Every computer machine, regardless of the make or operating system it is running has and makes use of Text Editors for the general purpose of editing texts. All Windows and Mac machines have basic text editors, but default Text Editors such Notepad aren’t sufficient for serious web developers. As a cause, we find a need to acquire more functional and advanced Text Editors that shall suit our development activities such as coding of anyway.
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Why You Need an Advanced Text Editor?
Text Editors are used by web and software developers to make code changes or start files from scratch using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or any other programming language. They are capable of opening any file of any format and you are able to view the source code of the file. Text editors are also useful for removing formatting, font styles and hyperlinks from the text.
These tasks can be accomplished using notepad or any default Text Editor for Mac; however, if you’re trying to create complex software or websites, a more advanced text editor can make the process much easier.
Best Advanced Text Edit tools
CodeShare allows you to share your code in real time. It’s extremely useful for remote hiring purposes, code reviews, debugging sessions, etc. One differentiator from CodeShare is that it also allows you to talk over the video, which in some cases can prove to be quite beneficial.
You are required to port code over from your local development environment and it should be noted that code is only saved for 24 hours unless an account is created.
Codeanywhere
This Text Editor provides a variety of useful features for coding on the go. It comes with an intuitive editor, allows you to connect remotely, has a built-in terminal console, and provides the ability to track revisions.
With Codeanywhere you can easily share files or complete project folders with any collaborator via a simple share link.
CodePen
Another advanced Text Editor that I cannot leave out of the list is CodePen. It is already known as a quite collaborative platform. You can create pens directly on the CodePen platform and share them with others. However, CodePen also comes with a Collaborative Mode which allows you and other collaborators to edit a pen at the same time.
Although Collaborative Mode requires a PRO subscription for the pen creator, collaborators aren’t required to pay in order to make edits
Atom
This Text Editor is relatively new and was first released in 2015. It is an open source editor that works for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It is supported by a community of committed developers, which makes it one of the best Text Editors with a number of new plug-ins and themes. It also allows you to build your own plug-ins using the inbuilt tool. This editor was made exclusively with web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS; making it the best tool for web developers.
Visual Studio Code
Just like Atom, Visual Studio Code is also new and was released in the same year. However, it has been successful in winning a lot of developers’ attention more than any other Text Editor available. It is built to run cross-platform, and has an extensive plug-in ecosystem, and comes with a few welcoming features to make life easier including:
- Built-in Git commands
- IntelliSense, which goes beyond highlighting and auto-completion with smart completions
- Debugging directly from the editor
Brackets
Brackets were made with web developers in mind. Consequently, there are versions of Brackets for Linux, Windows, and Mac. Don’t be deceived by the simple UI; Brackets supports dozens of keyboard shortcuts in addition to advanced features like split-screen editing. With the Live Preview feature, you can watch your web pages update in real time as you edit CSS and HTML files. Plug-in provides additional support for things like W3C validation and Python tools.
Notepad++
As an upgraded version of the default Notepad for Windows, Notepad++ does everything its namesake can do and much more. It allows you to open documents in tabs so that you can edit multiple files without having to open and close them. You can also control all the tabs simultaneously to compare documents for differences, search for text and replace text.
Notepad++ only works with Windows devices, of course, but there is a mobile version available. There is also plenty of plug-ins you can download to set up auto-save features, merge text from multiple documents and much more.
TextMate
TextMate is a great text editor exclusively for Mac users. This Apple Design Award-winning tool has all of the features you’d expect like search and replace, auto-indentation and word completion. You can code in any programming language, but TextMate also comes with a special tool specifically for building Xcode projects.
Vim
Vim was one of the best text editors when it was released in 1991, so the fact that it’s on this list is a testament to this program’s greatness. Even in 2018, developers are still producing new scripts and updates. Due to the editor’s age, documentation and tutorials about Vim are easy to find. Vim works on all major platforms.
Komodo Edit
In addition to tabbed browsing, Komodo Edit offers numerous UI options to make editing as convenient as possible. For example, Focus Mode hides all other open windows so that you can concentrate on coding. Alternatively, you can choose to view folders on the side of the editor. An underrated but much-appreciated feature is the button that lets you return to your previous cursor location. If you need more advanced functionality like debugging, unit testing and code refactoring, check out.
Sublime Text
Just because Sublime Text is lightweight doesn’t mean it lacks features. Sublime Text was built from the ground up with a Python API for developers who work with code all day long. Thanks to the editor’s array of keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly navigate your code and make changes to multiple lines at once. Not only is Sublime Text cross-platform, but it utilizes the native functionalities of each OS to optimize speed and ease-of-use.
Sublime can be downloaded for evaluation for free however continued use requires the purchase of a license.