#Best plain text editor windows#

OS Compatibility:В Linux (and now Windows and Mac)

#Best plain text editor code#

Learn more about TextWrangler as a code editor here. (Same file as the Sublime editor photo above.) This was the text editor recommended and used in the book вЂњLearn Python the Hard WayвЂќ by Zed Shaw and the Coursera Python class I recently finished.Д«elowВ is a screenshot below taken from my computer of a Ruby on Rails file in TextWrangler. It has everything a good text editor should: syntax highlighting, easy navigation and so forth. But,В unlike BBEdit, TextWrangler is free. The TextWrangler code editor is the little brother to BBEdit and part of Bare Bones Software. Learn more about the Notepad++ text editor here. Basically everything a good text editor needs.ДЄfter watching lots of online coding tutorials, itвЂ™s definitely a popular option for Windows users. Notepad ++В featuresВ syntax highlighting, tabbed files, split screen editing and synchronized scrolling, auto-completion, smart highlighting, etc. BUT that doesnвЂ™t mean I canвЂ™t pullВ together some resources from the web. IвЂ™ve never used Notepad++ because I donвЂ™t have a Windows computer. Read more about the Sublime Text 2 awesomeness here. Below is a screenshot from my computer ofВ working in a Ruby on Rails app in Sublime Text 2. The Sublime Text editor is currently in its second version. So itвЂ™s basically awesome for all skill levels.ДЄside from working on Mac, Windows, and Linux machines, Sublime has wonderfulВ syntax highlighting, a slough of attractiveВ colorВ schemes, the ability to add packages and more. At the same time, lots of professionals and more experienced programmers use it. IвЂ™ve done lots of online tutorials and in-person classes where Sublime Text is the recommended text editor for beginners. (At least at the time of this writing.) BUT if you enjoy the Sublime editor, and use it frequently, you should register it. IвЂ™ll let you in on a little secret, though: thisВ вЂњtrialвЂќ lasts indefinitely.

#Best plain text editor free#

Website: The Sublime Text editor is not free, but there is a free trial. So dabble aroundВ and experiment with a few to see what works for you. Keep in mind, the best text editor for you is ultimately what makes you most efficient.

However, IвЂ™m going toВ look at whatвЂ™s best for beginners by taking into consideration what is most popular, easy to use andВ free (or affordable). There areВ lots of text editors to choose from. (A side note to the side note: the вЂњ!=вЂќ means вЂњnot equalвЂќ in Python, Ruby, JavaScript and other programming languages.) Best Text Editors for Beginners An everyday text editor is much more lightweight and flexible. IDEs have different panels and widgets, taking a lotВ more space. While almost every IDE has the capability of creating and editing plain text documents, they also include an abundance of other features. Text editors are not the same as IDEsВ (integrated development environment). Extensibility вЂ“ (provide some plugin mechanism, or isВ scriptable, so a programmer can customize the editor with additional features вЂ“ this is more advanced).Customizable appearance (such as modifying font size, color schemes, etc., of your editor which optimizes your work zone).Syntax highlighting (unlike your word processor, this makes it easier to read code and pick up any errors).Ability to handle UTF-8 encoded text (also unlike a word processor).Cut, Copy, Paste (again, similar to word processors).Find and replace feature (so you can change a single word in the whole fileВ with a few clicks).Easy to use and navigate (similar to a good word processor).

ItвЂ™s what makes a text editor a text editor. When it comes to text editors, there are common features that they all share. So when writing code, you want your files to be in plain text. This pre-formatted text doesnвЂ™t translate well to the internetВ (or anywhere that code will be read). The reason why is that word processorsВ have formatted text: like fonts, indentation, as well asВ font decorationВ like boldness. Word Processors includeВ Microsoft Word, Pages andВ even Google Docs. Side note:В Why Word Processors WonвЂ™t Work