.
It also lets web developers optimize the image size. Furthermore, it also does JavaScript combined syntax and minifies cheks.
We also suggest that you place a unique template to make your site stand out, and you’re ready to go. There is no need for you to reload the whole page since CSS changes are already inserted into the tool.
Ruby on Rails
Next up is the web developing frameworks tool Ruby on Rails. Many developers want a well-organized code library that lets them improve their “mining job” by allowing them to create one step at a time.
It also provides instant solutions like form and menu builders. As such, Ruby on Rails can be beneficial for web developers to use, whether they are beginners or veterans.
This handy web developing framework tool should definitely be included in every beginner’s toolkit. It’s an excellent choice for people who are just starting out since they don’t have to write code lines from scratch.
The only con here is finding the necessary code from Ruby and then inserting it while developing your site.
Node Package Manager (NPM)
Node Package Manager is a free and open-source tool that lets you build incredible things via essential JavaScript tools. It has excellent functionalities from team management.
A great thing about it is that you don’t have to configure anything, and it comes with security auditing features as well.
An enterprise-grade solution offers the following features:
- Security expertise
- Access control
- De-duplicated development
- Excellent customer support
Small teams to large organizations can use this tool. No doubt, it’s the ultimate solution for enterprise JavaScript.
Adobe Dreamweaver
This is a simple tool ideal for developing sites and web pages. This excellent software program allows you to build a site even without a profound knowledge of coding.
A beginner can quickly build a working site using this tool. However, if you’re planning to go the extra mile, then you might have to learn things like CSS and HTML.
The best thing about the Adobe Dreamweaver is that it has what you see as a platform. You can easily drag and drop, and once you gain a solid understanding of the interface, it’s easier for you to build a website or even just a page. Other vital features include file management, accessibility checks, and code validation.
Overall, Dreamweaver is a tool that’s excellent for beginners because it bypasses the writing code.
Grunt
This tool is a JavaScript task runner that’s often helpful in automation. It also does most of the repetitive work like compilation, unit testing, minification, and so on.
Apart from providing you with several plugins, it allows you to automate anything with minimal effort. It’s also easy to install, and you can even make your Grunt plugin to Npn.
TypeScript
This open-source programming language is JavaScript’s typed superset. What it does is compiles the code to plain JavaScript.
It also supports any browser, host, or operating system. You can also utilize the existing JavaScript code and then call the Typescript code from the JavaScript.
Furthermore, you’ll also gain helpful insights into the current behavior of JavaScript libraries. It also lets you use the latest JavaScript features and define the interfaces between the software components.
Envato
A front-end development tool, Envato supports various web frameworks that include JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
It also features more than a thousand HTML5 templates that you can use to create graphical user interfaces. Envator also offers optimized JavaScript and CSS coding techniques, allowing you to save coding time and increase page speed scores.
Foundation
It’s a lot simpler to design something once the basics are there. Foundation goes with this approach, providing a “family of responsive front-end frameworks.”
You can use this for website design and emails. You can easily customize it as well so that you’ll get just the right look.
It also comes with a series of HTML templates, each of which is optimized for a particular application like a blog or a real estate site.
“Building blocks” are added to the website, with a full-screen hero page, social media buttons, star rating block, and a subscription form.
You can have plenty of options, and it has just about anything that you usually see on a web page. There are also foundation classes, a series of webinars that teaches new users how to use it. It comes with a free demo.
Sketch
Great websites are more than just codes. In most cases, they have excellent design elements, and that includes logos and images.
This tool lets you handle these design elements. Features include the ability to add simple animations and the building of clickable prototypes.
It also allows users to build a master symbol that can be used anywhere in the documents and resized if necessary. Texts and images are also manipulated into dynamic designs.
The cloud component, also known as Libraries, and custom fonts to give your site a more customized look. Perhaps the only drawback about it is that it only supports macOS.
Final Thoughts
Web development will remain in demand for the next decade or so. That’s because more and more brands and entrepreneurs finally understand the importance of having an online presence.
As such, you must keep yourself abreast with the latest trends and tools available for you. That way, you can provide the best web development service to your clients, as well as propel your career.
