1. CSS Pre-Processors
CSS has redesigned the front-end Web development for users. The syntax is fairly easy to understand and use. You can use multiple style sheets in your project. It becomes hard to maintain the flow of code in case of a large project, where thousands of CSS lines are written in the style-sheet. CSS pre-processors come in very handy in such situations. These tools help you write CSS with variables and functions. You can compile this program in browse compliant CSS format using these tools. There are a number of CSS pre-processors available online. We recommend to use Sass, LESS,Stylus and Myth.
2. Template Engine
Creating HTML front-end for websites is fairly simple. You can use multiple HTML pages and create a web portal for a website. Most of web pages have very generic components like Header, Sidebar and Footer. Template engine helps you edit multiple pages at once. You need not do a lot of manual work while editing components across pages. We recommend using Kit, Jade and Handlebars. Template engine has simplified the pain of building a static website.
3. Task Runner
Task Runner is a process to build repetitive content in the website. Task Runners automate a number of processes like Minification, Compilation, Unit Testing, Linting, Concatenating Files and Browser Refreshing. It is very easy to automate specific tasks using Task Runner. You can leverage the features in Task Runner to compile LESS file in CSS. Task Runner helps in streamlining workflow. We recommend using Grunt andGulp.
4. Synchronised Testing Tool
Synchronized Testing is an unavoidable process of building a mobile-friendly website. These tools help you test your website on multiple devices. The tool allows you to test your Web page on different formats instantly. It also tests website features like scrolling, clicking, zoom-in across all devices. You can use a popular pluginBrowserSync and Ghostlab for synchronized testing.
5. Development Toolkit
Development Toolkit is a one-stop shop for all web development tools. It consists of number of tools in one application. We recommend Codekit as it includes LESS, Saas, Kit, Jade, Siml, Uglify, Bower and some other important features. However, Codekit is available exclusively for Mac OS X, We recommend using Prepros for Windows and Koala-app for Linux users.
