There is so much front-end developer software out there to choose from and finding your cup-of-tea is a battle in and of itself. Like any master craftsman that has countless tools at their disposal they will still rely on the trusty toolbox. They carry in it a select number of items that they know can be used in any situation and get them out of any pinch.
So here I am sharing my toolbox with you. I have rounded up the 5 different software assets that I find essential to my daily workflow.
Enjoi!
Disclosure Statement: Not all of the software tools mentioned are free of charge and available for both Windows & Mac. Your career is worth investing in.
##1: PhpStorm
Don't let the name fool you. This html/css/javascript/php IDE developed by the kind people at Jet Brains is a powerhouse. From groovy customization to deployment configuration and beyond, whatever you need to get done PhpStorm will do it for you.
Cost: US $89.00/yr. Cost decreases over time
Availability: macOS, Linux, Windows
##2: SourceTree
Their mission is simple. Sourcetree simplifies how you interact with your Git repositories so you can focus on coding. If you fear the command line as I do then SourceTree is your side-kick in the battle with version control. Available for Windows & Mac, SourceTree will have you saying Sayōnara! to the command line.
Bonus: Their UI is as slick as Johnny Bravo's pompadour.
Cost: Free
Availability: macOS, Windows
##3: Transmit
The people at Panic are cooking up some pretty radical things. Among those is the handy file transfer app Transmit. Transmit handles the classics — FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and S3. But it also includes other could services such as Backblaze B2, Box, Google Drive, DreamObjects, Dropbox, Microsoft Azure, and Rackspace all in a familiar UI.
P.S. They have their own code code editor Nova coming out soon!
Cost: US $45.00
Availability: macOS
##4: Prepros
Prepros is your friendly web development companion. Don't mistake its kind appearance for lack of grit. Not only does this workhorse compile everything from Sass, Less, Stylus, Pug/Jade, Haml, Slim, CoffeeScript and TypeScript, but it also transpiles your JavaScript, reloads your browsers and makes it really easy to develop & test your websites so you can focus on making them perfect.
Cost: US $29.00
Availability: macOS, Linux, Windows
##5: Local by Flywheel
This software can be described as a top tier ergonomic setup: You didn't know how bad you needed it until you got it. Simply put Local is a fuss-free way to develop WordPress sites locally. Flywheel not only gave us delightful managed WordPress hosting but they over achieved and gave us a tool that can install Wordpress in one-click, contains staging/production environments, hot-swappable PHP environments, plus many more awesome dev treats.
Do yourself a favor and give it a whirl.
Cost: Free/Pro Pricing
Availability: macOS, Linux, Windows
##Recap
Well there you have it! I hope you found the tour of my trusty Front-End Developer Toolbox enjoyable, or at the least compelling. It's important to note that these tools are what help Me. My hope is that what I shared might help You.
What tools do you use on a daily basis that ease your workflow?
-Hector C. Supplier of Gloriousness