As I’m planning to switch to Windows7 within a month or so, I’m faced with the ever returning problem of re-installing my system (dammit!)
To help me remember which programs to install, and to answer some of the questions asked back in May at the AANUG “tool night” meeting, here is a – more of less – complete list of my Developer and Productivity toolbox:
DEVELOPER TOOLS, COMMERCIAL
Visual Studio 2008
This one hardy needs any introduction :-)
EditPlus
http://www.editplus.com/
The best ASCII text editor for Windows!
EMS SQL Manager 2008 for SQL Server
http://sqlmanager.net/products/mssql/manager
If you’re using MS SQL Server as your storage engine, you simply can’t live without this one!!
ReSharper 4.5
http://www.jetbrains.com/resharper/
The #1 plug-in for Visual Studio
TotalCommander
http://www.ghisler.com/
File handling for professionals (no more Windows Explorer, please!!)
DEVELOPER TOOLS, FREE
Fiddler2
http://www.fiddler2.com/fiddler2/
If you’re working with AJAX or JSON, this is a “must have”
NUnit
http://www.nunit.org/index.php
Remember: Testing is goooood :)
TortoiseSVN / SubVersion
http://tortoisesvn.tigris.org/
http://www.visualsvn.com/server
Of course we all use SubVersion, right ?!
LINQPad
http://www.linqpad.net/
Awesome LINQ utility .. and for about $20 you even get autocomplete
Reflector
http://www.red-gate.com/products/reflector/
Explore, browse, and analyze .NET assemblies (it’s great fun :-)
WinMerge
http://winmerge.org/
Beats the built-in “diff” any day!
Opera + Safari (ThinDownload)
http://www.thindownload.com/
No need to install Opera/Safari, simply use a “thin” install
Chrome
http://www.google.com/chrome
Testing in multiple browsers is a lot of fun, ehhh – not really!
FireFox
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
The #1 browser for developers (and other ‘cool’ people! :)
..and my FireFox add-on's (use Google to find download links!):
Xmarks
Web Developer
Firebug
YSlow
Mouse Gestures Redox
PDF Download
Tab Kit
Abduction!
Window Resizer
ColorZilla
Consolas Font Pack for Visual Studio
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=22e69ae4-7e40-4807-8a86-b3d36fab68d3&displaylang=en
I just have to read all my code with this font
ASP.NET MVC 1.0
http://www.asp.net/mvc/
You might as well forget about those Web Forms!! :-)
ViewstateDecoder
http://www.pluralsight.com/community/media/p/51688.aspx
..but if you’re still using Web Forms, this one might come in handy
Virtual PC 2007 SP1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=28C97D22-6EB8-4A09-A7F7-F6C7A1F000B5&displaylang=en
I mostly use Hyper-V machines, but this one will run on my laptop
Windows Live Writer
http://download.live.com/writer
Really makes it SO much easier to blog (works with BlogEngine.NET)
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS, COMMERCIAL
UltraMon
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/
If you’re not using multiple monitors, you’re missing out .. and if you’re running multiple monitors without UltraMon .. you’re missing out too!!
WinRAR
http://www.rarlab.com/
The best packer/zipper on the marked
CuteFTP
http://www.globalscape.com/
Lot’s of free (and actually good) FTP programs out there, but CuteFTP rules them all
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS, FREE
Corbian Backup
http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm
Free and really awesome backup utility, will backup to nearly every storage device you can think of.
Acrobat Reader http://www.adobe.com/dk/products/reader/
Fox Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
I’m using both, but actually prefers Acrobat Reader as it renders output better than Fox (and with a SSD there’s no waiting for programs to launch anymore .. magic! :-)
FontViewer
http://fontviewer.net/
When doing webdesign stuff (still does that from time to time – using Photoshop, of course!), it’s nice to be able to view all the fonts on monitor 2)
Launchy
http://www.launchy.net/
The fastest way to launch programs (and doing other cool stuff)
DropBox
https://www.getdropbox.com/home
THE tool to use when you’re sharing files with your friends, clients etc – simply rocks!
CutePDF Writer
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
No need to buy Acrobat to make a PDF file
FeedDemon
http://www.feeddemon.com/
The #1 RSS reader (I don’t like web based readers!)
TurboTop
http://www.savardsoftware.com/turbotop/
Hey window .. stay in front, I say!!
XnView
http://www.xnview.com/
Exactly how an image viewer/browser should work!!
Terminals
http://www.codeplex.com/Terminals
Secure, multi tab terminal services/remote desktop client – nice!
Keepassportable
http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/keepass_portable
If you’re like me .. you have (way too many) username/password combinations to remember – store them all in a secure, safe AND portable place