My Essential Tools

April 29, 2011 — blog, testing

I have some tools installed on my machine that I use regularly and make my life easy. Maybe you already know some of those tools, maybe not… any way I write this blog to share them with you. Here are the tools, in random order:

• 7-Zip, despite all the terra bytes available, I still need some times to archive files, the tool I use is 7-Zip. An open source tool, and also capable of opening java ear files for example;
• AutoIt, essential for me to automate anything I would like to automate. Read this blog for more information;
• Belvedere, keep your desktop or any other folder on your hard drive organized and under control with Belvedere, an automated Windows file management tool. Use Belvedere’s friendly interface to create advanced rules to move, copy, delete, rename, or open files based on their name, extension, size, creation date, and more;
• Wink, wink is a tutorial and presentation creation software, primarily aimed at creating tutorials on how to use software (like a tutor for MS-Word/Excel etc). Using Wink you can capture screenshots, add explanations boxes, buttons, titles etc and generate a highly effective tutorial for your users. I personally use Wink to create movies to show programmers the reproduction steps for complex issues;
• Desktops, Desktops allows you to organize your applications on up to four virtual desktops. Read email on one, browse the web on the second, and do work in your productivity software on the third, without the clutter of the windows you’re not using. After you configure hotkeys for switching desktops, you can create and switch desktops either by clicking on the tray icon to open a desktop preview and switching window, or by using the hotkeys. Most Virtual Desktops applications on Windows have the disadvantage that some applications still show up on other desktops, no with this app!
• Everything, Everything is an tool that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows.
  Unlike Windows search Everything initially displays every file and folder on your computer. You type in a search filter to limit what files and folders are displayed. Only one disadvantage, it only works on local NTFS volumes;
• MultiMon, very useful application when you multiple monitors. It adds a second taskbar to your extended desktop on monitor 2 and only shows the application in the taskbar from that monitor;
• XpDesktopHeap, when you have memory issues with the app Desktop, use this application to increase your heap size;
• Notepad++, a very very very powerful text editor. Don’t use Windows Notepad, use this application!
• Paint.net, I’m not very experienced with photo editing. A basic tool for me, is Paint.net. Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software;
• ProcessExplorer, a very very very powerful task manager. It is showing much more information then the Windows task manager. A must have for every professional Windows user, certainly for people working in software development;
• Snippy, sometimes less is more. With this application (only works on Windows XP)  you can easily create screenshots or copy parts from the screen to the clipboard;
• SpaceSniffer, SpaceSniffer is an application that lets you understand how folders and files are structured on your disks. By using a Treemap visualization layout, you have immediate perception of where big folders and files are placed on your devices;
• Oracle SQL Developer, SQL Developer is a free and fully supported graphical tool for database development. With SQL Developer, you can browse database objects, run SQL statements and SQL scripts, and edit and debug PL/SQL statements. It not only supports Oracle, it also supports MySQL, SQL Server, MSAcces and partially Sybase;
• TranslateClient, a free translator for Windows which enables the fast translation of text in the most applications, such as Web Browsers, Office apps, Messengers and etc. using the Google Translate service;
• XMind, an open source to create Mindmaps. It looks nice and is very user friendly to use;