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July 17, 2023
May 23rd, 2024
In the world of custom software development, whether you are a novice developer or an experienced one, your major role is to convert your ideas into code. And you need the best code editors for that, tools that can manage everything with its advanced editing features and support you during all lifecycle phases.
Prior to code editors, developers made use of text editors, but they had a limited scope. They did not offer features especially meant for coding. Hence writing code and editing it took a lot of time and effort. Code editors came in handy with their salient features like faster coding, auto-completion, syntax highlighting, etc.
For a developer, an ideal code editor is one of the best things to happen and hence choosing the best code editor is a crucial decision. It can make a big difference in the development journey and enhance your coding skills big time.
There are multiple code editors available today that are powerful, robust, packed with features, and user-friendly. It needs an insightful analysis for deciding which one to choose and why. That is what we have showcased in this article – a list of the best code editors that can help you unlock your complete coding potential.
A source-code editor is a text editor program designed specifically for editing the source code of computer programs. It may be a standalone application, or it may be built into an integrated development environment (IDE).
A code editor is a specialized program that makes the reading and writing of source code simplified by segregating the components so that it is easy for developers to view their code.
They possess additional functionalities for better management and editing of code. Implementing the best code editors can enhance the speed and performance of coding.
Code editors are specified to certain programming languages, with some supporting one language, two, or multiple. It also offers highlights and suggestions depending on the language support.
The code editors are not supposed to do code compilation, they merely read and write the source code. And when they do, they also take care of the syntax. If there is any syntax error, they immediately warn.
There are salient features like auto-indentation, syntax highlighting, brace matching, auto-completion, etc. that save a lot on time and effort.
As you attempt to decide which one is the best code editor, here are certain parameters that must be ascertained:
One of the salient reasons why code editors are of great importance to developers is that they help in rationalizing the entire development process. These tools offer great features such as theme selection, search facility, resource utilization, code completion, saving time, and empowering developers to focus more on other significant matters of the project.
Code editors are considered important because they ensure the attainment of complete quality of the project on a timely basis. They identify all possible errors in the code and make it understandable. They also integrate well with other version control systems like Git making it better for collaboration and tracking changes. This ensures that developers work on the latest version of the code.
Visual Studio Code, also known as VS Code, is one of the best code editors around the world. As an open-source editor, it is ideal for creating modern-day cloud and web applications and the source code is readily available for anyone to access. It supports major languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, C++, and Python, and platforms like Windows, Linux, macOS, etc. It is best for novices who are yet learning development.
Key Features:
As one of the best code editors for Windows, Notepad++ has been a free text and source code editor that supports working with multiple open files in a single window. It supports multiple programming languages like HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, C++, etc. It has a great execution speed and hence is meant for developers who need faster development. It is lightweight and needs lesser resources for execution.
Key Features:
A Good Read: Notepad++ Themes: 12 Popular Themes For Notepad++
Sublime Text is considered the best code editor for Windows. It offers a comprehensive environment with effective code, prose, and markup unified in a single tool. It supports languages like PHP, Rails, C++, Python, etc. It is fit for developers who are in search of a high level of customization with certain shortcuts. This editor is competent to handle huge projects with heavy coding mechanisms.
Key Features:
With Codeshare, you can share code with your developers in no time since it is a free and browser-based editor. You can have users do video calling or chatting in real-time with an invite. It is used maximally by educators, for interviews, troubleshooting, teaching, etc. with multiple themes and highlighting for key languages. It offers shortcut choices between Emacs, Vim, and Sublime Text.
Key Features:
Bluefish is a robust editor that offers web developers and experienced programmers, many options to develop websites, programming code, and scripts. As one of the best code editor, it supports JavaScript, Perl, HTML, CSS, Python, Ruby, C++, etc. It is ideal for platforms like Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, Linux, etc. It is light in weight, offers cross-platform compatibility, and has a fat-performing GUI editor.
Key Features:
Considered a developer’s tool, Vim is one of the best code editors for Mac. It is a configurable text editor with multiple extensions. It supports all major languages and is meant for experienced developers. It does have a steep learning curve else it offers many attractive features that are cutting-edge and useful. It has a keystroke-based user interface, and it is mainly designated for efficacy and function.
Key Features:
Atom Editor is popular among developers and is one of the best free code editors developed and maintained by GitHub. Atom Editor comes with support for plug-ins written in JavaScript, embedded Git control, and third-party packages and themes to customize the look and feel of the editor. It supports multiple languages like C, C++, HTML, CSS, PHP, COBOL, Ruby, Scala, etc. It is considered ideal for those users who concentrate on Git and GitHub integration.
