Best Chrome Extensions for Web Developers

Introduction

Since the needs of every web developer are different, developers are welcome to customize their browsers to suit their needs. We can say that part of this customization is extensions or plugins that can help a lot in the developer’s workflow.

In 2021, around 65.27% of the world’s people are using Google Chrome, according to data from June this year. Since the Google Chrome browser is the most widely used in the world and web developers use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox the most, we decided to show you a list of the best Google Chrome extensions that can be useful for web developers.

ColorZilla

ColorZilla is an extension that allows the user to find any hue that is in the browser. The selected color can be edited and this extension also offers a CSS gradient editor. Most of these options are already built into Chrome DevTools, so this extension may not be of much concern to some developers.

Available at: ColorZilla

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is an open-source extension and serves as an automated tool to improve the performance, quality, and accuracy of your web applications. It can be used for any website, public or one that requires authentication. Lighthouse specifically audits performance, accessibility, progressive web apps, SEO, and more.

The tool performs a series of tests on the page and generates a report on how successful the page is. Based on this report, the user can conclude what he can do to improve his web application.

Lighthouse can be installed and run as a Google Chrome extension, but it also comes as a built-in tool within Chrome DevTools. It is recommended that you use Chrome DevTools workflow rather than Chrome Extension workflow. The DevTools workflow allows testing of local sites and authenticated pages, while the extension does not.

Available at: Lighthouse

Wappalyzer

Developers use a variety of technologies and usually look for inspiration by looking at other sites and applications which is why an extension like Wappalyzer comes across as very useful. The extension analyzes the site and shows what technologies it was created with.

With the help of this extension, you can find out which CMS, framework, eCommerce platform, JavaScript libraries, programming languages, analytics, marketing tools, payment processors, CRM, CDN are used by the site, and much more. A good alternative to this extension is: WhatRuns

Available at: Wappalyzer

Fake Filler

Fake Filler is a simple extension that serves to fill in all input fields on a page with randomly generated fake data, usually for filling out forms. This extension is useful because it saves time for developers and testers, without it everything would have to be done manually every time, which would take a lot of time.

Available at: Fake Filler

CSSViewer

CSSViewer is a simple extension that allows you to display CSS properties in an ordered order. The extension was originally made as an add-on for Firefox, after which a version for Chrome was released. Of course, developers can always use Chrome DevTools to view the CSS properties of an element, but this extension allows faster and more transparent access.

Available at: CSSViewer

JSON Viewer

JSON Viewer is an extension that enables the printing of JSON and JSONP and offers the possibility of customization so that the code looks beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

Available at: JSON Viewer

React Developer Tools

If you are a front-end developer and use React at some point you will surely start using the React Developer Tools extension if you have not already, this extension is required. The extension adds React debugging tools to Chrome Developer Tools. Allows you to inspect React component hierarchies using Chrome Developer Tools.

Available at: React Developer Tools

WhatFont

As the name of the extension itself says, WhatFont is used to identify fonts on web pages. The extension is easy to use, just drag the mouse over the letter and the extension will display the font name, for more detailed options you need to use the left mouse click. A good alternative to this extension is: Fonts Ninja

Available at: WhatFont

Redux DevTools

Redux DevTools is an extension that serves for debugging the application’s state changes. The extension provides power-ups for your Redux development workflow. The extension is not limited to Redux, it can be used with any other state-managed architecture.

Available at: Redux DevTools

Open in VSCode

An extension that can be useful in certain situations. Allows you to open GitHub and GitLab links in Visual Studio Code. Just right-click on any link from the file and the “Open in VSCode” option opens the selected file. If you think that this extension is not so useful, the next hack may be more useful.

For example, if we have the following repository: https://github.com/testuser/testrepo it is enough to add only “1s” in the following way: https://github1s.com/testuser/testrepo and the complete online repository opens. It should be borne in mind that this is not an official project supported by GitHub but an open-source project that can be used as needed.

Available at: Open in VSCode

Web Developer

The Web Developer is one of those extensions that was primarily developed for the Firefox browser since Firefox is also a great browser for developing. The extension adds a toolbar button to Chrome that provides various web developer tools. The Web Developer extension can also be used by people involved in digital marketing.

Available at: Web Developer

Picture-in-Picture Extension

For some it will be a useful extension, for others, it may not. Picture-in-Picture is a Chrome extension that allows you to watch videos in a floating window on top of other windows. It’s great for following tech talk or maybe tutorials while using other sites. This extension was developed by Google.

Available at: Picture-in-Picture Extension

Window Resizer

As a developer, it is important to test your application and apply responsive design. Windows Resizer allows you to mimic different screen resolutions so you can test the design layout. It is possible to set specific test resolutions that can later be exported and imported to another computer.

