10 Best & useful software development tools in 2021

As software developers, we at Sannacod strive to deliver our product on time and in the best quality. Our experience shows that by introducing the mandatory tools for software development, the productivity of Sannacode engineers has grown by 20% over the past year.

We will share with you the top 10 software development tools.

1. Cloud9

Cloud9 IDE is a cloud-based collaborative web development and programming service in over 20 languages.

The service is intended for everyone involved in team development. The browser contains a code editor, an emulation environment, and various tools for commenting and discussing the resulting program code.

The first feature of the Cloud9 IDE is connecting to the code creation platform those services that you already know well and that help in software development. The editor itself is built on open-source technologies. Therefore, it supports open source modules and the author’s plugins and extensions for new functionality.

The second feature is building code collaboration. It provides for viewing, editing, commenting, and discussing the code and various versions of the created software product directly in the browser. All edits, changes, and comments are displayed in real-time.

The third interesting feature is cloud-based operation. In the working environment, all commenting and compiling tools are in the “cloud.” You can even run your Python and Ruby applications in the cloud. Compilation with GCC and command line work with the make, telnet, and VIM are also supported.

For those who are used to working with code on their servers, it is possible to connect the Cloud9 + SSH bundle and work on the side of your server. It is also possible to establish a connection to FTP servers (with support for directory trees, drag-and-drop files, and code editing). Those who create code for WordPress and Drupal will also appreciate the possibilities of web development.

2. Atom

Atom appeared in 2014. It has skyrocketed in popularity among developers of different profiles. It’s free and open source. The GitHub team created the editor. The community of independent programmers promoting open source projects is responsible for the support and development of the project.

Atom is built on top of the Electron framework, making it a universal application for all platforms at once, that is, for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It makes it possible to extend the editor’s capabilities using JavaScript. Developers can change the functional component of Atom and the appearance of the application, adapting it to their needs (the programming language used, the project the user is working on, etc.). Therefore, many developers rightfully consider it to be the best HTML editor.

The main feature is multiple cursors for editing several lines of code simultaneously and the Teletype function for the collaboration of several programmers in one space.

3. Github

GitHub is a web-based version control platform that allows software developers to collaborate. The resource became the basis for a fundamentally new approach of IT specialists to work.

GitHub is by far the most popular code hosting service and the most extensive web repository of software solutions.

At the same time, it is essential to understand that GitHub cannot be perceived simply as a tool for working together. It is a network resource where developers exhibit their projects and at the same time can draw information from other people’s work. Thus, you can always find something new and valuable here and share your developments and, as a result, increase your professional reputation.

People with high ratings on GitHub are more likely to be asked for help and offered jobs by representatives of IT companies. Having your repository on GitHub is an opportunity to find a solution to a complex problem and a professional advertising platform where you promote yourself as a specialist.

4. CodeLobster

CodeLobster IDE is designed for editing PHP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript files. It highlights the code depending on the syntax and shows hints for tags, functions, and parameters. This editor works very well with mixed code.

The CodeLobster IDE provides contextual help for all supported languages. To do this, he uses up-to-date information and documentation from official sites. Therefore, we can immediately see the description of any HTML tag, CSS attribute, PHP, or JavaScript function by pressing the F1 key.

The editor supports work with XDebug and allows you to run PHP scripts step by step, moving along the lines of code. You can set a breakpoint anywhere and monitor the values ​​of any variables while executing your code.

The Professional Edition has several additional features. For example, you are working with projects on a remote server through the built-in FTP / SFTP client. At the same time, you can easily select files for editing, view the results, and synchronize changes in files on the hosting.

5. CloudForge

CloudForge is a simple and easy-to-use platform that offers various on-demand tools and services that distributed teams and companies need to collaborate and deploy in any production environment (private, PaaS, cloud).

It can be easily integrated with various development tools and can deploy code to public and private clouds. It supports FTP, SCP, SSH, Rsync for runtime and helps to manage multiple teams, projects, and processes. Finally, CloudForge Publisher even allows you to deploy on multiple servers in parallel.

6. FileZilla

FileZilla is free and open-source software that helps you transfer large files faster and more securely. Most web hosts have severe limitations when it comes to uploading files using PHP or scripts. However, such restrictions do not apply to FTP uploads so that the FileZilla client can be a powerful weapon in the hands of a developer.

The FileZilla client has gained popularity due to its simplicity and ease of use for the average user. It supports many operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, and setting up FileZilla takes less than five minutes.

Your server will be safe using FileZilla, as this manager encrypts saved sessions.

7. Maven

Maven is a project management and insight tool that provides developers with a complete build lifecycle environment. The development team can automate a project’s build infrastructure almost instantly because Maven uses a standard directory structure and default build lifecycle.

Because most project settings are simple and reusable, Maven makes life easier for a developer when reporting, validating, building, and testing automation settings.

Maven simplifies and standardizes the build process for a project. It handles compilation, distribution, documentation, team collaboration, and other tasks quickly. Maven increases reusability and handles most of the build tasks.

8. Axure RP

Axure RP is the leading tool for quickly creating wireframes, prototypes, and specifications for applications and websites.

Axure RP is the most famous and popular website and application prototyping software. Its capabilities are sufficient to create complex elements, while it is pretty easy to learn.

Axure RP combines powerful design tools, SVG import, and Sketch integration with world-class prototypes, so you can wow stakeholders and customers alike.

One of the main features of Axure (compared to competitors) is the ability to program buttons, containers, widgets. Thanks to this, the prototype can function as a full-fledged website/application.

9. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is one of the most popular code editors developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is distributed free of charge and is supported by all current operating systems: Windows, Linux, and macOS. VS Code is a simple text editor with the ability to connect various plugins, makingwork it possible to work with all kinds of programming languages to develop any IT product.

Despite such a high popularity of the program, its functionality is still not so obvious, which is why many users prefer a competitor’s product over VS Code. To solve all the problems that arise when working with Visual Studio Code, I recommend reading the detailed guide on setting up this code editor. In it, I’ll show you that VS Code is a powerful tool that anyone can use.

10. IMS

IMS is a custom internal CRM developed by Sannacode specialists. It helps to track the time spent on tasks. It helps to assess the productivity of our developers, to plan sprints, and monitor their implementation. In a remote work environment, this is one of the best tools to ensure that the customer’s project is delivered on time. In addition, with the help of the IMS, employees can plan their vacations, quickly find contacts of any of the employees, and monitor their social benefits. You can create an internal management system to use and control a work resource efficiently.

Leave a request on the Sannacode website, and we will advise you on developing an internal CRM for personnel management.