Software development is a tricky domain. Every minuscule of a second, a new software tool comes in the market and gets accessible to 1000s of developers at a time. But, what differentiates a good developer and an average developer is the zeal to learn and re-learn even the basic tools. Programming requires constant dedication and learning, but newbie developers often skip it under the pretext that they know it all.
You must invest time and money to re-learn what you read and practiced in the past even if it’s a simple tool like Microsoft Word. By following this practice consistently, you not only sharpen your skills, but you also stand the golden chance to accomplish more in less time. With that being said, there are certain tools and development kits that remain constant irrespective of time and you as a software developer should possess knowledge on each of them. For example: Software development companies like Simform, have an ideology that they should not do the task that can be taken care of by development tools.
In this blog post, we walk you through 5 Best Software Development Tools (names listed below) which you must use in your daily lives and should inculcate in you a practical understanding of each to excel better.
Tools:
- Linx
- NetBeans
- BitBucket
- Atom
- Bootstrap
LINX
LINX is mostly preferred by IT professionals as it helps them cut down their heavy workload. It’s a nifty tool that is designed to automate backend apps and web services. Offering 100+ built-in plugins and programming functions, LINX speeds up the development process. Encapsulated with features like quick integration with apps, systems, and one-click support for local/cloud server further makes it rank on #1 position in the list of best developers tools. Check out the official LINX webpage for more information about its features.
COST: Starts from Developer plan @ $149/month
NETBEANS
One of the most popular IDE (Integrated Development Environment) tool ever designed in JAVA. NETBEANS is an open-source, and free s/w development tool which functions on a combination of 4 different programming languages namely C++, PHP, JavaScript, and JAVA.
IT experts and software developers around the world use it to create applications that are compatible with all 3 interfaces i.e., web, mobile, and desktop. Further, cross-platform support, smart code editing, dedicated community support, GUI builder, support for JAVA platforms, and well-organized code are some unique qualities in NETBEANS which makes it easy-to-use even for beginners. Gather more information about NETBEANS from its official website.
BitBucket
Unlike other tools mentioned in this blog post, BitBucket is a web-based version control system. It got acquired by Atlassian in 2010 and has been acting like a tough competitor to GitHub. It allows for easy collaboration between different software teams and also integrates well with JIRA.
Most developers use it as a repository for keeping their source codes and development projects. Its other features include:
- Unlimited count of private repositories
- Easy collaboration on steroids
- Integration with the existing workflow to streamline the development process
- Flexibility to organize repositories into projects allowing developers to focus solely on their process
PRICING: FREEplan (for 5 Users), STANDARD plan @ $3/user/month and PREMIUM plan @ $6/user/month. Check out the detailed overview of plans here.
ATOM
One of my personal favorites, ATOM is another open-source, hackable and FREE text editor prominently used by developers. It is completely user-friendly and similar to NETBEANS, comes incorporated with cross-platform support.
What makes ATOM different from other tools is that it allows you to modify the look-and-feel of your user-interface (as per your choice) without putting hands on the main configuration file. Its key features include:
- Built-in package manager with smart autocomplete
- Ability to Multi-split the interface making it easier for developers to compare and edit code
- Developers can design and create cross-platform apps using its ‘Electron’ framework
- It is easier to find and replace code snippets in a particular file or entire project
Download ATOM and try it for yourself.
BOOTSTRAP
BOOTSTRAP is again an open-source and FREE framework which is mostly used by developers to design and develop responsive websites using its drag-and-drop functionality. It functions on a combination of CSS, HTML and JS programming language to create mobile-first projects.
Its key features include:
- Easy customization as it’s an open-source toolkit
- Responsive grid system with extensive prebuilt components, Saas variables, and Mixins
- Includes powerful plugins built on JQuery
- Front-end web framework used by developers to prototype their ideas and shape them into intuitive web applications
- Offers consistency among different developers/users working on the same project
Gather more information on BOOTSTRAP from its official website.
Conclusion
The list is endless, but these were the tools I would recommend you include in your portfolio. Picking out the right one is definitely a challenge, but let us know if you have some other recommendations to include here? Drop-in your valuable feedback, views, and suggestions in the comments section below.
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