Top 3 Free Android Apps for Web Developers
When you're on the road, especially being a Web developer, we know things can happen. Whether a Web site's content needs to be updated, a module swapped out, or even code debugged, there are three essential tools I rely on to do just that. Keep in mind that these tools are for worst case scenarios. If I had a laptop, netbook, or PC somewhere close by, I'd use one of those any day before resorting to my Android, nevertheless these tools are very usable and reasonable tasks can be accomplished.
What three tools are we talking about here? Well, the first one should be pretty obvious: an FTP client. There must be some mechanism for you to connect to a Web site to download/uploaded files. The second tool is a text editor. Not just any editor, but one that can interpret PHP, HTML, CSS, or JS files without having to rename each one to a text file. You should be able to search and replace, find things quickly, and zoom out to view large chunks of code to get an overview. Last but not least, you need a file explorer. There is one built into the FTP program, but having one to manage your files on your Android's SD card is extremely helpful.
All three programs were evaluated on the HTC Hero running firmware 1.5 and 2.1. One last note: I don't recommend programs I don't personally use. You see a lot of "Top 5 XYZ" nowadays and most of these are just meaningless lists of products that no one has really tried and evaluated.
Here are the programs:
AndFTP by Lysesoft
Tip: Setup and configure the FTP servers you might need to access prior, that way when you need it, all you have to do is click connect. Also setup a folder on your SD card for uploading/downloading files.
Features:
- FTP, SFTP and FTPS support.
- Upload and download with resume support.
- Active/Passive FTP mode support.
- Copy/Paste support on device.
- Permissions setup support on FTP server.
- and much more!
TxtPad Lite by James Patillo
Tip: Customize the menu bar to display the buttons you tend to frequently use to make your life easier when editing files.
Features:
- Multiple file types.
- Multiple encodings.
- Find/Replace.
- Customizable menu bar.
- Line wrapping.
- Optional auto save.
Explorer by Speed Software
Tip: Setup the directory you want to start in when opening the app, such as the root of the SD card. You can also very customize the sort order of files and folders, that way you can view the files in a way that is most helpful to you.
Features:
- Files can be deleted, renamed, copied, and moved.
- Bookmark locations.
- Open files directly from Explorer.
- View hidden files.
- Multi-select files.
- Search for files by name.
- Send files directly via Facebook, Flickr, Email, Picasa, or YouTube.
If I missed a program or you think there is something better out there, let me know! I'd be happy to evaluate new products.
-Ryan
