Image via WikipediaIf you are a Web Developer, you already know the power that Firefox extensions can wield, and especially so for web development and design.
Here is a list of the best Firefox add-ons (or plugins depending on what term you prefer) for Web development. Don't worry, if you are a web designer, we have a whole list of extensions for you as well, and of course, since there is a fair amount of overlap between the two fields, both groups of you will want to read both articles.
1. Firebug. This is easily the #1 extension that you should have installed in your Firefox web browser. This extensions breaks down a web page, displaying the 'guts': the HTML, CSS and even Javascript, as well as allowing you to modify on the fly and see the results of the changes immediately.
1a. Firebug even has its own 'extensions' and there are few important ones you should not ignore. First up is Codeburner which is a built-in HTML and CSS reference dictionary. There is also a standalone version if you'd prefer that.
1b. Page Speed by Google is a plugin for Firebug that analyzes the performance of a web page, especially its loading time and makes suggestions on how to improve it.
1c. YSlow by Yahoo! is a related plugin, also for Firebug, that analyzes a web page and also makes suggestions based on a set of rules for high performance web pages. YSlow hands out grades (A, B, C, etc) for each of the criteria it analyzes.
2. LiveHTTPHeaders shows you the data that your browser first sees from the web server, and is simply easier than doing it from the command line. An alternative plugin is HTTPfox.
3. JavaScript Debugger (Venkman) - if you're doing any amount of JavaScript development, then this is the top-of-the-line (and one of the original) Mozilla JS debuggers.
4. Poster has an ambiguous name, but is a tool for interacting with web services where you have to make HTTP requests and submit forms, etc. without having to have a fully-baked and live app to start with. You can do things like set the content-type, enter dummy data and of course see the results.
5. ServerSwitcher - if you're working on both live production and development sites, this is a great way to do it without having to use a different browser and/or keep restarting Firefox.
6. Although not a Firefox extension, Squarefree's bookmarklets are a great collection of mini JavaScript scripts that live in your bookmarks and perform a myriad of functions on your web page and/or browser. These work in any browser that has a JavaScript engine.
There are literally dozens more add-ons/extensions for web development in Firefox, but this list would give you a very solid foundation on which to build. You can explore the list of web development add-ons at Mozilla's website.
Khalid Hosein is a blogger, tech geek and entrepreneur who runs gadget blog Gizmos for Geeks, where you can find the latest in gadget and technology news, insights, howtos and much more. He also runs Untethered Dreams, a blog that discusses the ins and outs of blogging, running websites, monetization, advertising, affiliate marketing, automation, outsourcing, promotion, and SEO. Visit both sites for free newsletters with members-only information.
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