Web Development Apps
- Thread starter LazyD
- Start date
Until the last 2 weeks I used eclipse PDT plugin or Zend plugin for PHP development but I have recently switched over to NetBeans 6.5 which so far has me not switching back yet. One of the best PHP editors i have dealt with. Zend has the best Unit testing suite though. I also like the Python editor but it's pretty much tied with pydev.
For quick edits I use Notepad++
For RegEx I use Kodos (It's for python but still works for the most part in php)
Visual Studio 2008 for desktop projects
Photoshop (although coming off fireworks)
Filezilla for FTP purposes
tortoiseSVN
GIT (which is my default version control now, way better than SVN)
Vmware extensively(I use this for linux envoirments and reverse engineering of all types)
Firebug
Live HTTP
For quick edits I use Notepad++
For RegEx I use Kodos (It's for python but still works for the most part in php)
Visual Studio 2008 for desktop projects
Photoshop (although coming off fireworks)
Filezilla for FTP purposes
tortoiseSVN
GIT (which is my default version control now, way better than SVN)
Vmware extensively(I use this for linux envoirments and reverse engineering of all types)
Firebug
Live HTTP
I've used both Zend and Eclipse PDT. What did you like about NetBeans?
// going to sticky this thread.
I'm looking into it now, I have used it in the past for Java work, but never for web development, but looks like it supports pretty much everything.
For webdesign you need:
- IE Tab Firefox plugin, stop opening two windows to test in IE, just use FF
- Adobe Fireworks, I know I'm going to get criticised for this one, but it is better in every single way to photoshop for web design mockups and graphics. I'm still on version 6, latest version is CS4 so I'm basically 6 versions behind and it still gets the job done fast.
- Filezilla, the easiest and most reliable FTP client
- Topstyle Lite, seriously good CSS editor, with specs for IE, and also different CSS versions so perfect for cross-browser complientcy
- Adobe Dreamweaver, okay there are very good alternatives available and it's wysiwyg is shit, but the automated FTP and high quality HTML editing make it a winner
-Web Development Firefox Toolbar, brilliant for testing sites
- Notepad, not notepad++ just notepad.exe the most udeful editor out there, opens every file type and is super fast.
I may switch to firebug some day, but for now Dreamweaver and Topstyle Lite is my lethal HTML/CSS duo.
- IE Tab Firefox plugin, stop opening two windows to test in IE, just use FF
- Adobe Fireworks, I know I'm going to get criticised for this one, but it is better in every single way to photoshop for web design mockups and graphics. I'm still on version 6, latest version is CS4 so I'm basically 6 versions behind and it still gets the job done fast.
- Filezilla, the easiest and most reliable FTP client
- Topstyle Lite, seriously good CSS editor, with specs for IE, and also different CSS versions so perfect for cross-browser complientcy
- Adobe Dreamweaver, okay there are very good alternatives available and it's wysiwyg is shit, but the automated FTP and high quality HTML editing make it a winner
-Web Development Firefox Toolbar, brilliant for testing sites
- Notepad, not notepad++ just notepad.exe the most udeful editor out there, opens every file type and is super fast.
I may switch to firebug some day, but for now Dreamweaver and Topstyle Lite is my lethal HTML/CSS duo.
Won't work in Mac or Linux since its opening IE's activeX control within FF, and also FF/IE isn't everything. Vmware Fusion works better in this case if you need a 'controlled' environment in testing browsers and related software.
Well Fireworks was made for web-image creation, PNG and Gif support is also stronger in it. Though its not a "need". Course being on version 6 you know not of the web integrations they have put into Photoshop since CS2 (of which they dropped image ready after that point). So your opinion of it being better than PS may be somewhat flawed if you're not using a version that most current developers are using.
You don't seem to know what firebug is if you're comparing it to the functionality of dreamweaver/topstyle.
Also since you seem to like the simplicity and speed of notepad, probably doing everything in codeview, and like the project capability of dreamweaver to put/get files via FTP. You might actually like something like primalscript (or Coda if you're on a mac).
Apart from what has been mentioned already, I can add this to the list:
Try IETester for this - it's a single application that simulates (uses the same engine) all versions from 5.5 to 8 beta in separate tabs, and you don't need to install all versions of IE separately.
For an all-in-one
- screengrabber (monitor/window/rectangle/free shape/scrolling page)
- screen magnifier
- color picker
- screen ruler
, I use Faststone Capture. It sits in the taskbar and is pretty lightweight.
For a better file manager than Explorer (in Windows) with 3 panes instead of 2 and tabs for each pane, I use xplorer2 lite.
To compare 2 files (great for code): ExamDiff
To create ICO files right in Photoshop (i.e. save any file as a Favicon): Photoshop ICO Plugin
A lightweight, opensource code editor (built in Java), with a big plugin base (built-in plugin management), multiple clipboards, multiple search&replace threads, multiple window splitting, syntax highlighting for 130 languages, and 100% customizable: jEdit
And was this mentioned before? FireFTP, Firefox FTP Addon.
Great thread!
Try IETester for this - it's a single application that simulates (uses the same engine) all versions from 5.5 to 8 beta in separate tabs, and you don't need to install all versions of IE separately.
For an all-in-one
- screengrabber (monitor/window/rectangle/free shape/scrolling page)
- screen magnifier
- color picker
- screen ruler
, I use Faststone Capture. It sits in the taskbar and is pretty lightweight.
For a better file manager than Explorer (in Windows) with 3 panes instead of 2 and tabs for each pane, I use xplorer2 lite.