Available at: Window Resizer

Amino: Live CSS Editor

The Animo extension is like CSSViewer but more advanced. Allows you to write custom CSS code for any website and displays changes in real-time. It is possible to customize colors, fonts, and layout. Custom CSS code can be saved and used on other devices using Chrome. Animo is considered the best Chrome extension for custom CSS. As with the CSSViewer extension, some options already exist built into Chrome DevTools, so someone won’t even need this extension.

Available at: Amino: Live CSS Editor

Yet Another Lorem Ipsum Generator

You’ve probably heard of Lorem Ipsum by now. This extension represents the Lorem Ipsum Generator which provides lorem ipsum text that can be copied and used on the website most commonly as a text placeholder. With this extension, paragraphs of different lengths, titles, dates, email addresses, and links can be added.

Available at: Yet Another Lorem Ipsum Generator

Clear Cache

In each browser, there is an option to clear the cache, which can be configured. The Clear Cache extension allows you to set all the options once, after which just a mouse click is enough to perform the complete cleaning process in a few seconds.

Available at: Clear Cache

PerfectPixel by WellDoneCode (pixel perfect)

The PerfectPixel extension allows you to use a semi-transparent image over the website so you can perform a pixel-by-pixel comparison between the website and the image. This is a very useful extension for developers because it allows you to create a website exactly as it was designed.

Available at: PerfectPixel by WellDoneCode (pixel perfect)

Image downloader

Image Downloader is a great and useful Chrome extension that allows you to download all the images from a specific website. Images can also be downloaded from websites where images are hidden for download. With this extension, it is possible to extract the image link as well as download the image directly. A good alternative to this extension is: Image Downloader

Available at: Image downloader

GoFullPage – Full Page Screen Capture

The GoFullPage extension captures a screenshot of the current page without some additional permissions. This extension is very useful for web developers because with one click it provides a full overview of a webpage that can be shared later.

Available at: GoFullPage

Page Ruler Redux

The Page Ruler Redux is a very useful extension that provides a ruler for measuring pixel dimensions and positioning. It is possible to measure the width, height, and position of any element on any website.

Available at: Page Ruler Redux

LambdaTest

One of the key steps in the software development process is to test the application. The LamdbaTest extension provides a cloud-based platform for performing cross-browser testing on 2000+ real browsers and different browser versions for different devices. Such tests help make a website or web application cross-browser compatible, and therefore more robust.

For desktop devices, it is possible to test on Windows and macOS, and for mobile devices, it is possible to test on Android and iOS. It is possible to perform a screenshot testing over 25 devices in a single go. LambdaTest is one of the better extensions for developers, designers, and of course testers.

Available at: LambdaTest

Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker

Ghostery is a privacy extension that aims to prevent all intrusive ads that are usually on websites which is why it has a built-in adblocker. It also has built-in tracking protection to protect your data and block 3rd websites from being tracked, a page speed booster, and an optimizer to make the browsing experience more enjoyable. Ghostery has a dashboard with which the user can adjust their settings.

Available at: Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker

Session Buddy

Since Google Chrome is known to require a lot of RAM during operation, an extension such as Session Buddy comes in handy. This is an extension for developers and designers and provides help with managing browser tabs. It enables bookmark manager, saves sessions, and returns them later as needed thus relieving the browser and freeing up a lot of memory. Session Buddy allows you to manage all tabs from a single page, organize them by topic, and offer a quick tab search. If a system crash occurs Session Buddy will restore all your tabs as you left them.

Available at: Session Buddy

Conclusion

Extensions are great and you should use them and explore new ones as they appear. However, it is recommended that you use fewer extensions as more extensions can be distracting. Also, you shouldn’t trust extensions completely as they may not be available tomorrow.

It’s best to choose between 5 and 10 extensions that will work for you, and add a new one or remove an old one from time to time. Play around with the extensions and see which ones work best for you.

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7 new rules of project management

COVID-19 has greatly affected the future of work and how teams collaborate to get projects done, resulting in significant changes in the skills and strategies necessary to succeed as a project manager.

The past year has led to major changes in the way people work. Before the pandemic, according to a recent study by Pev Research, about 20% of adult employees worked from home. Today, that number is 71%, and 54% of them want it to continue. The pandemic has accelerated what is beginning to look like a mass migration of office workers to distributed, remote work settings. This has affected every worker – 1.25 billion worldwide.

