Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Productivity Power Tools VS ExplainDev

Compare Productivity Power Tools VS ExplainDev and see what are their differences

Productivity Power Tools logo Productivity Power Tools

Extension for Visual Studio - A set of extensions to Visual Studio 2012 Professional (and above) which improves developer productivity.

ExplainDev logo ExplainDev

Meet the AI-powered browser extension that explains code using plain language.
  • Productivity Power Tools Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-20
  • ExplainDev Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09

Productivity Power Tools features and specs

  • Enhanced Features
    Productivity Power Tools provide numerous enhancements to the existing Visual Studio features, making navigation and coding more efficient.
  • Customization Options
    Users can customize the development environment to better suit their workflow, which can lead to increased productivity.
  • Improved Code Navigation
    The tools include enhanced navigation options, such as quick tabs and better search capabilities, allowing developers to find code faster.
  • Refactoring and Formatting
    The suite includes tools that assist with code refactoring and formatting, which can help maintain consistent code quality across projects.
  • Debugging Aids
    Debugging tools are improved, offering more intuitive ways to troubleshoot and resolve bugs in the code.

Possible disadvantages of Productivity Power Tools

  • Compatibility Issues
    Some users have reported compatibility issues with certain versions of Visual Studio or specific extensions.
  • Resource Intensive
    The additional features may consume extra system resources, potentially affecting the performance of the IDE on lower-end hardware.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The variety of tools and options may overwhelm new users, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Potential for Dependency
    Reliance on these tools might limit a developer's ability to work efficiently in environments where they are not available.
  • Update and Maintenance
    Regular updates and maintenance are required to ensure compatibility with the latest versions of Visual Studio, which can be time-consuming.

ExplainDev features and specs

  • Improved Code Understanding
    ExplainDev provides detailed explanations of code snippets, helping users understand how a specific piece of code works.
  • Facilitates Learning
    The tool is beneficial for new developers and students as it can accelerate the learning process by breaking down complex code into simpler terms.
  • Increased Productivity
    By offering quick insights into code, ExplainDev can save time for developers who need to work with unfamiliar codebases.
  • Integration with Development Tools
    ExplainDev can integrate with popular development environments, allowing users to access its features without leaving their coding platforms.

Possible disadvantages of ExplainDev

  • Dependency on Service
    Relying on ExplainDev for code understanding can lead to over-dependence, potentially hindering the development of independent problem-solving skills.
  • Accuracy Limitations
    The explanations provided may not always be accurate or fully comprehensive, especially for complex or niche code snippets.
  • Data Privacy Concerns
    Using an online tool to analyze code might raise concerns about the privacy and security of the code being processed.
  • Limited Programming Language Support
    The tool may not support all programming languages or frameworks, limiting its usefulness for developers working outside of its supported technologies.

Productivity Power Tools videos

Productivity Power Tools 2017

ExplainDev videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Productivity Power Tools and ExplainDev)
Regular Expressions
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
89 89%
11% 11
Productivity
88 88%
12% 12
AI
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Productivity Power Tools seems to be a lot more popular than ExplainDev. While we know about 479 links to Productivity Power Tools, we've tracked only 4 mentions of ExplainDev. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Productivity Power Tools mentions (479)

  • Buckaroo – The data table UI for Notebooks
    This looks really cool. I will say my default solution for this, and the default across my org, is Data Wrangler in VS Code[1]. My only wish list item is if the low code solution wrote polars instead of pandas. Any thoughts on how hard that might be to accomplish? 1: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-toolsai.datawrangler. - Source: Hacker News / 4 days ago
  • FreeBASIC is a free/open source BASIC compiler for Windows DOS and Linux
    Https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sorucoder.freebasic There's also an QB64Official/vscode extension that has syntax highlighting and keyboard shortcuts:. - Source: Hacker News / 5 days ago
  • Pyrefly: A new type checker and IDE experience for Python
    Tagged template literals can have all of these, some already exist¹ and doesn't need a build step. 1. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=bierner.lit-html. - Source: Hacker News / 5 days ago
  • Show HN: Region Helper – Making regions useful in VSCode
    Btw, another extension I'd personally recommend is Region Highlighter by 'Wiensss', which makes regions easier to see in the editor itself by coloring them, and also provides a command for making regions (although it is limited in language support). I don't currently use any other region extensions. Region Highlighter: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Wiensss.region-highlighter. - Source: Hacker News / 6 days ago
  • Ask HN: Solo Devs, How Do You Plan Your Development?
    I start with a TODO.md and a VSCode extension that makes it into a little KanBan. And I treat it more like notes than anything else, until the project gets much further along. https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=coddx.coddx-alpha. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
View more

ExplainDev mentions (4)

  • Buildling ReReview AI - chatbot to help find the best AI tools for any task or team (with GPT-4)
    Thanks for the note. Generally best to just describe the task (need to improve the system prompt to always only return tools). Here's the response I got: https://imgur.com/a/NyHBCe2 (https://programming-helper.com/ , https://explain.dev/ , https://tldrdev.ai/ , https://code-mentor.ai/) In addition to the categorization and summary (driven by GPT-4), it takes into account performance metrics of the tool (visits,... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Why don't there seem to be any courses based around the idea of maintaining and extending legacy software?
    Agree with so many of the comments here. I believe the way to equip folks to be productive with legacy code is build tools that replicate the goodness of an experienced engineer while on the job. Supplement the help available and ensure the person onboarding is benefitting from the questions that were asked by new folks before them. I started building the tool here: explain.dev While courses could help you feel... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Make image tutorials in no time with code explanations from AI.
    The technology behind the images is ExplainDev, an AI powered programmer's assistant. You can think of it as an expert that's always available to answer your technical questions and explain code. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Explanation of a queue data structure in JavaScript
    I used explain.dev for code explanations and snappify.io for the visuals :). Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Productivity Power Tools and ExplainDev, you can also consider the following products

rubular - A ruby based regular expression editor

EssenceAI - Simplify Code Understanding using the power of GPT-4

RegExr - RegExr.com is an online tool to learn, build, and test Regular Expressions.

Easyvoice - Make stunning voice apps with no-code development platform

RegexPlanet Ruby - RegexPlanet offers a free-to-use Regular Expression Test Page to help you check RegEx in Ruby free-of-cost.

AI Code Mentor - Virtual Instructor that utilizes AI to help you learn code