CodeBlocks

Application development and code compiling are tasks specific for programmers and users with extensive knowledge in this area. To successfully carry out such projects and build apps, manage source code and collaborate with other people, having a specialized software is a must.
Code::Blocks is one of the available tools that offer everything one would need to get through all the stages of the development process. Highly customizable and extensible, this Integrated Development Environment (IDE) supports a variety of functions.
The interface is complex, yet not too complicated and, since less experienced users are not targeted by this software, it shouldn't pose any problems to programmers. With all the features and commands ready at hand, Code::Blocks can be operated with maximum efficiency from the get-go.
A neat characteristic of this IDE, apart from the fact that it can be extended through plugins, is the ability to generate them using a simple wizard. There are literally dozens of highlighting modes available, so if the developer prefers a specific language, like Pascal, C++, Haskell, Java, Perl, Python, Ruby and so on, there is an option to mark the code in that specific manner.
More so, Code::Blocks offers its users the possibility to choose the style, indentation and formatting for source code. Even the mouse movements and scrolling actions can be customized if necessary and the overall customization alternatives are quiet extensive and will require a few minutes to go through.
For code compiling and profiling tasks, the software enables you to select the preferred tool and configure its settings in great detail. Code::Blocks supports many compilers, like GCC (MingW / Linux GCC), MSVC++, Digital Mars, or Borland C++ 5.5.
Overall, the application is very well equipped for the tasks it is meant to perform and thanks to a well thought layout, its users will surely get to know all the functions and manage to use them to their fullest with minimal efforts.

WinMerge

WinMerge is an open source instrument that allows you to merge and compare files and folders. WinMerge can be used to determine the differences between project versions. WinMerge comes with Unicode support, a flexible syntax coloring editor, Visual SourceSafe integration, and Windows Shell integration. All you have to do is launch the application and select the files you want to merge.

Scratch

Scratch is a multimedia utility designed for children. Using Scratch they can create animated stories, clips and even interactive games. Because of its simple graphical interface anyone can use it with no problem.
Scratch is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web. Scratch is designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills.
As they create Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design.

NotePad+++++

 

Since programming and development tutorials can be easily found all over the Internet, it is no wonder that more and more users like to experiment and at least tweak if not create apps. For this purpose, specialized software is required, and Notepad++ is one such tool supporting source code editing for multiple programming languages.
As suggested by its name, Notepad++ can also be regarded as a more complex text editor that comes with additional functions compared to the standard Notepad.
When installing, attention is required since it has numerous components that can be unchecked to reduce the disk space it occupies. Thus, the localization files and the themes can easily be skipped, but it is recommended to install all the plugins and auto-completion files to ensure a complete programming experience.
Notepad++ comes with a clean and simple interface without looking crowded despite its large array of functions, since they are grouped into appropriate menus with some of them being accessible from the context menu within the main window.
As mentioned, Notepad++ supports multiple programming languages and includes syntax highlighting for most of them. Plus, it can work with multiple documents at the same time, while remaining incredibly friendly with hardware resources.
When it comes to development, each menu is hefty enough to satisfy the needs of all programmers, whether they deal with editing, searching, encoding or running macros.
Through the use of plugins, the functionality of Notepad++ can be greatly enhanced, and one of the integrated ones brings FTP support while others are a spell checker or an ASCII to HEX and vice-versa converter. Extra functions can be added with third-party plugins so it's up to the user to choose the ones they prefer.
To wrap it up, developers or not, all Windows users are advised to give Notepad++ a try, even if it is only to get a taste of what a complex text editor looks and feels like.

Microsoft Silverlight

 

Thanks to the continuous evolution of the Internet and of web technologies, users can enjoy new and immersive experiences. One of the rather recent innovations that were especially designed for these purposes is Microsoft Silverlight.
This particular technology, apart from being cross-platform, is applicable to both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. Silverlight brings more fluid interfaces and provides many features for developers, as it strives to help them as well in creating unique media experiences.
The plugin greatly improves video quality and the playback performance is also turned up a notch. Animations are smoother than those presented in similar technologies and interaction plays a more important role in both developing and watching Silverlight content.
Among the most visible transformations can be noted 'Deep Zoom'. This feature is used with high-resolution imagery and it provides notably smooth and fast zoom to minimize loading times and stress on system apps and resources.
Another innovation present in Silverlight is called 'Perspective 3D Graphics'. It is meant to allow developers add content to three-dimensional plane. The users who view that content can, in turn, scale or rotate it as they wish.
For developers, this technology comes with many visual improvements that can be used in their applications. Among those, 'Pixel Shader' and 'Skinning and Styling' bring effects for animations and graphical content, as well as the ability to use those graphics to create personalized controls.
All in all, Microsoft Silverlight is definitely a step forward, as it provides innovations for both content creators and beholders. The content build using this tool is interactive and engaging as well and, as the support for Silverlight expands, it's a good idea to have it installed on your system.

