There seems to be an endless number of ‘new’ and ‘improved’ apps for web designers doing the round each and every day at the moment, as demand for such software continues to exist at an all time high. That being said, the difference good software can make to the overall process rather than poor software is huge, which makes the matter of choosing free apps all the more difficult. The problem with free software is that although they leave more spare cash to adorn homes with new systems and reclining sofas, they usually come with no guarantee of quality, therefore the only way of assessing reliability is through the word of others and the long term reputation of the software in question. With this in mind, the following is a brief introduction to a number of the best free apps for web designers that have proven their worth by standing the test of time and continue to prove valuable to developers across the board:
Komodo Edit
Komodo Edit has long been agreed to be the very best free XML editing app doing the rounds today, including a wide variety of features for the development of both CSS and HTML. Furthermore, there is an enormous range of additional tweaks and add-ons available, for the addition of other languages and special characters for example. Of course, it is far from the very best of its kind in the world today, but it certainly takes the title when it comes to this ever-popular price bracket – resulting in a package that forms the very backbone of thousands of projects the world over.
Aptana Studio
This free to use app is well-known for its interesting and somewhat unusual take on the development of web pages. Rather than placing the focus of HTML, this package focuses on other elements including Javascript that allow for the production of richer applications. The outline view is a particularly useful feature, which makes overall development much more straightforward. For the creation of web applications, Aptana make the ideal free option.
Netbeans IDE
Netbeans is free-for-life Java IDE which assists developers in the production of solid web applications, with the one downside of the app being that in a manner true to the genre, it has something of a steep learning curve to negotiate. That being said, once the basics have been mastered, the app comes into its own and truly shines. There are a number of endlessly useful features that are especially valuable if working in a large development environment. Netbeans is an excellent freebie for those writing Java and web pages across the board.
Bluefish
A firm favorite the world over, Bluefish is a feature-rich and fully functional web editor created for Linux. The 2.0 version has added an extensive array of new features, including code-spell check, multi-language auto-completion, project management and many more. Essentially, Bluefish is a code editor rather than a specific web editor, which gives it a huge degree of scope and flexibility for those using more than just HTML, but thoroughbred designers by nature may prefer the alternatives.
Eclipse
Eclipse provides a feature-rich and complex development environment that continues to prove popular with those who carry out coding across a variety of platforms in different languages. The app comes by way of a series of plug-ins, therefore the process involves matching the requirement up with the appropriate plug-in and going for it! The extensive features make Eclipse ideal for creating complex web application.
Alleycode
Another free web editor with huge potential is Alleycode, which has the bonus of focusing largely on search engine optimization. The app features a number of built-in options that allow users to check their current search rankings and optimize data so as to improve them. While promises of top rankings are not exactly possible to keep across the board, the web editor is certainly a fine example and offers excellent value for money, of course
Amaya
Last but certainly not least is Amaya, a W3C web editor that also acts as a browser. This app can be highly useful for learning how documents look in the document tree, as HTML is validated as the page is built and allows the tree structure to be viewed. There are quite a few unnecessary features that will likely never be used by serious developers, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the rest are not anything other than top-notch.
Tell us which is your favorite editor you used for web design & development project & how they are useful in the comment section.
Guest Post By Susan
Susan is a self-confessed tech geek and also works as an amateur interior designer. She’s provided this guide to the best apps for coders on behalf of her favorite reclining sofas specialists.
