Must have software and Firefox plugins for any web designer

I thought it was time to put together a list of some must have software for web designers as I’m always getting asked what i use so here goes.

I’ll start with the firefox plugins that i currently have installed.

Firebug

This is a must have for any developer which is why its at the top of the list. Firebug allows you to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page, so cutting the time of debugging to a minimum.you can install it here.

Web developers toolbar
Here’s another plugin similar to Firebug but it sits on the top of your browser toolbar unlike Firebug which is sits in the bottom right corner of your browser, it gives you all the tools, including markup validation, and the ability to view, edit, and delete cookies. Install it here.

And here are a few handy bits of software that i find useful.

Navicat

Navicat is a great database administration tool, giving you complete access to your databases, the simple user interface allows for easy creation, modification and deleting of data. its avaliable for both mac and pc, and for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. Download Here

Coda

Another simple all round great piece of software to have in your collection if your on a mac is Coda, Coda is a web development tool just like Dreamweaver, but more like a really cool text editor allowing you to easily connect with ftp, sftp, ssh etc to your site. Giving you the ability to modify and maintain your site. you can download a trial verison here.

Forklift

Forklift is a simple drag and drop FTP client and unlike Dreamweaver lets you drag content from your desktop straight onto your server. You can even preview files on the server with OSX Leopard. Download the trial version here