Key Features:
Brackets is one of the best code editors for Mac that is modern, lightweight, powerful, and open-source that blends visual tools into the editor for the finest results. It is meant for web and front-end developers as it simplifies the approach to coding. It unifies and creates links between design and implementation, hence making it easy to design in the browser. It offers focused visual tools and preprocessor support.
Key Features:
Emacs is a leading code editor that is free to use and meant especially for GNU operating systems. It is accessible on Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, etc. It offers effective commands for complicated actions and a lot of innovative space for developers to try their creative stints. The learning curve may look tough but on the long run, it is beneficial. Automation of tasks can be done by macros through multiple commands.
Key Features:
As one of the best free code editors, Spacemacs is popular, open-source, and combines the niceties of Emacs and Vim. It is meant for developers who have experience since it is a little complex and has multiple functions. It has a faster loading time and is quick for developers to access with its standards and shortcuts. It is free to use and offers the salient advantages that both Emacs and Vim offer.
Key Features:
WebStorm is considered a smart JavaScript IDE that makes code writing in JavaScript and other technologies easy, pleasant, and fast. It automates routine tasks and helps in the easy management of complicated activities. Developers can refactor their entire codebase with just a few clicks. Inbuilt developer tools help in writing, executing, and debugging code in an effective manner.
Key Features:
TextMate is a powerful, free, and customizable text editor for macOS. It supports multiple programming languages and is an open-source editor. With it, developers find it easy to search and replace code. It stores code snippets easily and the user interface is adjustable to developer requirements. It offers many insertion points with which developers can make multiple changes, swap code pieces, etc.
Key Features:
Powered by Apache, NetBeans is an ideal Integrated Development Environment for Java. It is an open-source editor that supports Java, C++, PHP, and other languages. Developers can create simplified web, desktop, and mobile applications on Linux, Mac, Windows, and other operating systems. It helps developers in upgrading applications using the Java language constructs.
Key Features:
Dcoder is one of the best code editors for Android that is created to enhance your coding skills through its online compiler and cloud-driven IDE for desktops and mobiles. With this code editor, developers can code, compile and execute anything anytime anywhere. It offers a comprehensive solution to develop with multiple programming languages. It offers the provision of viewing the compilation errors and results on the same screen after debugging the code.
Key Features:
Touchqode is one of the best code editors for Android that is meant for performing software development on your smartphones. Scanning, editing, and fixing your source code is now possible easily anywhere, anytime. It gels well with popular programming languages like C++, PHP, Ruby, JavaScript, HTML, Java, C#, etc. There is an inbuilt and optional keyboard that allows the addition of characters that are routinely used in programming.
Key Features:
Here you are with the most ideal code editors that you can leverage to write cleaner, more readable code. Going through the above exhaustive list of best code editors can be of maximum use, as you try to choose the most apt one from the options available. Of course, organizations must rely on the parameters mentioned in the article, while selecting the apt tool.
At SPEC INDIA, our custom software development services cover the gamut from developing to testing to deployment and management. We help you realize your vision at scale with our custom, seamless, and scalable software that is designed to meet a specific set of needs of users and organizations.
You can take the first step towards success by partnering with us for customized software solutions that are easy to scale, easy to maintain, and tailored specifically to your needs. If you have time constraints or you are facing a talent crisis, hiring dedicated developers can solve all your problems.
Our dedicated team of developers is well-versed in various technologies, and they possess experience working on different projects. This experience and expertise make them suitable for all types of projects. This is quite difficult to achieve with your in-house team.
Associate with us for any kind of code editor requirement and we will be happy to help!
There isn't a single "best" code editor as it largely depends on personal preference and use case. Popular choices include Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Sublime Text, Atom, and JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA.
Several code editors are free, including Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Atom, Brackets, and Notepad++.
"Better" is subjective and depends on the criteria being considered. Visual Studio Code is often praised for its features, extensions, and community support, making it a strong contender for many developers.
For scripting languages like Python, JavaScript, and others, Visual Studio Code is highly recommended due to its extensive support for various languages, debugging capabilities, and extensions.
Notepad++ is highly regarded for being lightweight and efficient, especially for quick edits and smaller projects. However, for more complex development tasks, editors like Visual Studio Code might be preferred due to their advanced features and capabilities.
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