devtools

Devtools, short for development tools, are software tools that help programmers build, debug, test, profile, and deploy software. They span a range of artifacts, including integrated development environments (IDEs), lightweight editors, debuggers, compilers, build systems, package managers, version control, and automation pipelines. They also include performance profilers, application monitoring, and deployment tools.

A notable subset is browser developer tools, or DevTools, which are built into modern web browsers and provide features such as element inspection, JavaScript debugging, console logging, network monitoring, and performance tracing. Non-browser devtools cover server and cloud environments, mobile platforms, and hardware interactions.

Historically, devtools emerged from simple text editors and debuggers in early computing, with more integrated IDEs appearing in the 1990s and 2000s. The rise of agile development and DevOps expanded the ecosystem to include continuous integration, automated testing, containerization, and cloud-based development environments.

Devtools are designed to increase developer productivity, improve code quality, and accelerate deployment. They enable rapid iteration, easier diagnosis of defects, and better observability of programs in production. However, they can create dependencies on specific ecosystems, raise security considerations, and contribute to tool fatigue when overused or poorly integrated.

See also: Source control, Debugger, IDE, Continuous integration, Browser devtools.