Essential tools and software for web development on macOS

This is a glimpse into my personal macOS setup, a collection I've curated over time to suit my development needs. While not strictly web-focused, it covers a broad spectrum of tasks and challenges I face regularly. If you're on the hunt for new tools or just curious about what others use, consider this list as a source of inspiration. Remember, the best setup is the one that fits your unique workflow!

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) & Code Editors

• JetBrains Suite:
  • PhpStorm: IDE tailored for PHP development. Enhanced PHP debugging, testing, and coding assistance.
  • WebStorm: JavaScript-focused IDE. Tools and integrations for modern web development.
  • GoLand: IDE for Go programming. Efficient code navigation and built-in tools.
  • PyCharm: Python-specific IDE. Integrated testing, debugging, and comprehensive code analysis.
  • DataGrip: Database management tool. Ideal for developers dealing with multiple databases.
• Visual Studio Code: A lightweight, powerful source code editor. Highly customizable for various programming languages.
• Xcode: Apple's official IDE for Apple platforms. Essential for any Apple application development.

Utilities & Productivity

• Docker Desktop: Run containerized applications. Essential for containerized apps.
• ProxyMan: Network debugging tool. Useful for monitoring, intercepting, and debugging network requests.
• HomeBrew: Package manager for macOS. Simplifies software installations and updates.
• Sync Folders Pro: Synchronize folders. Useful for backups and data syncing.
• UTM: Virtualization tool. Run other OSs within macOS for cross-platform testing.
• Transmit: FTP client. Facilitates file transfer between your Mac and servers.
• JSON Editor: View, edit, and format JSON. Simplifies working with JSON data.
• BBEdit: Text editor with advanced features. Offers extensive search and editing capabilities.
• ITerm: Terminal replacement for macOS. Advanced features over the default terminal.
• Helm: Edit your hosts file. Useful utility available in the App Store.
• AWS-cli: CLI for Amazon Web Services. Integral for managing AWS resources.
• Oh My Zsh & zsh-autosuggestions: Enhance the terminal experience with themes, plugins, and command suggestions.
• ContextMenuLite: Enhance macOS context menu. Speed up regular tasks.

Security & Password Management

• 1Password: Password manager. Secures and automates password retrieval.
• Enpass: Password manager. Secure passwords and important information.

Office & Design

• Pages, Numbers, KeyNote: Apple's office suite. Word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools.
• Microsoft Office: Office suite with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Standard in many professional environments.
• Omnigraffle: Diagramming and illustration tool. Create detailed visuals.
• Acrobat Reader: View, create, edit, and sign PDFs. Standard for PDF work.
• Evernote: Note-taking software. Capture and organize information.
• Tyme: Time tracking tool. Manage projects and billing.

Communication

• Slack: Collaboration platform. Essential for team projects.
• Discord: Voice and text chat platform. Popular for various communities.
• WhatsApp: Messaging app. Personal and business communication.

Testing & Backup

• BlackMagick disk speed test: Check storage device performance. Just to know how performant your computer is.
• Vorta: Backup client for Borg. Secure and efficient data backup.

Entertainment & Miscellaneous

• Spotify: Music streaming. Listen to music and podcasts during work and for fun
• DiffusionBee: Run Stable Diffusion image generation locally. Great for creating images for blog posts.

HomeBrew is a package manager for Mac, similar to yum, apt, and the like. There is a lot of software available, such as wget, ffmpeg and imagemagick. However, be careful about what you install; it's best to avoid exotic packages as they can pose security risks. More complex packages like web server software are better run in docker! This provides more security and platform independence.