5 Best Web Development Tools and Resources You Should Be Using

Whether you are an experienced developer creating complex applications or you're just starting out writing your first line of HTML, one fact that will never change will be how effective the tools you use will be at making or breaking your level of productivity. In today's world where tech is evolving faster than ever, learning to code may no longer be sufficient, you may also need to learn how to use tools that can help you build modern, responsive, high-performing websites seamlessly. Finding the right tool and learning how to use it efficiently can completely change the game for any developer when it comes to coding for the better. With the right tools, you can automate tasks, deploy apps in a few clicks, debug in just a few seconds and design beautiful interfaces. The wrong tools, however, can make you start to question why you chose coding as your career path, they can slow you down and complicate your workflow leaving feeling frustrated and irritable. The benefits of using web development resources are numerous regardless of whether you are working on a personal project, building your portfolio or getting ready for your first tech job, here are some of the benefits:

• writing clean, maintainable code
• create projects seamlessly
• debug quickly and easily
• gives updates on industry trends
• improved design interfaces
• boosts your level of productivity

In this article we will explore the 10 of the best web development tools and resources you should be using from the simple everyday tools like the coding editors to the 'heavy machinery' like the hosting services. Let's dive into it.

1.VS Code 

Picking the right code editor is extremely important when it comes to writing code that is not only clean, and maintainable but efficient as well. Visual Studio Code is the most popularly used among developers across the world. VS Code has built in features that assist to increase your level of productivity and help you streamline your workflow. The best part about this tool is that it can be used by everybody regardless of their level of experience in coding.

Key features of VS Code

a)Ease of use - the balance this text editor creates between efficiency and ease of use is what makes it stand out. Anybody who is just starting out in coding can open up VS Code and easily navigate it, however, as their skill level grows they can discover new features that fit those needs.

b)Autocomplete - the autocomplete feature is an all-time favourite for most coders. This particular feature assists you in saving time and reducing bugs by suggesting relevant variables, functions, and syntax. It especially useful to coders that are just starting out to learn and the advanced ones who are more interested in speeding up. 

c)Built-in debugger - this particular feature is incredibly powerful because of the interactive and visual method it uses to inspect the code and stop bugs.

d)Easy deployment - unlike most code editors, VS Code streamlines the entire deployment process and allows you to deploy your project right from the editor in just a few clicks. Whether you are deploying a simple project or a complex application, this built in feature removes the stress and complexity out of it.

2.Git and Github

This is the one tool every web developer must commit to learn because without it, it is impossible to build anything beyond small projects. These two tools are not just version control tools, they provide a crucial framework for writing, organizing, sharing, and maintaining, and scaling code effectively. Git helps you keep track of changes you make in your code. Instead of editing your file directly  and hoping the entire program doesn't break, git 'stores' the original file while you work on it systematically and safely.

Git helps you:

• track changes to your code
• try out new features without crashing your code
• undo errors
• work on different parts of a code simultaneously

Github on the other hand helps you:

• collaborate with other developers 
• share the projects you built
• publish your portfolio for employers to notice
• contribute to open source projects 
• access millions of free frameworks and libraries

The beauty of github is that it allows you to connect with other professioals and see the work they do. It is basically a social network for developers around the world.

3.Figma

Whether you are collaborating with a designer or simply trying to visualize your idea from scratch, Figma will be an absolute game-changer for you. You no longer have to guess how a layout should look. Figma joins the design element of the website and the development in such a seamless manner that improve the workflow. Figuring out the design behind the website while you are coding is crucial. Figma bridges the gap between the idea and the implementation of it by providing a clear and interactive blueprint of the interface. This helps save time by eliminating unnecessary guesswork in turn speeding up your development process and giving your website the look you intended.

Key features of Figma

• Easy-to-use interface - figma is definitely a beginner friendly tool especially if you have never used any tool before. The interface is easy to learn and clean. You can start navigating this tool within minutes of opening without any hiccups due to its lack of compexity.
• Reusable Components - figma has certain components like navbars, cards and buttons that help you avoid repetition. You don't have to design the same element more than once, all you have to do is simply update all its copies.
• Auto Layout - the auto layout automatically allows you to scale elements according to the screen size. 
• Plug-ins and templates -  it has a lot of libraries and plugins that have been created by designers world-wide. Whether it is a mobile UI kit, wireframe template, or color scheme generator, the figma community has it all. 

4.Bootstrap

Bootstrap provides the foundation for designing beautiful, mobile-friendly sites with significantly less effort. Bootstrap is a frontend framework that is packed with pre-built HTML, CSS, and JavaScript components. It is one of the most widely used frameworks for building responsive websites. Bootstrap helps you build stunning interfaces without writing the code from scratch. The pre-styled components that come with this framework drastically decreases design time. Bootstrap is an easy framework to learn especially if you are already skilled in HTML and CSS. It can also be beneficial to advanced developers if they are able to extend and override it to fit their complex design needs.

5.Tailwind CSS

Unlike other CSS frameworks such as Bootstrap, which come with pre-designed components, tailwind offers a utility-first approach that gives you design freedom without forcing you into a specific design look. Tailwind enables you to build custom designs directly in your HTML by providing small, single-purpose utility classes. These classes make styling easy and fast. Instead of moving back and forth from your HTML and CSS files, you can carry out your styling inside your markup. This definitely assists in streamlining the entire process and helps you complete your projects faster. One fear that a lot of developers have is that it will clutter the HTML file but the reality of it is that tailwind helps you avoid huge CSS files full of duplicate and unused rules. It makes everything organized and easy to understand.  

The five tools and resources are designed to improve the efficiency of your workflow and help you write cleaner code. Each tool we just looked at empowers you on your web-development energy differently. Remember, great developers don't just write code but also effectively solve problems. Learning to use the right tool to solve a problem is a huge factor on how efficient a developer is.