The development platforms of today are now geared to assist with every aspect of development. No more is development simply the laborious coding of individual HTML pages with a text editor. 

With today’s platforms covering every angle of development, including the design of web pages, here are 5 great web development tools that developers actually use in 2022.

1. Sketch

Sketch is more than well established as the top toolkit for digital designers. This top design app has been picked by Google, X-Box, and Facebook – that alone informs you as to how highly regarded its capabilities are.

Easy to use and powerful enough for the rapid loading of large files, Sketch can create anything from basic animations and avatars to full icon sets and social media graphics, to fully functioning clickable prototypes. Sketch can also let designers create versatile images, as well as text that can then be utilized for dynamic design work. 

Sketch will also let you create and export your own custom fonts to be utilized wherever you need or want them, like on a custom t-shirt, for example. The software now comes with a ‘dark mode’ option – something that is hard to pass on for most developers.

Sketch Pros:

• Precise pixelation;
• Complex vector editing;
• Code export;
• Clickable prototyping;
• Collaboration and sharing capabilities.
  

Sketch Cons:

• Only available on the Mac OS;
• Single user license.
  

2. Sublime Text

Not the most advanced of all solutions but one of the more popular still. It may not contain all the tricks, nuts, bolts, and bells and whistles of some more advanced toolkits, but it gets its job done impressively. For its comparative lack of muscle when racked up against some of its peers, it is capable of some stunningly attractive visuals.

Simple to use, as is likely to be expected, Sublime Text provides numerous features that make development a no-fuss breeze. Sections of code can be easily searched for and found, recurring elements can be fixed or amended quickly, and there is even a feature that allows code to be displayed across multiple desktop screens or a single widescreen monitor.

Its command interface is so intuitive and simple that you’ll feel its absence from any other development software you use after. Simple and a joy to use, Sublime Text is available as a free download followed by individual licensing.

Sublime Text Pros:

• Available on Linux, Mac, and Windows;
• As good a UI as any developer could hope for;
• Time-saving auto-completion reduces repetitive code typing.

Sublime Text Cons:

• No mobile support.

3. Atom

Atom, created by Github, is an open-text editor that can be as easily used by a coding novice as by a seasoned expert. Newcomers to web development can get to grips with it in no time, something, which has secured its longevity over the years, a longevity that shows no signs of slowing down.

Atom comes with numerous advantageous features, which are especially welcome for novices learning the ropes. Pre-installed themes a-plenty, auto-completion, full customization – there is plenty of experimentation and playing around to be had. The possibilities for unique results are infinite. 

Other features that can be added using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS will let you tweak and amend the look and feel of your web pages, which is even handier if you have website localization in your expansion plans.

Its popularity has dwindled since the arrival of Visual Studio Code. However, it is still widely used, and it is still more than adequate to conjure up some excellent results. In the web development world, it is one of the OGs and still gets respect.

Atom Pros:

• Excellent customization potential;
• Intuitive and so easy to use it almost explains itself;
• New developer-friendly.

Atom Cons:

• Developers with more advanced technical needs will find it too basic.

4. Foundation

Foundation works on the principle that the easiest and the best design work is built after excellent foundations are laid down first. Once designs have been applied, they can then be customized to fit in any manner that is desired. The principle and approach seem to have worked for them. Today, Foundation is used by commercial giants such as Disney, Adobe, and Hewlett Packard.

With efficient pre-planning, Foundation comes with a host of templates, all tweaked and tuned to be optimal for specific usage. So there are templates there, ready and waiting, to be used by bloggers, real estate companies, retailers, and more. Bespoke websites can then be built from the ground up from these blueprints.

Anything you can think of that a website may need is there in the toolbox: buttons, subscription forms, rating graphics…and more. The toolkit supplied by Foundation is a deep and heavy one, with every base covered and nut and bolt available for fully customized builds.

Foundation even offers special classes to enable users to get the most from all they have to offer. 

Foundation Pros:

• Templates and frameworks for rapid building;
• Fully customizable;
• Optimized HTML.

Foundation Cons:

• Lack of clarity with pricing;
• The steep learning curve for rookie developers can be off-putting.

5. Visual Studio Code

Built by Microsoft, VS Code is an open-source code editing program. The fact that it is Microsoft may put some off while attracting others. However, there is no denying that VS Code is an excellent and popular development platform.

It can run anywhere and perform various functions, including debugging, creating SaaS codes, and inputting Git command. Web layouts, color schemes, fonts, and icons can all be fully customized for tailor-made web pages.

Support is on hand for JavaScript and Python, which means that its use is not just potentially limited to the front-end: the coding of a website’s back-end functions is also possible.

Virtual Studio Code Pros:

• A huge number of integrational possibilities;
• Customizable;
• Source control tools;
• Real-time error checks.

Virtual Studio Code Cons: 

• Python deployment can be difficult;
• Settings configurations can be complicated.

Conclusion

There are now more toolkits available for new first-time developers and old hands at development alike than ever before. Whatever your experience, there is a platform out there – also old or new – to hone your skills and create innovative and beautiful looking webpages in 2022.