5 must have tools on macOS for developers in 2022
Yes, I use them on a daily basis
Amongst developers, macOS is a pretty standard operating system. This is partly because Macs, in general, are powerful and efficient, especially the new ones with M1 chips, and somewhat because maybe you found something like Linux too dull for your tastes. Do I hear some disappointment from Windows users? It’s okay. You have my sympathy!
Another reason why you might start using MacOS is because of the sense of “royalty” that comes to you as a user. That is, in fact, one of the top-selling points for most Apple products. Additionally, many companies, whether giant corporations or startups, offer MacBooks to developers, which might be yet another reason you are working with one.
In this article, let’s talk about some of the most valuable tools or applications you must have on your Mac if you are a developer in 2022.
1. Homebrew — Software installation manager
Homebrew is a package manager that helps you install software tools and developer frameworks from the command line. It is free, open-source, and well known for how easily it can download and install UNIX tools, terminal utilities, or even graphical apps, compiling all of these from the source.
For instance, you can install iTerm2 using Homebrew in a single line —
brew install --cask iterm2Now, why would you wanna install iterm2? Well, let’s see that next.
2. iTerm2 — A superior terminal
iTerm2 is a replacement for the terminal and the successor to iTerm. It works on Macs with macOS 10.14 or newer. iTerm2 brings the terminal into the modern age with features you never knew you always wanted.
iTerm helps you manage your workflow much more efficiently. It comes with many features, most notable of which are split panels, hotkeys, search, autocomplete, paste history, notifications, multilingual support, etc.
3. Postman — Build, manage, test APIs
Postman is an API platform for building and using APIs. Postman simplifies each step of the API lifecycle and streamlines collaboration so you can create better APIs — faster.
With Postman, you can design your API specifications using OpenAPI, RAML, GraphQL, or SOAP formats. You can also document your APIs using markdown-enabled features or OpenAPI files. Additional features include API testing, mocking servers, monitoring the health of your APIs, etc.
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4. Expressions — Master regex
Need to write and test regular expressions?
Expressions is a handy and sophisticated tool to master regular expressions on Mac. Whether you’re a developer, data analyst, marketer, or just a big fan of expressions, you’ll find this app absolutely perfect for your needs.
It will save you loads of time testing and crafting your code or reports, even if you are new to the field. Now you can perform powerful searches and debug your expressions in a minimalistic and relaxed working environment.
5. CopyClip — Manage clipboard history
Developers, designers, and writers all regret or live in fear of accidentally replacing the last copied text. It’s something that sits like a bug at the back of our heads. Strangely, macOS doesn’t have a clipboard history manager by default.
CopyClip is the simplest and most efficient clipboard manager for your Mac. Running discreetly from your menu bar, this app stores all that you have copied or cut in the past, allowing you to quickly find that snippet of text you’ve been looking for.
Conclusion
These are some of the most useful apps you can use as a developer on macOS. Of course, I have skipped some of the obvious applications like VS Code, Atom, Xcode, Bitbucket, etc. They are equally helpful, and you must have already come across most of them.
Feel free to reach out to me for any questions or suggestions that you might have. You can follow me on these social media platforms — LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram for more updated content!
As always! Happy Hacking! 😇
