Top 10 Tools Every Software Engineer Should Know About
08 Apr 2023As a software engineer, one is always on the lookout for ways to improve your workflow and write better code. While the popular tools are no doubt helpful, there are some lesser-known tools out there that are just as useful. In this blog post, I will be sharing the top 10 tools that every software engineer should know about.
1. Fira Code
First up is Fira Code, a font that is specifically designed for programming. This font includes ligatures for commonly used programming symbols, making your code much easier to read and understand.
2. Oh My Zsh
Oh My Zsh is another tool that you should check out. It is a framework for managing your Zsh configuration and comes with a variety of plugins and themes, autocomplete suggestions, and syntax highlighting, making your terminal look and feel much better.
3. Jupyter Notebook
If you work in data analysis, machine learning, or scientific computing, Jupyter Notebook is a must-have. This open-source web application lets you create and share documents that contain live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text.
4. Postman
Postman is another popular tool that you should definitely check out. It is an API development tool that lets you design, test, and document APIs. It includes features like automated testing, collaboration tools, and API monitoring.
5. tmux
tmux is a terminal multiplexer that lets you run multiple terminal sessions within a single window. With features like session management, window splitting, and pane resizing, it makes it easier to work with multiple terminals.
6. ngrok
For testing and development, as well as for demos and presentations, ngrok is an indispensable tool. It allows you to expose a local web server to the internet.
7. Charles
Charles is a web debugging proxy that lets you intercept and inspect web traffic between your computer and the internet. With features like SSL proxying, HTTP/2 support, and breakpoint debugging, it makes debugging web applications much easier.
8. Pandoc
If you are involved in creating documentation and technical writing, Pandoc is a document converter that you should definitely check out. It lets you convert between different document formats, including Markdown, HTML, and LaTeX.
9. jq
For processing JSON data, jq is a command-line tool that you should be aware of. It lets you filter, transform, and manipulate JSON data using a variety of operators and functions.
10. vegeta
Finally, if you want to stress test your APIs, microservices, and websites, vegeta is the tool for you. It allows you to write load testing scripts in YAML and provides real-time feedback on the performance of your system. It’s fast, scalable, and provides detailed performance metrics and reports that help you optimize your system for better performance.
So there you have it, the top 10 lesser-known tools that every software engineer should know about. Give them a try and see how they can improve your workflow and help you write better code.