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.
Text Editor features:
1. Code Completion.
Code completion allows you to start typing, and the code completionfeature will display possible suggestions based on what you originally typed.
2. Syntax highlighting.
Syntax highlighting is a feature that takes the text you type, and makes it more noticeable by colorizing the text.
3. a nice variety of themes (to reduce eye strain and fatigue).
4. 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, for example:
1.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.”
2. Linux computers, each distribution will have its own text
editor already installed but which one might depend on the flavor ofyour particular distribution. These text editors willgo by differentnames. One distro might have “Gedit,”andothersmighthave othertitles. Check you list of applications to see whichtext editor comeswith your distribution of Linux.
There are other text editors that have features that you may be interested in, like the ones we discussed before. Usually, the text editors that come on your computer don’t have many features to speak of. They’re the barestbare bones text editors you’ll encounter.
Please make sure that when you use the text editor that comes on your computer, that you’re creating code in a plain text editor. You should not see options for making text bold, underlined, or italic. Plain text has no formatting options. There is no need to bold,underline or italicize code
Also, make sure that when you use the text editor that comes on your computer, that you first create a folder on your computer somewhere (maybe on your Desktop, for example) to store your entire website.
Third-Party Softwares
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++.
TextWrangler/BB Edit
TextWrangler is for Mac computers only, and you used to be able to download it from the Mac App Store. In doing my research for this blog post, I’ve come to find out that TextWrangler has been retired. I know, I’m a little late to the party with this news, but TextWrangler was retired in 2017. This was one of the go-to text editors for Mac Computers.
BB Edit is software that you purchase. But BB Edit comes with a 30-
day free trial. After the 30 days is over, if you still want the free version, simply continue using BB Edit, and you’ll get the same features as you would have gotten in TextWrangler. If you want the full features in BB Edit, the full cost for a full license is $49.99. Find out more by clicking here:https://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/.
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.
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 “textwrangler” 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.You can think about an IDE very much like Microsoft Outlook. If you’ve ever used Microsoft Outlook, you would have quickly noticed that it was an email client, a calendar, a task manager, a to-do list all in one software package. Similar to how an IDE is an all-in-one software package. While you might not be ready, or have the need to use a compiler, or a debugger when you’re just starting out in web development, you’ll get to see how an IDE operates in your text editing software. When you’re ready to use an IDE, you’ll be more confident in how to use it because you’ll already had some experience with it by using your text editor.Me? I’ll stick with the text-editors I’ve mentioned above. I’ve been using them all on and off for a while, but I can’t seem to make up my mind which one I want forever and ever. What happens to me is that I’ll stick with one text editor for a while, only to find out that the others have all been updated so radically that they have new and exciting features. So, I’ll start using that updated text editor for a while, and in the meanwhile, the others will be updated. So, I’ll start using those ones. It’s a viscous cycle. It would be so interesting to hear what some of you are using for your text editor. Please share and let us know which text editor is your favorite and why. Let’s make this a nice robust list of our favorite text editors for all of us who are new to web development.