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Read: 09 - The Coder's Computer

What is a text editor?

A text editor is a piece of software that you download and install on your computer, or you access online through your web browser, that allows you to write and manage text, especially the text that you write to build a web site. The text editor has to be one of the most important tools you can use as an aspiring web developer.

What features should you look for in a text editor?

  • code completion
  • syntax highlighting
  • a nice variety of themes
  • the ability to choose from a healthy selection of extensions available when you need them

Using The Software That Already Comes With Your Computer

Every computer will come with its own text editor. On Mac computers, the text editor that comes with your computer is called, “Text Edit.” On Windows computers, the text editor that comes with your computer is called, “Notepad.”

Third-Party Options

NotePad++

NotePad++ is a free text editor for Windows Computers only. NotePad++ has been around for many years and many web developers swear by NotePad++. It has syntax highlighting and code completion, as well as word completion and function completion. It has a zoom in an out feature.

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TextWrangler/BB Edit

TextWrangler is for Mac computers only, and you used to be able to download it from the Mac App Store

But all hope is not lost, the folks that make TextWrangler, Bare Bones Software has incorporated TextWrangler into its more robust, big brother, BB Edit—another feature packed text editor

BB Edit is software that you purchase. But BB Edit comes with a 30-

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Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a free text editor made by the folks at Microsoft. It is available for Windows computers, Mac computers and Linux computers. VS Code has the Emmet shorthand for HTML and CSS already built-in with no additional work from you at all. VS Code has everything: syntax highlighting, themes, extensions and code completion. It seems like VS Code has a very healthy following in the web developing community

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Atom

Atom is a free text editor that’s available for download for Windowscomputers, Mac computers and Linux computers. Atom is brought to you by the folks at GitHub . GitHub is a great service online where you can host and review code, or you can post and get help with the development of your own projects. Atom also ticks all the right boxes. It has syntax highlighting, themes, extensions, the works! Atom is definitely a software to check out and test drive for yourself.

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Brackets

Brackets is a free text editor that’s available for download for Windows computers, Mac computers and Linux computers. It’s made and maintained by the good folks at Adobe—yep, the Photoshop people. Brackets only supports HTML, CSS and JavaScript, though more coding capabilities can be added through extensions.

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Sublime Text

Sublime Text enjoys a history of being fast and responsive while being extensible as well. There’s no doubt that Sublime Text will tick the check boxes of what to look for in a text editor.

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The Difference Between Text Editors and IDEs :

  • A text editor kind of gives away what it does in the title—it edits text. It also manages text, and manages files. I love that name “text wrangler” because in a way that’s what really a text editor does. It wrangles your text together into something meaningful.
  • An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is really a suite of different software all coming together. An IDE is a text editor, a file manager, a compiler, and a debugger all in one software package.