To compare 2 files (great for code): ExamDiff
To create ICO files right in Photoshop (i.e. save any file as a Favicon): Photoshop ICO Plugin
A lightweight, opensource code editor (built in Java), with a big plugin base (built-in plugin management), multiple clipboards, multiple search&replace threads, multiple window splitting, syntax highlighting for 130 languages, and 100% customizable: jEdit
And was this mentioned before? FireFTP, Firefox FTP Addon.
Great thread!
i like eclipse/PDT because if i need to work on a rails project, radrails is a button click away and subclipse makes version control a breeze.
flexbuilder is also just a button click away in eclipse.
guess it depends on your needs.
ditto on notepad++
Thanks for the Komodo recommendation I have been looking for a good IDE for os x thanks if any one has another fave IDE for mac or any other os x programs that they think are great for web development I would like to here of it.
Thank You
Coda is very nice if you want something extremely simple and straight forward, that can also be setup kinda like dreamweaver in the put/get sense.
Kodomo, I'll use if I'm developing strictly local, then uploading later since it doesn't have the quick get/put functionality. But I like everything else about it. (PS: Kodomo Edit, is free. It's the IDE that cost)
Another one, not really intended for more advanced coders, but would be good for someone who needs to push out a quick page is Rapidweaver. While it's a WYSIWYG editor which I usually despise this one puts out better stuff than most other. RapidWeaver 4 - Powerful Web Design Software for Mac OS X I prefer a 99.99% codeview approach though.
E is great. Now if I only had a mac I'd deffinatly use textmate.
Aptana is a nice IDE as well (Eclipse based). Both for PHP, and especially for Ajax.
Thanks, I'll check out primalscript.
By the way, when I said need, you understand I wasn't serious.
Thanks, I'll check out primalscript.
By the way, when I said need, you understand I wasn't serious.
*taping his viens* What? You weren't? :updown:
By the way, just realized the Komodo IDE that I really like is also available for windows and linux. It just doesn't have the get/put like coda, primalscript or dreamweaver does.
While Zend is top for testing and their code completion is a little better than PDT I just found it a little bulky and not as smooth as PDT. With Netbeans their code completion is excellent especially with recognizing custom functions that you have written. Way better than PDT or Zend. Also it feels less like a plugin and more like an integral part of the envoirment. Also it's integration with SVN is equal to PDT, I'm hoping that they make a Git plugin since I try to use Git more than SVN.
I tried to go back to PDT after the recent update to 2.0 to test it but I still like Netbeans for php better.
I tried to go back to PDT after the recent update to 2.0 to test it but I still like Netbeans for php better.
Stanley, thanks for the sticky - At some point when I have time, im going to try to go through all of the responses and post them in a big list in the OP with descriptions, links etc.
Im glad there are programs that I havent seen before, this is exactly what I was hoping would happen, thanks guys.
Im glad there are programs that I havent seen before, this is exactly what I was hoping would happen, thanks guys.
I can see myself failing miserable at compiling this into a big list, but I figured I would throw out a few more items that are more assets then they are apps...
JS Frameworks
If your doing anything more then a 1 liner of JS, truly consider using a JS framework - Some of the popular ones include...
jQuery - This is the one I use - Anything you cant do with the core library can be easily added via the many available plugins. With its noConflict support it can work with existing JS libraries and dropped into existing sites.
Prototype/Scriptaculous - This is the first JS framework I used - It is very capable and has a large following. It seems like many Prototype users have jumped ship for jQuery
MooTools - Hard to comment on this one, I havent used it... From what I have heard, its a very technical framework which has a higher learning curve than jQuery but is extremely capable.
ExtJS - Another one I havent used. The few things I have heard about it say that it is a direct competitor to jQuery.
Dojo - Recently got a big push as the official JS library of the Zend Framework. Dojo seems to get alot of flak because of its syntax which adds Dojo specific attributes to HTML tags which causes pages not to validate, etc. Dojo includes a Widget creation library called Dijits.
JS Frameworks
If your doing anything more then a 1 liner of JS, truly consider using a JS framework - Some of the popular ones include...
jQuery - This is the one I use - Anything you cant do with the core library can be easily added via the many available plugins. With its noConflict support it can work with existing JS libraries and dropped into existing sites.
Prototype/Scriptaculous - This is the first JS framework I used - It is very capable and has a large following. It seems like many Prototype users have jumped ship for jQuery
MooTools - Hard to comment on this one, I havent used it... From what I have heard, its a very technical framework which has a higher learning curve than jQuery but is extremely capable.
ExtJS - Another one I havent used. The few things I have heard about it say that it is a direct competitor to jQuery.
Dojo - Recently got a big push as the official JS library of the Zend Framework. Dojo seems to get alot of flak because of its syntax which adds Dojo specific attributes to HTML tags which causes pages not to validate, etc. Dojo includes a Widget creation library called Dijits.
My weapon of choice, seems to be the most cross-browser compatible. JQuery seems to suit designer-minds more so than coders (thus the jump, though I wouldn't say "many"). But at least I can prevent Jquery from killing my prototype scripts if its a small amount of code. Where as if you got mootools on the same page as Proto, you're screwed.
Karl, my biggest complaint with Prototype is that many plugins and such seem to require Scriptaculous, not that its a huge deal, but having to pull in possibly another 4-6 files does annoy me to some extend.
I have to admit that its been a while since I used Prototype, but having jQuery as 1 standalone file that has a transparent plugin system is certainly nice.
I have to admit that its been a while since I used Prototype, but having jQuery as 1 standalone file that has a transparent plugin system is certainly nice.