Our Best Nerdy Things for Developers

Beyond the routine software, app, website, or web app development and its related chores, developers also need to do what they feel good about, and that’s, trying things differently, toying with tools and technologies, and going all out nerdy.

Here, we are going to share our ten best nerdy things that will not only satiate the developer intrigue in you but also, possibly, help you discover something more useful and convenient to add to your preferred tools list. Excited already? Here we go then:

1. BuiltWith

Type - Web technology information profiler

There are so many technologies available to develop a website and its content. Many times developers are intrigued to know what technologies are backing up a particular website. Knowing the same is not easy, though unless you’re using BuiltWith.

BuiltWith is a simple to use online service that give you all the details of a website’s anatomy. Simply, enter the website domain you want to know about, and BuiltWith will present you with a comprehensive profile of how the website is put up together.

Every information you need to know about a website’s development, the widgets, the technologies, the frameworks, etc. is provided by BuiltWith.

2. Cascadia Code (Tweaking Windows Terminal)

Type - Developer font

Want to know how to include Powerline glyphs and Nerd Fonts to Windows Terminal? One way is to patch the new Cascadia Code. It is a free and open-source ligature-friendly developer font developed by Microsoft. This is how to apply the Cascadia Code to your terminal. And you can also use it in VS Code or any other developer tool you like!

3. ConEmu-Maximus5

Type - Advanced console emulator

Want to have a better option than the stuck terminal window on your system? Try ConEmu. It is a comprehensive, fast, and reliable terminal window that provides support for hosting any console application workable with WinAPI or Unix PTY. Add common tasks like opening a shell in a folder or open powershell with a set of command to execute when opening that specifc console.

ConEmu-Maximus5 unifies multiple consoles and simple GUI applications into one customizable GUI window. Interestingly, the free terminal emulator features deep integration with the FAR Manager.

4. GitGraphs.js

Type - JavaScript library

Time and again, web developers might be required to draw and include explanatory git graphs to their projects. There are several ways of doing so. None of them, however, is as convenient as using the GitGraph.js library. Developers can leverage the JS library for:

• Creating maintainable git graphs,
• Preparing presentations,
• Writing detailed articles and much more.

Other than using directly with JavaScript, the git graphs drawing library can also be paired with the popular ReactJS framework. You can either use the git graphs as the way they are or customize them to suit your particular requirements.

5. JSON Utils

Type - JSON utilities

There is no scarcity of tools when it comes to working with JSON. The clutter, however, appears when there is lots of different stuff to do. At such a time, you need to open multiple tabs to accomplish different JSON tasks, such as converting JSON text to class objects, view data and doing some clean up.

JSON Utils is a one-stop solution for generating JSON from text or a URL to a class object in your chosen language. It generates class objects, lets you view all data and show a beautified version, all from a single, unified space. Moreover, the project is now open-source, which means that you can take another step and add to it to make the tool more useful for your contemporaries.

6. Mermaid

Type - Markdown-like Technology

Do you know who won the JS Open Source Awards 2019 in the category, The most exciting use of technology? It was Mermaid. It is a simple similar-to-markdown scripting language developed for generating diagrams and flowcharts from the text by leveraging JavaScript.

Mermaid simplifies documentation and helps to avoid using heavy tools for creating diagrams, such as Microsoft Visio. The open-source technology has several types of diagrams available, ranging from flowcharts and Gantt charts to git graphs and ER diagrams.

Try out the Live Editor and add the markdown to your documentation project. It's awesome!

7. Nerd Fonts

Type - Fonts and glyphs repository

Fonts are a way for developers to express their preferences for style. Nerd Fonts is a free and open-source GitHub project that combines developer-oriented/popular programming fonts with several glyphs or icons belonging to other popular fonts.

Nerd Fonts offers a diverse range of fonts that makes working with code more visually pleasing. Before downloading a particular nerd font, developers have the option to preview the same on ProgrammingFonts.org.

8. ScreenToGif

Type - Advanced screen recorder

ScreenToGif is a lightweight and portable screen recorder with sketchboard and webcam recording functionalities. Moreover, it comes with a built-in editor to edit captured screens on-the-fly. Recorded and/or edited screens can be exported to various formats, like GIF and PSD.

Developers can use the free and open-source screen recording tool in many creative ways. You can make, for example, gifs out of functionality issues or bugs to make them more explanatory when sharing with others.

9. Shields.io

Type - Web service to add svg badges to your projects

Want to add the best metadata badges to your open-source undertakings? Try Shields.io. It is a free and hackable project available on GitHub awarded with 11k+ GitHub stars and more than 3k forks. The service serves 470mn+ images every month.

All badges offered by Shields.io are available in raster and SVG formats that can be effortlessly included in a web page. Shields.io provides support for many:

• App stores,
• CI services,
• Code analysis services,
• Code coverage services,
• Distributions,
• Package registries, and
• Social networks.

Or create your own custom badge!

10. Squoosh

Type - Image compression web app

The more detailed an image is, the bulkier it gets. Hence, developers need to compress the same before uploading. Squoosh is a web app that lets you compress images and apply various advanced options offered by different image compressors, right inside your web browser.

Developed as an open-source tool by GoogleChromeLabs, Squoosh allows compressing and comparing images conveniently with different codecs.

Conclusion

Any developer, may it be a software developer or a web developer, regardless of their expertise, needs to accomplish a lot of things all to create something - a software application, a website, a web app, etcetera - useful, convenient, or maybe entertaining.

Software development needs practice, a lot of it. Tweaking and experimenting is an essential part of the usual routine work for developers. The 10 best nerdy things that we mentioned in this article are sure to come in handy, whether developing something or just being playful.

What are your favourite nerdy tool or service that is very usable in daily practice? Let us know via comments. Happy development!