Recommended Development Tools

We at bluPixel studio are perpetually tinkering with new tools (new to us at least).

Here are our recommendations for a few categories of tools.

IDEs and code editors

Visual Studio Code

This is currently my (Steve) go-to code editor. The IntelliSense code completion is quite nice. The built-in Git support saves time at the command line. The extension marketplace is robust. The thing is produced in front-end web technologies running in a electron container; meaning you can extend it yourself with your web development skills.

Visual Studio Code does not have the features that enable heavy-duty backend and DB development, like it’s big brother Visual Studio, or like Eclipse-based IDEs. So, no DB connections, no server controls.

Visual Studio Code is just enough IDE for me. No gigantic install with complex dependencies. It’s not a big system resource hog.

It’s cross-platform! Jump from your Windows workstation to your Macbook and get the same experience.

Emmet comes with, out of the box.

If you’d like to try, download here: Visual Studio Code.

Notepad++

This is my go-to for general-purpose text-editing on Windows. The syntax-highlighting is good and it has highlight definitions for many languages. The workspace/project functionality is lacking as compared to more robust tools but keep it handy for random files you must edit outside of the project context.

Image Editing

I’m cheap, so, GIMP.

FTP

On Windows, Filezilla; it’s never left me looking for another app.

On MacOS, you can go Filezilla, but I also like Transmit. Transmit’s file browsing interface is very similar to Mac’s built-in finder.