Most jobs require tools. Plumbers need wrenches, joiners need saws, accountants need calculators, hairdressers need scissors. But what does a Moodle Developer carry in their toolbox?
This will differ depending on your Operating System but in terms of functionality, how many applications does a Moodle developer really need?
This morning I looked at what tools I use on a daily basis to work with Moodle in the office and was amazed to find that I only really ever use four. (All Microsoft Windows based I’m afraid)!
1) Wordpad
Yes I know it’s Windows based, I also know that Notepad ++ is better but I like Wordpad. It offers exactly what I need. Text looks clean and organised, it opens up PHP files and offers search and replace functionality.
2) Photoshop
I cannot imagine using anything else. To me this is one of the single most important desktop applications of all time. It helps me to make Moodle look good.
3) SQLYog
My favorite open source MySQL GUI. I know I could use PHPMyAdmin but there is something nice about using a desktop GUI. It’s simple to use and performs all the functions I need.
4) Firefox
Still my favourite browser, solid, reliable and with lots of developer plugins. Gmail and Google Docs have changed the way I work.
And that’s it!
I often save directly to networked folders on the server so I don’t require FTP.
Admittedly I may use other programs from time to time but the four applications in the list are all I require on a day-to-day basis.
If we were a Linux based college then my kit would differ slightly in the fact I would use GIMP instead of Photoshop, Gedit instead of Wordpad, and most likely just stick to PHPMyAdmin instead of using a GUI Client. But I’d still only require just four tools to get the job done.