New Initiative: Nettuts+ Apps

New Initiative: Nettuts+ Apps

on Jun 23rd 2011 with 41 comments

Have you ever been working on a coding project, and thought to yourself, “There must be an easy way to automate this repetitive task.”? I know I have! That’s why, here at Nettuts+, we’ve begun an initiative to release desktop apps that are tailor-made for web developers.

Nettuts+ Structurer Pro

Structurer allows you to rapidly create directory structures with ease.

  • Always find yourself manually creating the same files and directories? Not anymore.
  • Need to download the latest version of the CodeIgniter framework? Or how about WordPress? With Structurer, it can be done in two seconds!
  • Need to assign custom text to new files – for example, adding a base plugin snippet to a JavaScript file? That’s a cinch in Structurer!

Windows User Instead?

In that case, Nettuts+ author, Jeremy McPeak, created a Windows version!

Blueprinter makes creating file system structures simple less time consuming.

Nettuts+ Builder

Nettuts+ Builder turns the process of compressing scripts and stylesheets, and uploading a project to your server into as simple a process as possible.

Let’s say that you finished a coding project or demo. Simply drag the folder onto the Builder menu icon, and it will:

  • Create a new “Publish” directory
  • Compress all JavaScript files
  • Compress all Stylesheets
  • Optionally upload them, via FTP, to a designated folder on your server.

If you’ve found yourself manually compressing your files and uploading them to your server, this automates the entire process!

But We’re Just Getting Started…

This is only the first step. In addition to some exciting updates to the two apps above, we’ll also working on new apps for the community. I can’t wait to show you them when they’re ready! More importantly, though, I’d like to know what you would like us to build! What would save you time when coding?

I’m currently searching for a Windows app developer to create the counter-part to Nettuts+ Builder (and presumably future apps). If you’re an independent developer, and have some samples, let me know in the comments, and I might hire you!

Tags: appsmac
 
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I'm the editor of Nettuts+, and love making the process of building for the web as easy as possible. Also, I'm finishing up my latest book on Laravel Testing! If you want be friends, say hi on Twitter.  

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  • http://www.jeffrey-way.com Jeffrey Way
    Author

    Also, guys – if you developed something awesome, and are interested in selling it to us, where we’ll brand it as a Nettuts+ App, that might work too. Just let me know!

  • w1sh

    Are going to be avail for Win or just Mac?

  • http://newarts.at Drazen Mokic

    Things getting cool ;)

  • http://thomasv.nl ThomasV

    Hej Jeffrey,

    I know it’s a startup but there are going to be apps for Windows users too right? Otherwise this won’t get that much attention…

    • http://www.jeffrey-way.com Jeffrey Way
      Author

      Yeah. Didn’t you guys see the Windows references above?? :)

      • http://thomasv.nl ThomasV

        I saw them but there is no guarantee that they work because they weren”t made by someone from the tuts+ network

      • http://www.jeffrey-way.com Jeffrey Way
        Author

        If they didn’t work, they wouldn’t be approved on CodeCanyon.

      • http://www.wdonline.com/ Jeremy McPeak

        I contribute to the Tuts+ network, though!

  • Winki

    Compress, PublishFolder and Upload in one central Application – That sounds fine :)
    I love these small programs. Keep up the good work and great MacApps :)

  • http://www.timsassen.nl tim

    Cool initiative!

  • http://oddnetwork.org haliphax

    “Blueprinter makes creating file system structures simple less time consuming.”

    Seems like an “and” is missing somewhere…

  • Rafael Fragoso

    I really wanted LESS Compressor for Windows and a text editor like Textmate, other than the e-text.

    • http://www.jeffrey-way.com Jeffrey Way
      Author

      Thanks, Rafael! I’ve added it to our list of possibilities.

      • Ryan

        I agree, it seems like each text editor has features I love and hate about them. Haven’t found one yet that does it all. For example, the auto-completion in dreamweaver is great but the rest is terrible, notepad++ has great structure for code but the auto-complete is really lacking.

      • http://ilman.me Ilman

        I second that Ryan!

        I cant get off from dreamweaver because the autocomplete things.

        If only there is any plugins on other tiny and fast that could replace that, i would be soooo happy

    • http://nelsonr.github.com Nelson

      Try Komodo Edit, it’s what I use to code, has good addons and nice customization level.

      • http://jenswebstek.nl Jenski

        I second Komodo.
        Haven’t touched dreamweaver since and best of all it’s free.

        OT: tnx nettuts this tool is gonna be a real time saver

  • http://www.mrweevil.com mrWeevil

    Hi, Jeffrey. Is there going to be the ones for Linux users?

  • Wouter J

    The windows version of structor is one thing I have waiting for! Thank you for making it! I’m hoping that there come more windows apps.

  • http://tommybrunn.com Tommy Brunn

    Why don’t you go ahead and open source this, so that we can fork it and port it to other platforms. From your description of the application, this seems like it could be ported over to Python+Qt/GTK in a few days, at the most. Then it would be truly cross-platform.