It is a huge change that has led project managers to strive to find new strategies for maintaining projects, and workers to be healthy and productive in the midst of the stress and chaos of this great change. And not just project managers. Everyone is struggling to keep work on their way. According to Asana’s research, we spend 60% of our time coordinating work, and not on qualified, strategic jobs that we are engaged in.

What are the new project management rules and what new skills do project managers need to progress?

1. Clarity is elusive — and expensive

One thing became apparent last year: Cooperation without physical proximity means that it is harder to achieve clarity. Asana’s study Anatomy of Work found that every fourth deadline is missed every week due to a lack of clarity.

The quick transition to work from home moved everyone to isolated workspaces, connected only by the Internet – a dangerous situation in which every member of the team could quickly become a silo for information. Early in the pandemic, Zoom Meetings provided some remedy as to a substitute for face-to-face meetings and quick conversations, but a year later, it is clear that we need better tools to clarify who does what, when and what the big picture looks like.

A study by Asana found that casual conversations in the office to speed people up to have been replaced by unnecessary video meetings at a high cost. Meetings interrupt focused work and take a lot of time. They cost 157 hours of individual productivity last year and led to people working an average of two hours each day with a delay. Project managers and information technology directors are trying to implement new tools and methods that bring clarity without paying such a high price.

2. Your ‘source of truth’ has never been more important

There is a wide range of project management methodologies, and although each offers its specific benefits, the key is to choose one and dedicate yourself to it all.

This source of truth can be a central project management tool that provides a job management framework, or it can be a project manager in a leading role or a work philosophy.

“The old rule could be: ‘Do it, no matter what is needed, and the new rule reads:’ Let’s agree on how we look at this and put it in a frame. ‘ “

3. Synchronous communication is a scarce resource

One thing she taught us last year – often the hard way, in missed deadlines and lost productivity – is that in the new world order, synchronous communication is a precious commodity.

In the new world, you can’t count on people being at their tables at the same time. You can’t count on them being in the same time zone. Some could work late at night, others early in the morning. Perhaps a schedule of child care or household chores should be considered.

All this adds one brutal fact about teamwork: gathering everyone at a meeting is expensive. It will bother someone, add to the already existing epidemic level of combustion, and suck the time out of already overworked working days.

Project managers need to adopt asynchronous tools that not only help achieve clarity but also better facilitate asynchronous communication.

4. Your work plan must be debugged

Creating a complex work plan requires a lot of work. One mistake, in the middle of hundreds of planning lines, could easily disrupt all or part of a project and cost an entire fortune. And the chance that someone will notice that mistake before the deadline, or something completely deviates from the rails? Infinitely small.

Why? Because no one ever corrects mistakes in the work plan.

Once a plan is built – even when it is complex, expensive, and involves a huge number of moving parts, contributions, milestones, and results – it is followed on the assumption that it is flawless.

5. Everyone is a project manager, now

In the past, project managers have used factors such as budget, resources, and rough estimates to determine how long a task will take. This new set of managers relies on experience, knowledge of the people doing the work, and knowledge of the mental impact of each task needed to determine the duration and timelines. It turns out that these may be better measures.

Once you begin to understand people and consider them people rather than resources — and try to think of ways to circumvent the problems and uncertainties of the case.

6. The project manager has become ‘The Negotiator’

As projects become more complex and companies increasingly focused on building sustainable growth in the new climate, the project manager fell to become not only a planner but also a negotiator capable of bringing competing factions, work teams, distant associates and jointly investing stakeholders as the plan would progress. The role of the project manager is evolving and negotiation skills are becoming increasingly important.

In the old work paradigm, the project manager set plans, encouraged people, checked that everyone was on the right track, and organized meetings to keep everyone informed. But you can no longer rely on physical presence to create synergies, there are more moving parts, and those parts don’t always talk to each other.

It is now a more targeted approach. So, even when you don’t have that 20-person meeting, the project manager ensures that those 20 people have one source of truth.

7. Emotional intelligence is project management essential

When people work in isolation, family life interrupts them, and they record long and unusual hours. As a result, project managers increasingly need to step into unfamiliar territory to get projects back on track. One really important skill that project managers now need is emotional intelligence. Not everyone on the team is advancing in this new distributed workforce. Younger workers and parents are especially struggling. Millions of women left the workforce because they could not reconcile work and children.

The project manager must enable and constantly strengthen the psychological security of the team. They need to create a safety net that gives people the opportunity to feel comfortable sharing ideas and different points of view, without fear.

Increasingly that means the project manager acts as a sort of therapist, identifying what looks like stress and reaching out and helping team members to work through it, prioritize, understand that what’s going on is okay with the team, and to help find resources or a suitable schedule so they feel safe at work and able to come to work.

“The leader can make a big impact by using these facilitation skills.”