15 Essential Add-ons for Designers and Developers
Website designers and developers can have a very tedious time doing their work if they don’t make use of all the wonderful equipments and resources available out there. A lot of tools have been created to help them in their endeavor. In this article I wish to focus on add-ons.
Technically speaking an add-on is a small piece of software which enhances the functionality of another application and which in itself usually cannot be run independently. It is a set of software components that adds specific abilities to a larger software application. It may also customize the functionality of an application.
This add-on can take many forms. Snap-ins, plug-ins, extensions, and themes for software applications – they all come in the domain of add-ons. Since thousands of add-ons are available in the market, looking for quality add-ons too can be a very frustrating experience. To help you out below I have collected 15 add-ons that I feel are essential for designers and developers. They serve a wide variety of purposes.
For example, let’s say you want to design a quality Facebook banner image for the timeline profile of your client. If you design a larger or smaller image than required then it may loose its charm in shrinking or enlarging. For you to be able to make a perfect design you need to know the exact dimensions of the banner image. The add-on MesureIt, entry number 15 below, will help you achieve this goal very easily.
1. Fire Bug
The most popular and powerful web development tool, Inspect HTML and modify style and layout in real-time, Use the most advanced JavaScript debugger available for any browser, Accurately analyze network usage and performance.
2. Grease Monkey
Customize the way a web page displays or behaves, by using small bits of JavaScript.
3. Ad block Plus
Annoyed by adverts? Troubled by tracking? Bothered by banners? Install Ad block Plus now to regain control of the internet and change the way that you view the web.
4. Pixel Perfect
Pixel Perfect is a Firefox/Firebug extension that allows web developers and designers to easily overlay a web composition over top of the developed HTML.
5. Sen SEO
Sen SEO is an extension checking the most important on-page-SEO-criteria and calculating a grade of how good your site fulfills these criteria.
6. Fire Query
Firebug plugin for jQuery development.
7. Total Validator
Perform many different validations in one go. This multiple validator works with external, internal, or local web pages using a local copy of the desktop tool.
8. Font Finder
Font Finder is created for designers, developers and typographers. It allows a user to analyze the font information of any element on a page, copy any piece(s) of that information to the clipboard, and perform inline replacements to test new layouts.
9. Fire Shot
Fire Shot creates screenshots of web pages entirely.
10. SEO Doctor
SEO Doctor allows easy SEO diagnosis and problem solving for webmasters.
11. Web Developer
The Web Developer extension adds various web developer tools to the browser.
12. Color Zilla
Advanced Eyedropper, Color Picker, Gradient Generator and other colorful goodies…
13. Page Diff
Page diff is a simple page compare application. It helps web developers and designers to see HTML-code(text) differences between web pages.
14. No Script
The best security you can get in a web browser! Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Click jacking attacks.
15. Measure It
Draw a ruler across any webpage to check the width, height, or alignment of page elements in pixels.
Do you know of any other quality add-ons? Do you use add-ons? Is there any particular one that you would like to recommend others? Let me know in the comments below.
via Web Design Blog, Web Designer Resources http://www.2expertsdesign.com/web-development/15-essential-add-ons-for-designers-and-developers?source=rss