  • Claudiu

    Hey Jeffrey, I made an app just like structurer pro, for personal use, I dint see any windows version until now. You can download the app from here http://www.mediafire.com/?0obmfb83u7b18qd again i made it for me and I use since, if you need more info, email me.

    Ciao

  • Ivo Trompert

    It would be great if you can run shell scripts with Structurer Pro. This way you can use it to create a fresche ruby on rails project.

  • http://pradeek.com Pradeek

    Just a suggestion. Since you guys are primarily web devs, why don’t you guys use Titanum Desktop? You can code in HTML/CSS/JS and compile to Windows/Linux/Mac in 1 go…

    Also i made a NodeJS utility script called lessw that works similar to LESS.app (http://incident57.com/less/) .
    It watches your LESS directory for changes and compiles to CSS. You can find it here : https://github.com/Pradeek/lessw

  • http://www.kengreeff.com Ken Greeff

    I would love to use Builder on windows!

  • Miles Smith

    I’m glad there is a windows version of the structurer app. Sometimes I feel this site ignores windows users a little too much, but obviously I understand that OSx is simply the way web development is heading.

  • WELLS

    Good steps. Hope to see you succeed soon. I’m looking forward to read future posts.
    There is an article at Network Information API. Can you write something more clear about that please? I tried it, but I couldn’t get any result.

  • http://www.learnevery.net Arifur Rahman

    hello, jeffry i am a windows app developed. see code canyon my developed app on windows. i have developed many windows application if you like then i will mail you or show you. i am interested to work with nettus app.
    Thanks

  • http://dirtekdesigns.com DirTek

    This is a great initiative.

    I’m a Windows 7 user, so after browsing CodeCanyon a few hours ago (before seeing this article), I stumbled over Blueprinter.

    The intro video was really intriguing, so I went ahead and bought it. After having a quick look into the manual, I immediately understood how it all works, and I gotta say that for 5$, that little tool is going a hell of a job. I just love it!

    If anymore interesting tools like this one could be found on CodeCanyon (for Windows, of course) I’ll surely buy them!

  • http://manida.com.np rajendra

    That’s great news

  • Josh

    Is NetTuts+ Builder available to premium members like Structurer Pro or only from codecanyon?

  • http://www.salvatorelaisa.net Salvo

    The apps are amazing just one thing:

    the fact that Mac and Win versions are in the truth two different apps it’s kinda weird… I mean there are a lot of tools (especially for web ninja like you Jeffrey) for creating cross OS applications like Adobe AIR or Titanium Desktop, just to name the biggest, and I see that there are a lot of Linux users here so you could make them happy too.

    I’m sure you already know all of this, I just want to understand why you didn’t choose this way.

  • Alexander

    For starters, I’d like to see this article mention that these apps cost money! Then I’d like to see a free version of these apps or at least a reason to consider using them over a free alternative such as the HTML5 Boilerplate which I’m sure inspired(somewhat) the creation of these apps in the first place…I’m a big fan of Nettuts, but in this case the name alone isn’t enough to make me switch…yet!

  • http://nickplekhanov.com nicksp

    Hi Nettuts+ team.

    A while back ago i’ve purchased such item http://codecanyon.net/item/blueprinter/304021

    But i can’t find sources for that app.

    Should not the authors share source code along with the executable files?

    Thanks.

  • http://www.ladoo.com.au Anton Babushkin

    Ah cool. Funny because I built a .NET app that did the exact same thing as described in the article a few years ago. Pretty easy if you plug into the Yahoo Compressor.

  • http://www.streamhead.com/ Peter Backx

    Hi Jeffrey,
    I’m not sure what technology you want to use for the Windows applications, but I’m definitely interested in helping with the apps. I’d been thinking about creating a Windows version of structurer for some time, but never got around to it.

    I’m mostly a Java developer and although it isn’t liked by many, when properly configured and packaged, a Java application can be run on many systems, including Windows.
    Flex could also be a good option, although I’m a little less experienced with it.

    Feel free to check my blog for random references. I can’t share all my work publicly, so let me know via mail if you want more specific references.

    Peter

  • http://aoberoi.me Ankur

    I have an idea for a desktop app i think would save developers like me a good amount of time and annoyance when doing web development, but i kind of want to do it open-source. would that work for you as a nettuts+ app? i dont really care about making $ off of it from you guys.

  • Mike Heath

    Jeffery – you say that if an app doesn’t work you wouldn’t approve it. As I use Windows, the free app Structurer was no use to me so I paid for Blueprinter. Problem is it doesn’t work properly. It creates folders OK but the Content Manager function to download files like jquery or codeigniter doesn’t.

    I’ve emailed Jeremy McPeak a couple of times but got no reply. Does it work for you or can you get hold of Jeremy and ask him to respond?

    Mike

  • http://www.pckult.net Dave Lizotte

    Hi i’m a windows .net developper! I live in Quebec, Canada and yes, i’m a fucking french canadian ;) But I can code some program for you! Just to contact me for more information if you want! If no, good continuation! I love nettut!!

  • http://www.sagive.co.il Sagive

    Cool tools!! Got the mac & win versions so thanks for – i am a windows guy myself