Python

 

Python is programming language that uses objects, classes and a clear syntax in order to help you create your own applications. The code written in Python can be compiled in order to create standalone executable files.
This programming language is the backbone of many applications developed for academic or commercial purposes. It includes a large library that includes predefined tools that can be used by the developers.
The interpreter is the tool that allows you to write code, to define variables and to execute code. The main advantage of the program is the simplicity of the syntax that aims to help you write code in a more natural way. This greatly improves the code readability and significantly reduces the debugging time.
The code written in Python can be edited and tested multiple times by running it in the interpreter. Unlike other languages, it does not compel you to edit the code outside the execution environment. You can simply make the changes using the interpreter.
As an object-oriented programming language, Python uses data structures by storing data outside the main program. This location is not accessible by the program and the data can be retrieved by using a function written especially for this purpose.
Due to its clear syntax, Python can be learned easily by any computer user. If you are just beginning to learn about programming, the developer's website provides you with multiple tutorials and resources.
Overall, the Python programming language represents a good solution for the users that want to create applications by using an object-oriented approach.

32 Bit

 

64 Bit

 

Adobe AIR

 

 The Adobe AIR runtime enables developers to use proven web technologies in order to create rich Internet applications that will deploy to the desktop and can run on different operating systems.
With regard to the business benefits, Adobe AIR offers an exciting new way to engage customers with innovative, branded desktop applications, without requiring changes to existing technology, people, or processes.
This cross-operating system runtime renders the applications more fun, powerful and easy to use.

Virtual Box Creator

3D Virtual Box Creator is a small tool that helps you create virtual boxes.

Here are some key features of "3D Virtual Box Creator":

· Realtime 3D Box shot generator.
· Create goodlooking 3D virtual covers fast and easy!
· Easy-to-use interface.
· 6 different virtual covers to select.
· Save screenshot as JPG or BMP file.

XNA FrameWork

 

XNA Framework Redistributable is a programming tool for the software developers that want to create games for Windows. The package is also required for running a game that was created with XNA Game Studio.
The libraries provided in the XNA Framework are designed for game development and are based on .NET Framework. They include classes, interfaces and value types that constitute the basis of every application or component developed with XNA Game Studio.
The goal of the library is to make the tasks of a game developer easier by providing a set of predefined tools and classes. This allows the user to learn faster and to spend less time for creating a window or enumerating graphic adapters. It can enable the developer to focus on writing the code for the game.
The framework intends to help developers create games for multiple platforms such as Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox 360. It includes a set of APIs that makes it easier to create an Xbox 360 version of a game developed for Windows.
The APIs are normalized across the platforms and allow you to avoid many of the compiling bugs encountered when porting a game. For instance, the Storage API allows you to save and access data in the same way on both platforms.
Overall, the XNA Framework Redistributable is a useful tool both for professional game designers and especially for beginners. Using this set of APIs allows them to invest more time in the content of the game instead of dealing with compatibility issues.

PuTTY

 

PuTTY is one of the big guys in the SSH and Telnet clients bunch with added abilities to connect through rlogin as well as raw TCP protocols to other computers. It also features an xterm terminal emulator in order to provide an effective environment for advanced users.
One thing you must make sure of is that you can enjoy PuTTY within the legal boundaries of your country as it may interfere with both domestic and international cryptography laws such as China, Singapore, Vietnam, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tunisia or Belarus.
PuTTY starts up revealing its comprehensive configuration panel to aid you customize and manage sessions and connections alongside the terminal and the window that wraps it in. You can easily opt for the connection type (Raw, Telnet, Rlogin, SSH and Serial) and set logging options for the currently selected session.
The Terminal section refers to various general settings as well as line discipline and remote-controlled printing. You may also set keyboard actions, alarms and advanced terminal features, while tweaking the appearance, behavior, translation or colors of the window. The Connection area allows customization of Low-level TCP connections, Internet protocol version, Login and Terminal details, Environment variables, Proxy type and other protocol-specific adjustments.
Once the connection is set up, you can control and use the resources of the computer that you linked to in a matter of seconds. PuTTY stores the hosts and their corresponding settings in order to facilitate fast yet accurate switches between machines and even supports most of the encryption algorithms such as AES, DES, Blowfish, 3DES or Arcfour.
PuTTY grants you control using the SSH encryption key and the protocol version, while providing SCP and SFTP clients accessible through command-line. It also supports X11 forwarding in addition to local, remote or dynamic port forwarding, the IPv6 protocol and authentication using public-keys.
The bottom line presents PuTTY as a vital application for experienced users in need of a sturdy yet fully-customizable environment for their PC-to-PC secure connections. Its wide-ranging array of supported protocols together with its execution speed make it worthy of its top spot within Softpedia’s Telnet/SSH Clients category.