Currently, most of the work I do is cross-platform. I work on both Windows, Mac, and Linux so I use tools like Notepad++, gedit, and TextWrangler to do most of my editing. I often take advantage of wordpress. However, I also do tons of custom CSS, JQuery, PHP code.
How long does it take to deliver a solution to a customer that involves creating and programming a website or web application? Is it common to spend hours a day, days upon weeks, even months to deliver a working website? The goal of all consultants is to deliver a solution as quickly as possible with effective means. Is it common for programmers to simple notepad-like tools to write full custom websites within months or should it only take a week to deliver? Sometimes I feel as if I've just put down tons of hours and haven't gotten very far in the whole project scope.
For web development...
*What are the best developer tools to use?
*Are frameworks the way to go?
Which seems to be the best time-saver when it comes to development?
*Microsoft ASP.NET or PHP?
I'm thinking, I should probably host my own server so I can test code locally and invest in better development environments. Any suggestions?