This week I have written a short post to share with you some tools that I use daily, but that are perhaps are less well known than they deserve to be: MetalScroll, Beyond Compare & Code Collaborator.
MetalScroll
http://code.google.com/p/metalscroll/
MetalScroll is a free Visual Studio add-in which replaces the editor scrollbar with a graphic representation of the code. When working on my Laptop, (a PowerBook running OS X), using XCode or TextWrangler, this is without a doubt, the single thing I miss the most.
Beyond Compare
http://www.scootersoftware.com/
Beyond Compare is a file diff/merge tool for windows that I discovered whilst working on the GTA “Double Pack”, work that, for various reasons, involved a lot a diffing and merging of sections of large codebases. Despite the abundance of free and commercial tools that provide equivalent functionality, many of which I’ve tried at various times, Beyond Compare has been my 1st choice for heavy duty diff/and merge jobs for over 5 years. Highly recommended. Also pure gold for log file post-mortum work, handling even very large files without a hiccup.
Code Collaborator
http://smartbearsoftware.co.uk/codecollab.php
Code Collaborator is a web based tool for performing and managing code reviews. If you have ever thought code reviews sound like a good idea, but that the gritty details of managing the whole process get in the way, then this tool is well worth investigating.
Why not post a comment telling us about the tools that make your life easier.