When you commence programming, it will become apparent that your operating system’s standard text editor falls short of the requirements. Initially, it may not seem like a big issue, but it’s like trying to create a masterpiece with just a basic set of crayons. The text editors listed below offer powerful and efficient tools and options, with various inbuilt features that make coding, reviewing, and revising a more enjoyable and manageable process. Furthermore, they are compatible across multiple platforms.
1. Sublime Text
Cost: Free / $99
Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Sublime Text is a highly-regarded, powerful, and adaptable text editor that ticks most of the boxes for a programmer’s needs. It has a solid reputation and is widely considered to be one of the best options available. With its multi-caret editing capability, you can type text at multiple locations simultaneously, making it effortless to update your code when all you want to do is substitute some names and values. Additionally, its search and replace function enables you to utilize regular expressions (regex) to simplify the process of finding what you’re looking for.
Homepage: https://www.sublimetext.com/
2. Pulsar (a fork of Atom)
Cost: Free
Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Pulsar is the open-source successor to Atom editor following GitHub’s official termination of support on December 15, 2022. Similar to its predecessor, it’s highly customizable at its core, allowing you to add or remove features to your heart’s content. This makes it an ideal choice if you’re seeking a fully customizable plain text editor for writing code. However, it doesn’t provide any visual cues when loading, so if you accidentally press the enter key multiple times, you may be taken aback by the number of windows that suddenly appear when it finally loads.
Homepage: https://pulsar-edit.dev/
3. Light Table
Cost: Free
Platforms: Windows, Linux (64-bit), and macOS
Light Table was one of the most successful technology projects on Kickstarter, and it boasts some distinctive features that set it apart. The standout feature is its ability to open a browser tab alongside your code within the application, allowing you to observe the changes you make to your code in real-time. It’s one of the few code editors that offer this type of feature as a built-in option.
Homepage: http://lighttable.com/
4. Vim
Cost: Free
Platforms: Windows, Unix (including Linux), macOS, Android (as VimTouch), and iOS.
Vim (and its built-in Unix counterpart, vi) is a compact text editor that can run on almost any platform. It’s crucial to ensure that you download it from the official GitHub repository, as the official website can sometimes be slow. It is small in size, fast, and ideal for fast-paced coding. Unlike other editors that use modifier keys to input commands, Vim uses regular characters. The commands may not be immediately intuitive (e.g., type :q! to quit), but they can be executed without moving your fingers from the home row. Once you become proficient in Vim, using other editors will feel like wading through molasses.
Homepage: http://www.vim.org/
5. Emacs
Cost: Free
Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Emacs is renowned for its versatility and extendability. This capability has earned it the nickname “an operating system within an operating system,” and users have even created web browsers, music players, and news readers to run within it. It features a comprehensive collection of shortcuts, the ability to run arbitrary code during startup, and supports multi-user collaboration. Unlike Vim, Emacs makes extensive use of modifier keys to provide additional functionality. Additionally, there is a dedicated community of Emacs users, known as the “Emacs church.” You can interpret that as you see fit.
Homepage: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/
6. UltraEdit
Cost: $79.95 annually (Editor only) / $99.95 annually (Complete toolkit)
Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
UltraEdit, similar to Sublime Text, offers a robust and versatile text editor with numerous tools and a high degree of customization. It includes functionalities such as multi-caret editing and a user interface that can be tailored to your preferences. In addition, UltraEdit provides a customizable toolbar and ribbon based on icons, a feature that sets it apart from other text editors. The editor also includes integrated FTP, SSH, and Telnet to work with server-based code. UltraEdit caters more towards the enterprise market, and its pricing reflects this focus.
Homepage: http://www.ultraedit.com/
7. ICECoder
Price: Free
Available on: Any OS with PHP support in a browser.
For ultimate cross-platform accessibility, consider ICECoder, a browser-based text editor. Operating within a Chrome tab, it offers a wealth of features on par with other editors, all accessible from anywhere. Originally designed for browser-based programming and markup languages such as HTML and JavaScript, ICECoder has since expanded to encompass C and Java and more. Just be mindful of accidentally hitting Ctrl + W, as it will close your window.
Homepage: https://icecoder.net/
8. Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code offers a versatile solution for both inexperienced and experienced programmers, blending the functionality of an IDE with the customization options of a text editor. Though it is primarily used for editing code outside of the Visual Studio environment, it can be easily transformed into a light IDE with the addition of plugins. However, for those who desire a fully personalized experience, it may be necessary to switch to a more easily customizable editor. The application is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Homepage: https://code.visualstudio.com/
9. VSCodium
Price: Free
Availability: Windows, Linux, and macOS.
VSCodium is the open-source version of Visual Studio Code, offering the same features and functionality without the proprietary plugins and opt-out-by-default telemetry data. It uses the same resources and has the same appearance, and is compatible with all of the same plugins as Visual Studio Code. This option is ideal for those who enjoy the features of Visual Studio Code but prefer to prioritize data privacy and have concerns about Microsoft.
Homepage: https://vscodium.com/
10. Notepad++
Price: Free
Available for: Windows (unofficially available on Linux via a Snap application)
Notepad++ is a simple and lightweight text editor, exclusive to Windows. However, it can be run on Linux using a Snap application. This makes it a convenient choice for those who need a quick and portable code editor, as it takes up minimal space and starts up quickly. Notepad++ is ideal for making quick notes and is a popular choice for its speed and ease of use.
Homepage: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/
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