8 Essential Web Apps for Developers
Web apps that I use regularly as part of my daily workflow
1. Online GDB
Online GDB is a browser-based compiler, interpreter, and debugger. It supports 20 different languages including C, C++, Python, Ruby, C#, Swift, and JavaScript.
I find it invaluable for trying short snippets of code, without the overhead of firing up an IDE project or terminal session.
In addition to testing code, it’s also a great way to practice programming or exploring a new language.
2. JSON Schema Validator
There are numerous online JSON validation tools, but I find JSON Schema validator to be the best. The reason I prefer it is that it can validate JSON, JSON schemas, and also validate JSON against a user-defined schema.
It also provides a large number of pre-existing schemas against which JSON can be validated. I don’t use this every day, but if I ever have trouble parsing a JSON file, this is my go-to for debugging the problem.
https://www.jsonschemavalidator.net
3. Regex 101
This app is a simply brilliant way to explore regular expressions! It allows any text to be pasted and then finds matches in that text, based on a user-defined regex.
Not only does it find matches on-the-fly, but it also provides a dynamic explanation of what the regex is doing, including errors if you type something wrong.
4. Font Awesome
Font Awesome is an online icon directory containing over 1500 free icons. These include standard application icons, brand icons, and other useful symbols.
Icons can be downloaded either as OpenType fonts or in SVG format. In web apps, they can be used directly via JavaScript using the icon tag.
I find Font Awesome particularly useful in prototyping, to quickly get icons into an app before formal designs have been done.
5. Stack Exchange
If I had to pick just one essential web app, it would be Stack Exchange.
Stack Exchange is a group of question and answer sites, covering a range of topics. In total, it has over 11 million users making it a formidable resource. On Stack Overflow, the specialist site for programming, questions are often answered within minutes of posting.
I have learned a massive amount on Stack Overflow, and it has helped me solve many real-world problems.
If you are a beginner or intermediate programmer, consider asking on there next time you’re stuck! If you are advanced, perhaps answer some questions.
6. GitHub
I feel this list wouldn’t be complete without GitHub! GitHub is a web service for accessing and managing Git repositories. It also includes features such as issue tracking, wikis, project releases, and kanban-style project boards.
Via GitHub pages, it also provides basic website or blog hosting. To me, GitHub is a one-stop for everything needed to manage, document, and release a software project.
7. Unicode Table
Unicode Table provides a massive searchable database of Unicode characters. This includes musical notes, arrows, emoji, currency, math symbols, Chinese characters, and anything else imaginable.
For each character, a pastable version is provided along with Unicode, HTML, and CSS codes. Full UTF encoding details are also provided. Note that to display these characters in an application, a compatible Unicode font is required.
8. Music for Programming
Last but not least, one of my all-time favorite web apps, musicForProgramming! This provides over 50 playlists of music designed to aid concentration.
There is some evidence to suggest music can help with concentration, and I find some styles of music work better than others. I don’t use this site every day, but I do think it’s a fun resource. Occasionally, it’s just what I need to focus.
I hope this list has been useful. If anyone has any other essential developer web apps, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.