Tag: tools

As you might imagine, I’m bored at work1 and I’m trying to come up with something to keep my brain alive. So here’s another QotD2 for you; what are your favorite web development tools?

My response is slightly complicated because I use both Linux & Windows and use different tools under each. Note that these lists are presented in no particular order.

Linux Web Development Tools

  • Quanta for editing HTML, CSS & PHP.
  • Bluefish is another good tool for editing HTML, CSS & PHP but its interface just feels a lot more clutured.
  • GIMP for editing images, though to be perfectly honest I hate using it because the interface is just wretched. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of another image editor that I can use under Linux which has the functionality that I need.

Windows Web Development Tools

  • UltraEdit is the best text editor for Windows. Period. It’s not free but there is a time-limited demo. You can edit pretty much anything with UltraEdit and there are additional wordlists & dictionaries for it to make it even easier to use. Though as I recall CSS is not included with the default word list –this means UltraEdit won’t do syntax highlighting for CSS by default– but an additional wordlist can be downloaded to take care of that.
  • Fireworks MX is the best image editing program, particularly for web work. It’s interface feels very well laid out, hiding options you don’t immediately need and grouping similar options together. Plus, it uses Adobe Photoshop’s plugin architecture allowing you to easily expand the functionality of the software. Again, this isn’t free software but there is a time-limited demo. Unfortunately, the Crossweavers version of Wine lists this program as Known Not to Run; so I won’t be running this under Linux any time soon. *sigh*

1 For the record, I am working right now. I’m trying to get the program I test to generate some errors so I can test some new functionality that the programmers added to the error handling. Naturally now that I want the program to break; it’s not. *sigh*
2 QotD (acronym): There are 2 generally accecpted meanings for this acronym,

  1. Quote of the Day
  2. Question of the Day

Unless otherwise noted, this site uses the 2nd definition.

I’ve been working on a project designing a personal website for AWelkin. Last Friday, I gave her the templates I’d constructed for her. She seemed pretty excited & happy with them, but then I tried to start showing her how to edit them; only to find that she doesn’t have any good tools for doing such a thing. The only real editor she had was TextEdit (I think it just comes with OS X) and it doesn’t do syntax highlighting; which would make life hard for her. Since I don’t have a Mac1; I couldn’t really offer recommendations to her.

The only editor for Macs that I’d heard of is BBEdit but I had heard that was a rather complex program and I really thought it was more than she’d need. Then I talked to my local Mac geek and found out that BBEdit is really expensive! So I asked if he could recommend any other cheaper/simpler editors. He did a bit of searching and said PageSpinner would be a good option. I looked at the PageSpinner website and it uses valid HTML; which is a good sign. The screenshots also looked promising, but were kind of small and there doesn’t appear to be any larger versions available2. On the plus side, the feature list for PageSpinner does appear to cover everything that I think AWelkin would need (e.g. syntax highlighting and a preview function).

Anyhoo, I’m posting this note in hopes that AWelkin might read it and let me know if this PageSpinner program will work for her.

1 I’m not a PC evangelist or a Mac-Hater. I just don’t have the money to buy a Mac right now and I’m not likely to any time soon. Oh and for the record, those 15 inch G4 Powerbooks look like the sweetest laptops on this planet!
2 Guys, you really need to get some larger screenshots up. Some of us are nearly blind as it is and trying to look at your product from tiny shots like these really doesn’t help our eyesight. So please, please, please post some larger images for us to look at. Remember, not everybody visiting your site will be willing to download your app just to see if it will work for them; they may be stuck using WinBlows and trying to find something suitable for their Mac using friends.

Normally given the choice, I will sleep blissfully through all of Saturday morning, arising from the depths of my slumber only when the morning has past. Unfortunately, I’d gotten stuck at work Friday night till nearly 7 and so I couldn’t get the rent paid the night before. Since rent must be paid within 3 days or you get hit with a late fee and since I’ve had problems before with dropping the rent off in the night deposit box around a holiday weekend; I really needed to get the rent paid while the bank was open. So my alarm was set and awaken in the wee hours of Saturday morning I did. Ariesna decided to go along with me; so went off to the bank and successfully paid the rent and then hit up the post office.

While I was waiting in line there, an old/odd friend of ours was there as well. Elf was farther up in line than I and was trying to be friendly, but I’m not at my best during the morning particularly not during the morning before I’ve gotten some caffeine in my blood. So, I apologize Elf; I wasn’t trying to be rude/mean, I just don’t do mornings. Finally it was my turn and I got my package mailed off1. The post office was kind of nice because my favorite worker waited on me. He’s an older guy who’s always nice and has a smile for everyone. Plus, he seems to take some real pride in his work and his appearance; as I’ve never seen him show up looking sloppy (like most of his co-workers do).
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