The Best Software Development Tools and Apps of 2018
What are the best tools and apps to developers this year? Our guest blogger, Chris Richardson, gives us the answer since we're midway through 2018.
Choosing the right software development tool among dozens or even hundreds of available options is never an easy thing to do. From prototyping and data science to Integrated Development Environment(IDE) and source control, there is a wide variety of apps you can use.
In this post, we decided to narrow down the options and show you 15 best software development tools and apps for 2018.
Let’s check them out!
1. Atom
Atom is a free and open-source text editor. It allows simultaneous editing on multiple platforms, simple browsing, and intuitive ‘find and replace’ features. Atom enables you to get smarter context-aware auto-completion, code navigation features such as an outline view, go to definition and find all references.
You can also hover-to-reveal information, diagnostics (errors and warnings) and document formatting.Besides that,Teletype for Atom makes collaborating on code just as easy as it is to code alone, right from your editor.
2. Cloud 9 IDE
AWS Cloud9 is a cloud-based IDE tool that lets you write, run, and debug your code with just a browser. It includes a code editor, debugger, and terminal. Cloud9 comes prepackaged with essential tools for popular programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, PHP, and more, so you don’t need to install files or configure your development machine to start new projects.
Since Cloud9 IDE is cloud-based, you can work on your projects from your office, home, or anywhere else using an internet-connected machine. Cloud9 also provides a seamless experience for developing server-less applications enabling you to easily define resources, debug, and switch between local and remote execution of server-less applications.
3. Docker
Docker is the company driving the container movement and the only container platform provider to address every application across the hybrid cloud. It enables true independence between applications and infrastructure and developers and IT ops to unlock their potential and creates a model for better collaboration and innovation.
IT specialists at essaygeeks.co.uk use this tool and recommend it because it “allows us the flexibility to evolve application portfolio in the way that makes sense for our organization”. With Docker, you can standardize and automate the way you build, manage, and secure applications across departments.
4. AngularJS
AngularJS is a tool that lets you extend HTML vocabulary for your application. Essentially, AngularJS is a toolset for building the framework most suited to your application development. It is fully extensible and works well with other libraries.
Every feature can be modified or replaced to suit your unique development workflow and feature needs. Using data-binding, you can automatically update the view whenever the model changes or update the model whenever the view changes. The resulting environment is extraordinarily expressive, readable, and quick to develop.
5. NetBeans
NetBeans is another free and open-source platform that you can use to develop desktop, mobile and web applicationswith Java, JavaScript, HTML5, PHP, or C/C++. It enablesclients to develop their products quickly, efficiently and easily by leveraging the strengths of the Java platform and other relevant industry standards.With its editors, code analyzers, and converters, you can quickly and smoothly upgrade your applications to use new Java 8 language constructs, such as lambdas, functional operations, and method references.
6. Dreamweaver
Dreamweaver is an Adobe-based tool that gives you faster and more intuitive ways to design, code and publish websites and web applications that look good on any size screen. The tool enables you to design and manage dynamic websites easily with a smart and simplified coding engine.
Using its visual aids, you can reduce errors and speed up site development. Another important feature of Dreamweaver is that you can preview your sites and edits in real time to make sure your pages look and work the way you want before you publish.
7. Node.js
Node.js is the asynchronous event-driven JavaScript runtimedesigned to build scalable network applications. What makes this tool so good is its commitment to quality software. This way, Node.js keeps evolving and implementing state-of-the-art solutions to improve the final product.
8. CodeLobster
CodeLobster offers a multifunctional portable IDE with all these standard features free of charge. The tool basically streamlines and simplifies the PHP development process. With CodeLobster, you don't need to keep in mind the names of functions, arguments, tags or their attributes because they are added with auto-complete features for PHP, HTML, JavaScript and even CSS.
9. Eclipse
Eclipse is the essential tool for any Java developer, including Java IDE, a CVS client, XML Editor, and Maven integration. This solutionoffers code recommendations, Eclipse Git Team Provider, and other important web application features.
10. Jira
Jira is one of the most popular agile project management tools that can improve team performance based on real-time, visual data that your organization can put to use. With Jira, you can upgrade your workflow with Confluence, Bitbucket, Stride, and hundreds of other developer tools.
Besides that, the tool enables you to transform product requirements in Confluence into a Jira Software backlog with one click and it automatically updates issues and transitions work when the code is committed in Bitbucket. Jira’s rich planning software features enable your team to flexibly plan in a way that works best for them.
11. Azure
Azure is the web application design tool that allows you to create powerful cloud apps for web and mobile. Using Azure, you can quickly build, deploy, and scale enterprise-grade web, mobile, and API apps running on any platform.
It meets rigorous performance, scalability, security, and compliance requirements while using a fully-managed platform to perform infrastructure maintenance. Additionally, Azure lets you integrate products into your existing frameworks, thus getting unparalleled developer productivity.
12. GitHub
GitHub is a development platform that gives you the opportunity to host and review code, manage projects, and build software alongside millions of other developers. Its seamless code review is the surest path to better code, while built-in review tools make code review an essential part of your team’s process.
Besides that, GitHub’s moderation tools such as issue and pull request locking help your team stay focused on code. And if you maintain an open source project, user blocking reduces noises and ensures conversations are productive.
13. Postman
Developers use Postman to build modern software for the API-first world. It offers integrated tools for every stage of the API lifecycle within powerful collaboration spaces for teams of any size. With this tool, you can run requests, test and debug, create automated tests, as well as mock, document,and monitor an API.
14. Visual Studio Online
Visual Studio Online is a set of different features that enable you to test and deploy your code to production at lightning speed with high-performance pipelines. With it, you can start small and scale up as needed.
This tool makes it possible to build your applications in your team’s favorite language, IDE, and DevOps tool chain - whether or not they’re from Microsoft. You can deploy your application to any platform, cloud provider or app store using the existing DevOps infrastructurewith ready-made or custom-built tasks.
15. CloudForge
CloudForge is a SaaS model designed for application developers. It’s a comprehensive platform that enables you to code, connect, and deliver great products. Using CloudForge, you can instantly provision, integrate, and manage your development tools. The best thing about this cloud-based platform is that it meets the elasticity, security, and scalability needs of your organization.
Conclusion
Finding the right software development app is often more difficult than creating the final product. The reason is simple – there are dozens of options to choose from in every field of work. In this post, we showed you 15 best software development tools for 2018.
Give them a try and let us know in comments what you think about our choices!