Developer Tools
In addition to your programming language, what do you need to be a successful programmer?
One part of the answer is the right set of tools, including many not provided
as a part of the language distribution. The old saying "It's a poor carpenter who blames his tools!"
may be true, but having good tools definitely gives a good programmer a head start.
Types of Tools
There are two primary types of tools a programmer will need. First would be components/libraries
to use in a programmer's application. Second are standalone utilities/application which provide
monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance evaluation of the end application.
- Components/Libraries
Pre-compiled code and good documentation is about as close to the Holy Grail as a
programmer can come, and that's exactly what components and libraries are - source
code made available in pre-compiled formats ready for use in your program. Components
typically provide some type of visual interface for display in the application, but not
always. Libraries are also pre-compiled code, usually in the form of a DLL. They normally
contain a collection of functions which can be called on demand from within an
application and provide no user interface.
- Utilities/Applications
These are not part of your product. Instead, they are applications which reside on your PC and
provide support in the development, debugging, documentation, and release of your products.
Just the Links
Here's just a simple link to the recommended tools. Additional description and details are provided
on the individual pages for each tool category (see menu at left).
Check out my software reviews section for a more
complete listing/recommendation of Developer Tools.
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