by Rich Hein

13 Android Tools for Web Developers

News
Jul 22, 20145 mins
DeveloperDevelopment ToolsMobile

Android mobile devices, while not typically thought of as places where development work gets done, can offer surprisingly useful apps to help developers get the job done, anywhere.

Web Developer Apps For Your Android Device

As web developers, most of us love to stay connected to the Web. Now with the help of Android apps, developers can ply their craft on any mobile Android device. FTP, SSH, MySQL, code editors, plus much more are all at your fingertips. And while many of us wouldn’t choose to use these tools throughout the whole workday, it’s nice to know that they are there at the ready should you need to spring into action to save the proverbial day.

These apps are either altogether free or inexpensive and can save your skin should you find yourself cut off from a computer. So without further ado here are 13 web developer apps worth adding to your toolbox.

Hacker’s Keyboard

This tool shows up on many mobile developer tool lists. The reason for that is that many of the apps here work better with a traditional keyboard layout. For tasks like writing code, working with shell scripts or other command line tools it’s a big time saver and a must have for the developer on the go.

Price: Free

ConnectBot SSH Client

Much like Putty for Windows, ConnectBot is a free open-source app that allows users to connect to any Linux machine running an SSH client. This is a must-have for Linux administrators. Users can transfer files remotely and create remote telnet sessions. Pico and Vi to your heart’s content.

Price: Free

AndFTP

Every web developer needs to transfer files at some point. Maybe you want to upload pictures to your website from an event or grab data or a document on your web server. It’s no problem with AndFTP. With this free app you simply input your FTP settings and you’ll be transferring files in no time.

Price: Free

ES File Explorer File Manager

ES File Explorer provides users with an easy and intuitive way to browse through the files and folders on your Android device. The app makes renaming, deleting or moving files and folders a snap. It also provides Bluetooth sharing, Samba file-sharing via Wi-Fi, a baked in process/task killer, as well as built-in support for ZIP and RAR file types. It also offers cloud storage support for most major providers like Dropbox, Box.net or Google Drive.

Price: Free

WebMaster’s HTML Editor

This handy little HTML editor will make a great addition to your developer toolbox. It supports HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. While you may be tempted to save some money here, you should spring for the full version which allows for full preview and code support. For those looking for a free option give 920 Text Editor a try. While not as feature rich as Webmaster’s, it consistently gets good reviews and has been around for a while.

Price: $4.99

VT View Source

Ever need to see the code behind that webpage you’re working on? Of course you do. Desktop browsers all have “view source” baked in, but what about when you are on your tablet or smartphone? VT View Source provides support to view HTML, CSS, JavaScript or XML sources from web pages or remote files. It provides code highlighting, line numbers and text wrapping to fit your devices screen. Simply type or paste the URL, or location of your file, and this app will lift the veil on your webpages to reveal its mystery.

Price: Free

kWS – Android Web Server Pro

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Android is capable of running a web server, it’s a Linux based OS after all. kWS – Android Web Server Pro is capable of implementing a web server running HTTP 1.0 with basic and digest authentication and can support most file types.

Price: kWS – Android Web Server Pro Free kWS – Android Web Server Pro $1.99

Open Source CMS Tools

The following apps are a part of the many open source content management systems (CMS) that have become a staple of web publishers around the globe. Using these tools users can create, edit, delete and update content as well as receive notifications. You can view stats, manage comments and run your digital world, all from your Android device.

WordPress Price: Free

Drupal Editor Price: Free

Joooid! Joomla for Android Price: Free

Vcrox MySQL Client

Web Developers on-the-go can connect to their remote MySQL databases wherever they have cell access and insert, edit and delete table rows until the cows come home. Export your data to work on the desktop. Support is available for English and Spanish language users.

Price: Free

SQLTool Pro Database Editor

Do you need to manage a MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Sybase ASE, MariaDB, Derby, or Oracle database from your Android device? Well, SQLTool Pro Database Editor stands at the ready. It supports SSH tunneling to connect, control, query and manage several different types of databases.

Price: $3.99

Google’s Mobile App Analytics

With Google’s app users can track website data to improve ROI, improve search engine rankings, and identify and analyze audience and traffic issues. Relevant data includes audience acquisition and behavior, technology details, keywords and more.

Price: Free

We’re always interested in the tools you use to get the job done. Please tell us what tools you use on your Android device.