5 Tools Every Software Developer Should Try

Software developers use a variety of tools to facilitate their work and optimize the results. These days, the job of developers can be made much easier if they use the right tool. From code review and version control to bug tracking and software development, there’s a lot that can help you these days.

 

While there’s no rule as to what combination of tools is best for you, there are some must-have solutions you should definitely consider using.

 

Types of tools you may need as a software developer

 

There are all kinds of tools you might need during your career as a software developer. We categorized them as follows:

 

• Frameworks for developing software apps

• IDEs for editing, running and debugging source codes

• Cloud-based tools for easy access and collaboration with other developers

• API solutions that help you perform a variety of useful tasks

• Prototyping tools that allow you to create software prototypes

• Editing tools that detect and point to errors in your code

• UML tools that are useful for software documentation management

• DevOps tools that can help you automate or manage the software deployment processes

 

The five solutions that follow can fall into different categories simultaneously. Combining them in your development can make your job much easier – and far more effective. Let’s take a look at them.

 

1. Abstract for Python email validation and other APIs

 

Imagine this – you get access to an array of APIs that can easily be used to power your next application. That’s exactly what Abstract offers software developers and programmers. Their many APIs include Geolocation, email verification, phone validation, VAP validation, user avatar API, website screenshot API, image processing, link shortening, cryptocurrency API and so on.

 

One of the most used features of this popular tool is the Python email validation. Verifying addresses is as simple as it gets thanks to Abstract, and it can go a long way to boosting the deliverability of your messages.

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(Source - https://www.abstractapi.com)

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You are probably thinking: I can use open-source libraries for this! While there are some with simple interfaces you could use, the return information is limited, to say the least. Libraries usually check if the domain resolves and the email syntax is correct, and provide no other information that will help you validate your email address.

 

Abstract’s API, on the other hand, is free to use and offers a variety of information on addresses, as well as documentation on how you can use it if you lack experience in this.

 

Read: 10 Types of Software

 

2. Git for source code management and tracking changes

 

Git is a free solution used by giants like Google, Microsoft, Netflix, and LinkedIn. This open-source tool is a version control system with the capabilities to help you with projects of all sizes. Featuring a very simple interface and a tiny footprint, Git offers a speedy way to manage your code. It outclasses other SCM tools with more convenient staging areas, cheaper local branching, as well as multiple workflows.

 

If you use Git, every member in your team will get a local copy of the history of the development, while the system tracks every change made across repositories. One of the best things about Git is the speed, as well as the branching model. As a developer, you can use several branches for different ideas, backtrack and test them when you decide so.

 

Developers that use this tool come in large numbers, and they often join the Git community to discuss their ideas, get some help and insight, and learn more about their projects. Git can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

 

The same company that created this useful tool created GitHub, another option that you can use simultaneously for best results. Think of Git as the back-end version software, which is running on your computer and doing “the heavy lifting”. It handles things such as detecting changes in the repository.

 

GitHub, on the other hand, is somewhat of a front-end user interface. These two complement each other greatly, but you need some experience and effort to learn how to manage them. With a bit of time, you can use them to push things to a remote repository, make new branches, commit something, etc. The GitHub website will allow you to do code reviews, merge things into a branch, get recommendations on changes to approve, etc.

 

Just take it one step at a time and soon, you’ll master the use of the two most helpful solutions for software developers.

 

 

3. Sublime Text for code editing and more efficient work

 

Sublime Text is the Grammarly for programmers. This is an amazing editing tool that will help you find the errors in your code, fix them, and give you insight on what you need to improve. It’s a code editor that works across different platforms, supports a variety of program languages as well as markups.

 

One of the greatest things about Sublime Text is that it offers simple navigation through files and lines. Developers can make changes on multiple areas of the code simultaneously, and switch between projects with ease.

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(Source: https://www.sublimetext.com/)

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Another great feature of this code editor is the distraction-free mode, which is amazing if you lose your focus while working on the code. With this feature, you can avoid a variety of distractions while you’re working. It will show the editor full screen, but remove the remaining UI chrome features.

 

The features of Sublime are:

 

• Autocompletion, code folding, and syntax highlight

• Customizability via plugins in the Package Manager (over 3.800 packages available)

• Lightweight and very fast

• Powerful search functionality

• Simultaneous editing with several cursors used at once

• Minimap

• The option to display text files differently (in a grid, in tabs, columns, rows, etc.)

 

Read: What is Backend as a Service (BaaS)?

 

4. Zoho Creator for faster web and mobile app development

 

Zoho Creator is 10 times faster than most low-code platforms, which makes it very popular among developers. This tool allows users to extend their applications based on their preferences and coded enhancements. Thanks to Zoho Creator, you no longer need to write endless lines of code to demonstrate how advanced your coding expertise is. This tool does a lot of the work – and much faster.

 

Some of the best features of the Zoho low-code platform are:

 

• Over 60 apps for boosting your business and project productivity

• Multi-language support

• Simple access to insightful reports

•  High security for project data

• Online and offline mobile access

• Easy-to-use form builder

• Integration with other Zoho apps

• Custom workflows and pre-built app templates

 

Zoho Creator is affordable and versatile in terms of what it offers, which is why over 4 million developers use it to do their work. Through the use of cloud functions, AI, and various integrations with third-party apps, Zoho is now one of the most helpful solutions for your projects. The professional version of this tool has pricing that begins at only $25 per month.  

 

Thanks to the minimalist, simple interface, everyone can use Zoho for low-coding. Combined with the Deluge scripting language, the form builder and pre-built apps allow for simple use and easy customization.

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(Source: https://www.zoho.com/creator/)

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5. AWS Cloud 9 for running and writing different programming languages

 

In the beginning, the 2010 Cloud 9 was an open-source solution. In 2016, Amazon Web Service acquired this tool and made it cost-based. It has a huge number of features and capabilities and allows you to program in all sorts of languages including C, Python, Perl, PHP, Javascript, and more.

 

This integrated development environment or IDE tool enables app creators to write, run, and debug codes through their web browser. IT’s equipped with a built-in terminal, code editor, and debugger, and comes packaged with all the necessary tools for the most popular programming languages.

 

Since AWS Cloud 9 is a cloud solution, you can access it from any place with an Internet connection, making for speedy and seamless use of its many features. It also enables team collaboration, allowing members to check inputs, communicate, and pair programs in real-time.

 

You needn’t install or maintain a local IDE to use this solution. All it takes is browser access and you can run and debug code with ease. Its capabilities run wide – AWS Cloud 9 covers over 40 different programming languages and offers features like completion suggestions and file dragging.

 

It doesn’t matter how much experience you have in this. The tool is so simple to use that you can use it to learn how to write and debug code, or work on your projects. The app will pre-configure your development environment with all the plug-ins, libraries, and SDKs you need for development, as well as provide an environment for local testing and debugging the Lambda Functions.

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(Image: Source)

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The terminal of this IDE is connected to the Amazon EC2 instance, which hosts the development environment. It also has a pre-authenticated Command Line Interface, allowing you to easily access your codes and run commands more efficiently.

 

Final thoughts

 

Naturally, you might not need every tool in the list but if you need such features, these are the top-rated choices you have at your disposal today. Happy coding!