Here’s a list of free software tools and libraries that I have come to love.
TCLAP is a Templatized C++ Command Line Parser library that makes your wildest command line parsing dreams come true. Its usage is so simple, it’s almost ridiculous. But it not only has all the features you can imagine but also comes with very well written manual.
Next is Prototype, the famous JavaScript Framework that turns formerly painful JavaScript development into a breeze. I just love how easy it is to develop with Prototype. It hides browser dependencies and makes code readable.
A very special piece of software is TiddlyWiki a reusable non-linear personal web notebook. I use it to document my research and write my thesis. It’s ingenious. In some sense it can also be seen and used as an archive that puts documents into context.
When it comes to text editors I’ve been in love with Vim ever since I attended my first C lectures. When used to the interface code editing at the speed of light is possible. To be fair I also like Notepad++ very much.
When it comes to graphics, layout and design I rely on Inkscape – an extremely powerful and easy to use vector graphics editor. It’s under heavy development and great features are added almost every hour. Nevertheless it is very stable.
I’ve been looking for decent UML modeling tools forever. Seriously. There’s a whole bunch of them out there and I tried a lot of them. Until recently I have been unable to find one that doesn’t suck. Then I discovered BOUML. It’s free and fast. Despites its plenty features it doesn’t come across bloated or sluggish.