Every self-respecting software vendor creates at least one of these tools that speed up his own production and save his time and effort. They are especially useful for start-ups, that need to show something to the users or invester – fast.
CLI (Command-Line Interface) utilities
CLIs are powerful for automating tasks, managing applications, and interacting with software. They provide a convenient way to interact with complex systems and perform repetitive tasks efficiently. They also are able to run in non-graphic environment – like servers and clouds – making them portable, testable and more. Building a CLI for your software allows users to access its functionality from the command line, enhancing accessibility and automation capabilities.
No-Code and Low-Code Platforms
No-code and low-code platforms democratize software development by enabling non-technical users to create applications. These platforms can significantly speed up the development process for prototypes and simple applications. Developing or contributing to no-code platforms empowers individuals and organizations to create software without extensive coding knowledge and with a presence of programmer all the time.
Code Generators
Code generators automate the creation of repetitive code patterns, reducing development time and minimizing errors. They help maintain consistency across projects and enforce best practices. Developing code generators can be an efficient way to scaffold projects or generate code snippets for specific tasks.
IDE (Integrated Development Environment) Plugins, key maps and auto-complete shortcuts
IDE plugins enhance developer productivity by adding new features or improving existing ones within the development environment. They can integrate with external tools, languages, or frameworks to streamline development workflows. Developing IDE plugins can be a valuable contribution to the developer community and improve your own development experience.
User Interface Components
Every software provider that builds Graphical User Interfaces creates a library of widgets that are then reused and improved in a cross-project usage. One such example is the flutter widget toolkit by PrimeHolding. Corporate Component libraries may create abstractions over the build-in widgets for several reasons:
- parametrisize the widgets – according the the common states
- become independent from the changes of the underlying library. Any deprecation will be fixed in one place and resolved with library update.
Why
Building these tools not only benefits your own projects but can also may lead to open-source contributions or commercial products that cater to broader audiences. It demonstrates technical expertise, commitment to improving the software development ecosystem. No single company could resolve all problems and community could pick another nishe to resolve.
It’s important to note that while creating such tools could be beneficial, it’s also crucial to focus on:
- quality – key to saving time instead of wasting
- documentation – so any tool could be picked up – fast and used at a full scale
- usability – developer experience is no less important.
In todays world – best practices change far too often and keeping such tools up-to-date is challenging. That’s why they are often open source – so a community of interest may pick them up and improve them independently from the creator.