15 useful applications for web developers

This article lists the applications we use in our web development environment.
The main languages used are Ruby & React. We hope you find it useful.

VS Code

We use React and Typescript for front-end development, and if you use Typescript, VSCode is probably by far the most popular choice. Competitors is IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, Sublime Text.

Redmine

I use Rubymine for backend Rails development.
The main reasons for using Rubymine are its code jump function, conflict resolution function, and easy-to-use DB manipulation function. However, you need to purchase a license to use Rubymine.
If you want to have a free development environment as much as possible, it is better to use VSCode for back-end development as well.

Sequel Pro

This is an application for operating DB with GUI.
If you are using Rubymine, the same functions are provided in Rubymine, but if you are not using Rubymine, it is easy to operate DB with this GUI application.

Postman

This app is used to check the API returned by Rails to see if GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE, etc. are communicated as intended.

SourceTree

This is a GUI application for using version control tools for git.
Rubymine and VSCode also have version control functions, so it is better to use the one that is easy to use for you.
Around me, the ratio of Source Tree users, Rubymine and VSCode users, and command line users is about 4:5:1. I think GUI is easier to understand and see than command line.

iTerm

I use this application for command line operations.
I often use the key binding function to assign shortcuts and keep an operation log. Also, although I don’t use it, it is a very functional terminal app that I can’t fully explain here, such as operating iTerm with Python.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD is an app for designing, but at our development site, we use it to draw wireframes. Before actually writing code, we need to reach a consensus among the development team on what the screen will look like. In such cases, we draw wireframes to explain what we are trying to create, and once consensus is reached, we write the actual code. A wireframe is a diagram like this.

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop is an application that allows you to run Windows on one Mac in parallel.
We usually use Mac for development, but before releasing a product, we need to check it on Windows, so we use Parallels Desktop to check the operation.

Docker

Docker has the following advantages.
When developing as a team, you can share the same environment with other team members.
Multiple development environments with different versions of languages and libraries can be used on a single PC.
Create the same environment as the server that publishes the service, etc.

The following is not directly related to development, but we will also introduce some useful applications.

f.lux

f.lux is an application that cuts blue light.
I use this app because my eyes get tired after looking at the screen for a long time.
Reducing blue light from the screen means less blue, and if you cut blue light significantly, the entire screen looks closer to orange.
If you are designing, you may want to set the blue light cut value back to normal only when designing. You can adjust how much blue light is cut, so if you are concerned about eye fatigue, please give it a try.

Coffitivity

Coffitivity is an application that reproduces the noise of a café.
I used to like to go out to work in cafes before the Corona disaster, and I found it comfortable to have a moderate amount of noise. It seems I am not the only one who thought so, and this app helps me when I want to change my mood.

Clippy

Clippy is an application that remembers the history of copying and pasting.
If I want to copy and paste 10 places from one file to another, it is hard to copy and paste one by one, but if I have the history of the clipboard (the area that remembers copying), I can copy 10 times from the original file and paste them into another file, and the work progresses.

Bitwarden

This application manages different passwords for different sites. I used to use 1Password (the buy-out version), but switched to Bitwarden because it is no longer compatible with the latest version of Chrome.
Once registered, Bitwarden automatically fills in your password the next time you log in. The function to automatically generate a password is also very useful.

Path Finder

Path Finder is a Finder-like file explorer. I like the drop-stack function for temporary area when moving files, and the modular function for customizing file previews, folder history, etc., which makes it easy to use.

AudioNote

This is an application that allows you to record a conversation and leave notes at the same time. The time when you enter notes is recorded, so you can look back and see what notes you left at what point in the conversation.