Expert One-on-One™ C# Design and Development

Chapter 28. Choosing Resources and Tools

Many developers put little, if any, time or thought into the resources (such as third-party libraries) and tools (such as an XML editor) they select. What normally happens is that someone suggests downloading this terrific new piece of software, and the eye candy dazzles the developer — at least for a while. However, it's not long before reality sets in. After a while, the resource or tool becomes part of the clutter on the developer's hard drive unless the developer is particularly careful about keeping the hard drive clean. Of course, not every resource or tool constitutes clutter. In fact, some resources and tools become lifelong friends (expressed in computer years). However, the valued resource or tool is more the exception than the rule.

Throughout this chapter, you'll see the term resource used generically. A resource is any non-application software you use to assist you in creating applications. Of course, the most common resource is the third-party library containing routines you don't want to write yourself. However, a resource could be an icon or other graphics library. In fact, resources can include a host of things that don't happen to be tools (application software).

The purpose of this chapter isn't to dissuade you from playing. I've spent more than a little time playing myself. Sometimes playing is even necessary for a developer's mental health — after all, you don't want to find yourself saying, "Bad user, kill, kill, kill." ...