Mac users may choose from a variety of text editors, each with its own set of features and capabilities. The selection of a text editor is often determined by personal taste and the user’s individual requirements. For basic text editing operations, some users may choose a simple, lightweight editor, whilst others may demand a more complex editor with support for programming languages, plugins, and other advanced capabilities.
Here is a list of some of the best Mac text editors
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1. Sublime Text – sublime text editor
Sublime Text is a popular option if you need a powerful text editor for your Mac. It has native support for Apple Silicon, so you’re protected no matter what sort of Mac you’re running.
It supports many languages out of the box and makes use of a Python API to make a broad variety of plugins available for usage. A command palette with commonly used commands is available, as is split-screen editing.
If you’re just starting out in the world of computer programming, you’ll find Sublime Text to be an excellent text editor thanks to its context-aware completion and syntax definitions. If you’re intending on using Sublime Text as a word processor, the Distraction Free Mode may help you stay on task when you examine a single file or numerous files in a split-screen.
You can download and use Sublime Text for free if you want to give it a try, but if you want to keep using it, then you’re advised to buy a license.
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2. MacVim – macvim text editor
MacVim is a graphical user interface (GUI) for the Terminal command-line application. It includes a large number of instructions that may need some time to learn but will be well worth it in the end. Automatic code completion, commenting tools, and Git connections are just a few of the many helpful plugins available.
If you want to utilize a text editor as a word processor, Vim isn’t the best option. If you open a new window and begin typing, nothing will show up. That’s because your keys are utilized for commands rather than typing unless you’re in Insert mode.
3. Emacs Text Editor
Emacs is another text editor that has many similarities with Vim. In spite of its origins as a free text editor for GNU systems, Emacs can be downloaded and used on macOS. The advanced user is the target audience for this text editor. It won’t teach you how to code beyond the fundamentals of color-based organization.
After you get past the very high learning curve, there’s a lot to appreciate. Emacs is built on a command system with hundreds of commands that can be combined in macros to do repetitive tasks automatically.
It has a built-in email client, a newsfeed, and a programmable calculator, and you can also download and install extensions like syntax checkers.
4. Visual Studio Code
The Microsoft Electron-based Visual Studio Code is a free code editor. This text editor, as one would assume from a Microsoft product, has a more aesthetically pleasing design than the majority of its competitors.
Looks aren’t all it can offer, however. Features like autocompletion recommendations and documentation pop-ups are available for both rookie and seasoned programmers, and the tool supports a broad variety of programming languages. Someone in the middle of these two extremes would benefit the most from it.
There are also many handy add-ons that can make VS Code even more powerful. You can expand language support, improve comments, and create unique user themes. There’s also a zen mode to help you remove any distractions.
5. BBEdit – bbedit text editor
The Mac App Store only offers a downloadable version of BBEdit, making it the only option on this list. The app is free to use for 30 days. At that time, you can still use the app, but only with limited access to its premium features through a paid membership.
It’s hardly the most cutting-edge choice; most text editors, like VS Code, use tabs to organize open files, while this one uses a side menu. It may be small, but its many features, such as autocompletion, code folding, and syntax highlighting, make up for its lack of size. You can also integrate directly with Subversion and Git. With the help of plugins, it is possible to connect to external version control systems.
BBEdit’s many features make it an excellent choice for writers, especially those who publish their work online. The Notes feature is great for jotting down ideas or generating new documents from the existing text on your Mac, and there are also helpful tools for manipulating text.