The tools I use when developing web sites and wp themes

In my job as a professional webdesigner I use a lot of different tools to get the results I need. I guess I use much of the same tools as many other webdesigners and coders, but there may be different. I’m a strong beliver in using tools that “does the job” without being expensive or hard to work with. “Whatever works” is the current statement of my life.

Here is my list of tools that I use in webdeveloping. This is just my list, please feel free to give me a few pointers if you know of better tools I should check out.

Firefox, Opera and Safari:
Working on a iMac, Internet Explorer is not an option. In fact, I only use Firefox when I’m browsing the net, but I always check my websites in both Opera and Safari. I have to do that of course, there may be differences between how the different browsers displays a webpage. An example: Safari has a problem with transparent .png images. So, I have to develop webpages without transparent .png images. But thats not all. Internet Explorer doesn’t follow standards. In fact, Internet Exlorer is by the far the worst browser of them all. But, almost the whole world sadly uses this crappy product, so when I’m developing webpages I have to take IE’s many problems into consideration. Transparent .png (and images in general) is a problem. Padding in CSS another.

Microsoft have no version of IE for Mac, so I have to check my pages in another way. Here is a great tips for you if you want to check your page in different versions of IE in a snap:

IE NetRenderer - Browser Compability test

I use this all the time. It can check your page in version 5.5, 6 and 7 of IE. Great tool. If you want to check your page in all available browsers, you may check out browsershots.org. Also a great service, but here you have to wait half an hour for your snapshots to display.

FireFTP:
To transfer files I actually just use a simple plug-in for Firefox called FireFTP. It’s of course really simple, but it works just fine. The main reason for using it, as I see it, is that I can have it running inside firefox, reducing the number of window swapping and clicking around. I love this little plug-in, and recommend it to anyone who doesn’t transfer a huge number of files all day. Stand-alone ftp-clients may be better, but this is just so easy to use.
Download it here.

Firebug:
Also a great plug-in for Firefox. This one makes me able to quickly check the code of my webpages. If I’m looking for an error this one makes me able to find it extremely quickly. Another great feature is of course that you can use this plug-in to find out how other people have developed their pages. “How did they do this?” You doesn’t have to wonder anymore. Just check it. Uncover the secrets behind your favorite webpage, and learn from the experts. Often I just browse the net looking for ideas, and then I’ll certainly use this tool just to see how things are done. Often this leads to great ideas for my own pages.

Download it here.

Web developer:

Much like Firebug, this plug-in for Firefox make you able to check your code. Quck links to both HTML and CSS valdiation services. With this tool you can also quickly check the css-file of a webpage (the css file is often hidden from your browser). Easy to use, and very useful.

Download here.

ColorZilla

Perhaps my favorite plug-in for Firefox. It makes me able to check colors. Yeah, colors. When browsing the web for ideas, I often come over pages with great use of color. With this simple plug-in I easily can get the HEX-code of the desired color, and actually use it on my own pages. You may think of this as stealing, and of course: It is. But, stealing a color isn’t really a serious crime I think. I steal all the time.

Download it here.

.. And when I got the desired color, I can mix it and find other colors - with the HEX code (the code of a color - white is #ffffff, black is #000000, and so on..) easily available. The service is called ColorSchemer and is of course free. Great for making beautiful webpages this one. Make a color lighter or darker. Easy. Color and CSS has never been easier. Great tool.

Smultron: the best HTML editor I’ve ever tested.
Editing html and css files have never been easier. I covered this great free product in a previos post, which you can read here. Check it out. Only for mac-users, though.

Photoshop. Of course.
You can’t make great webpages or themes without Adobe Photoshop. Simple as that. This is the first product I install when I’ve got a new computer. Really expensive, but I’ve heard a rumor that the product may be available over at a pirate site of some kind. I wouldn’t know anything about that, though:)

Stock.xchng - free photos.
One problem when making themes for WP is of course that photos usually costs money, if you don’t use your own of course. Stock.xchng provide free photos. There are a huge number to choose from, in many different resolutions. I use this site a lot. Great quality photos for free. Love this.

Stripe Generator - make those great backgrounds!

This is a web-based AJAX powered tool that makes stripes. You know, those backgrounds with stripes. Those are actually something of a nightmare to make in a photo editor like photoshop. Almost impossible. Repeating stripes? A nightmare. Not anymore. Just add a few numbers and a few colors and you are done. Download the file in a snap. Free. I love people who make tools like this. Free web-based services doesn’t get better then this.

We love WP

Not a tool this one, but I use it as one. It’s a gallery of great webpages running wordpress. I often browse this site looking for examples of what WP can do when used properly. Here I can find great magazine sites, personal blogs and corporate webpages. I really need a site like this. Why? Well, WP can’t do everything, so when I’m thinking of a solution to a specific problem I look here to see if someone else has solved that problem, and then I just see how they done it. Yeah, I steal ideas. As a great designer said:

Don’t worry if people steal your design ideas, worry when they don’t.

I would love if someone stole my designs or ideas. That is a great compliment. So, just steal. I won’t be angry or come after you. In fact, I would be glad.

I’m currently thrilled about the fact the WeLoveWP team included my blog in their 2007 Wordpress design roundup, a list of their favorite designs of 2007! A great compliment for me. Thanks!

Another great resource for design ideas is DesignMeltDown.

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So that was some of the tools I use when I’m working. Feel free to give me any pointers if you know of other great services or resources I should check out!