An integrated set of software routines or utilities (tools) that are used to develop and maintain applications and databases. There are toolkits for developing almost anything. See tool, developer's toolkit, library, class library and CASE.
A Whole Lot of Tools
This logo is used for Red Gate Software's family of database utilities. The toolkit/toolbox metaphor is widely used by software vendors, even graphically as in this example. (Image courtesy of Red Gate Software Ltd., www.red-gate.com)
Sometimes You Need a Real Tool!
Years ago, in order to debug a problem in the Windows version of this encyclopedia, the text had to be continually scrolled until it crashed. Rather than holding the mouse button down for several minutes, the weight of the hammer did the job. Were there more sophisticated methods? Of course, but none were available to the developer at that time. Two-pound hammers are typically not part of the developer's toolkit.
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