What are your most useful web dev tools ?

[jeddi]

Hi

As a newbie sometimes I come across a tool ( usually free) and just wish that I had found it a lot earlier !!

The last one I picked up has been great for posting images on forums
and its called Easy Capture and its free.

( from easy-capture.com )

Please share your favorite sw tools so we can all benefit. :)

Thanks

PS - if there is an existing good thread please post it as that will also help.
(I did search and found a good one but it was 2004 - so lets do an update)

[jerry62704]

Most of us use Firebug (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/) for Firefox. Some of us use IEDeveloperToolbars (http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=E59C3964-672D-4511-BB3E-2D5E1DB91038&displaylang=en) for Internet Explorer.

[Excavator]

It's the Web Developer (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60)toolbar for me.
Some others would be
popbox.js (http://www.c6software.com/Products/PopBox/)
WebAlbum Generator (http://www.ornj.net/webalbum/)
And of course: notepad, DreamWeaver and Photoshop.

[jeddi]

Thanks for those suggestions.

I downloaded the popbox and web album generator. They both look pretty useful - thanks.

Am hving difficulty with the Firebug plugin but will try again.
I use FF so I am sure that will help.

Thanks very much for sharing.

Anyone else ?

[Apostropartheid]

I made my own custom theme for Firefox because it looks so horrible under my Vista machine, and, as a designer, I couldn't stand using the thing (used IE instead.) I tackled it with an axe and it's much, much better, integrating with the OS's native styles and getting some use out of Aero.

Firebug is my number one thing after that.

[_Aerospace_Eng_]

I made my own custom theme for Firefox because it looks so horrible under my Vista machine, and, as a designer, I couldn't stand using the thing (used IE instead.) I tackled it with an axe and it's much, much better, integrating with the OS's native styles and getting some use out of Aero.

Firebug is my number one thing after that.

Sounds like you would have benefited from this thread: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=673940

Screenshot attached of the results. I'm using a Windows 7 theme for Vista with the Glasser Extension installed. I'm also using Fences, Rocketdock, and 10-Foot HUD (Heads Up Display).

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5172/aerozk6.th.png (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=aerozk6.png)

As to what I use for development. I use Dreamweaver in code view. I love the syntax highlighting, built in validation and the ability to manage multiple sites at once.

I store some client files on my thumb drive so I'm using truecrypt to AES encrypt them.

I tend to use photoshop for most graphic work but I've been using Fireworks more. For things like Java I use eclipse though I don't make many Java web applications.

Loaded in Firefox I use the following for web development. One of my favorites being CSSViewer which allows me to styles for any element on the page on the fly. I also use Pixie by Nattyware which helps pull color codes from whatever I'm viewing. Similar to Colorzilla for Firefox except for other applications as well.

Enabled Extensions for Web Development:
- Add N Edit Cookies (http://addneditcookies.mozdev.org/) 0.2.1.3
- CSSViewer (http://www.google.com/search?q=Firefox%20CSSViewer) 1.0.3
- Dummy Lipsum (http://sogame.awardspace.com/) 2.3.0
- Firebug (http://getfirebug.com/) 1.3.2
- Greasemonkey (http://www.greasespot.net/) 0.8.20080609.0
- IE Tab (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/1419) 1.5.20090207
- JSView (http://forum.softwareblaze.com) 2.0.5
- Live HTTP headers (http://www.google.com/search?q=Firefox%20Live%20HTTP%20headers) 0.14
- MeasureIt (http://www.kevinfreitas.net/pro/extensions/) 0.3.8
- NoScript (http://noscript.net) 1.9.0.4
- Open link in... (http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=118365) 1.6
- User Agent Switcher (http://chrispederick.com/work/user-agent-switcher/) 0.6.11
- Web Developer (http://chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/) 1.1.6

[Apostropartheid]

Follow Lifehacker much, Aero? ^^ I adore the wallpaper, by the way.

[jamesicus]

Web Authoring Tools (all free) I use:

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/ - HTML-Kit text editor, with "Tidy" and multiple Browser checker
http://validator.w3.org/ - W3C single page Markup Validator (HTML/XHTML)
http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/ -- W3C stlye sheet validator (CSS)
http://www.htmlhelp.com/tools/validator/ - batch Markup Validator -- all pages (WDG)
http://www.cynthiasays.com - quick checker of Web Content Accessibility compliance (WAI/WCAG)
http://schneegans.de/sv/ - XHTML Markup Validator and well-formedness checker (XML Schema)
http://web-sniffer.net/ -- HTTP request & response header depiction (esp. content type serving)
http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/lynx/lynx_viewer.php -- text only depiction (LYNX emulation)
http://browsershots.org/ - page appearance in multiple browsers (Browser Shots)
http://validator.w3.org/checklink - W3C Link checker
http://validator.w3.org/feed/ - W3C RSS/Atom Feed validator
http://validator.w3.org/mobile/ - W3C mobileOK Checker (Mobile Devices)
http://www.w3.org/RDF/Validator/ -- W3C RDF/XML Validator

And ..........

Chris Pederick's Web Developer Extension (http://chrispederick.com/work/webdeveloper/) - tool bar for Firefox
WAT IE Browser Accessibility Toolbar (http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html) - a great extension that is reminiscent of Chris Pederick's Web Developer Extension for Firefox

James

[redspyder]

The single most useful tool I have is Web Developer (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60) for Firefox.

It's one of those things you wonder how you ever managed without it.

All the best - redspyder

[jeddi]

Thanks very much James, Redspyder and Cyan
for your input, this is very helpful and will save me
plenty of time in the future :thumbsup: