DevToys, described as the “Swiss Army knife for developers,” has officially expanded its reach to Linux users, as announced in the latest preview of v2.0.1. This move follows high demand from the user base, with cross-platform support being one of the most upvoted feature requests on the projectโs GitHub page.
However, if you havenโt heard of it, letโs briefly introduce it. DevToys offers a suite of tools packeted into a single app to enhance productivity and streamline various tasks during software development. The most important of these include the following:
- JSON/YAML Formatter and Validator – Helps in formatting and validating JSON and YAML data, making it easier to read and debug.
- Regex Tester – Allows developers to test regular expressions against strings and helps craft regex patterns.
- Text Comparer – Enables users to compare two blocks of text and identify differences.
- JWT Decoder – Decodes JSON Web Tokens to reveal the payload’s content.
- Hash Generator – Generates hashes using various algorithms like SHA, MD5, etc.
- Base64 Encoder/Decoder – Encodes text using the Base64 encoding scheme.
- Color Picker and Converter: Tools for picking colors and converting them into different formats like HEX, RGB, or HSL.
The introduction of version 2.0 brings not only wider platform compatibility but also several enhancements and new features aimed at improving the user experience and extending functionality.
To combat the challenge of keeping up with frequent user requests for new tools, DevToys 2.0 introduces a new extension feature. This allows developers to create and integrate plugins, fostering a more customizable ecosystem.
The extension development kit has been simplified, removing the need for XAML knowledge and thus broadening the potential contributor base.
Moreover, the new command-line application understands the diverse environments in which developers operate. It enables DevToys to be used within CI/CD pipelines or any setting without a graphical interface.
The new 2.0 Preview version includes an array of enhanced tools, such as a RegEx Tester complete with a cheat sheet, a Date Converter supporting milliseconds and custom Epochs, and a more efficient Color Blind Simulator.
New additions such as the List Comparer, JSON Path tester, QR Code generator and reader, and JSON to CSV converter also enrich the toolkit.
Finally, DevToys 2.0 also focuses on user interface improvements such as compact spacing options, native line break support across different operating systems, and more intuitive search functionality that compensates for typographical errors.
For more detailed information, refer to the announcement. DevToys 2.0 is available for download for x64 and ARM64 architectures. For Linux users, a DEB installation file and a portable ZIP archive are available.
If you are using Ubuntu 24.04, here is how to install the locally downloaded DEB file. If you rely on the ZIP archive, here’s how to unzip it easily.
