Visual Studio Code
Have you found the best code editor to help your website build and save time and effort? If you are still in doubt, this article is right for you.
A code editor for creating website designs is the most important tool for developers and web designers. That is why it needs to have all the features that are necessary at the moment to improve the quality of coding.
Here are the best cross-platform code editors you can make use of. They can perform on three operating systems - OS X, Linux, and Windows. The developer’s working style and qualifications can influence a lot the choice of an editor. You can opt for one universal editor for different jobs. However, most programmers prefer to have several ones for every separate task. So, let’s have a closer look at the following cross-platform code editors and their characteristics. This review can help you make the right choice.
This Microsoft’s cross-platform code can be used for all major operating systems. Visual Studio was developed on Atom’s components, but Microsoft has changed some initial solutions by removing some types of features and replacing them with others that are pretty brand-new. Its startup has become faster than Atom’s, and its performance is also quicker and smoother. The code is absolutely customizable. You can opt for different plugins and themes in the official marketplace and install them without effort from this editor.
This code editor for website building has a range of cutting-edge features that can improve the coding process. One of the most important of them is the IntelliSense autocomplete feature. It offers many smart solutions to be applied to coding. The editor also has an excellent built-in debugger for debugging immediately from the editor. Another characteristic worth your attention is the default support of Git. You can implement various Git commands in a separate Git View.
Therefore, among the advantages of this coding editor UI system, we can mention the following:
━ a built-in debugger;
━ a built-in Git View for proper Git integration;
━ absolute customization;
━ a perfect extension ecosystem;
━ the straightforward marketplace for smooth and easy use;
━ IntelliSense for automatic completion.
In addition, this editor is open-source and free, so using it is very convenient.
However, Visual Studio Code has some disadvantages, and one of them is confusing branding because its name is mistakenly associated with Visual Studio, though it has nothing to do with it.
Sublime Text
We want to present the third release of Sublime Text - Sublime Text 3. It is one of the most popular examples of front-end editors that is widely used in the web developers’ community.
However, it is not free. It only has a free trial, but if you want to utilize it for a longer time, you need to buy a license that costs $80. Nevertheless, the system does not stop serving you if you forget to make a payment. You will often see a pop-up warning about the necessity to pay for a license, but you can continue your work even if you do not do it immediately.
The most prominent feature of Sublime Text is the Goto Anything command. You can start it by pressing the combination of Ctr1+P keyboard buttons. With its help, you can quickly open files and find words, symbols, or entire lines. You can also utilize a Command Palette here. It is a sophisticated feature that allows for easy access to various functionalities, for example, switching to a different color palette or checking key bindings. In addition, you can perform split editing and multiple selections with it. It also provides a substantial package ecosystem. You can install packages with the editor’s package manager with the help of the Command Palette.
You can experience coding with Sublime Text as the best front-end editor due to such advantageous features as:
━ a distraction-free mode;
━ a capacity to perform on any platform (no other editor has this feature);
━ the Goto Anything feature;
━ the instant switch of projects;
━ the Multiple Selection feature;
━ an advanced package ecosystem.
Among its flaws, we can mention the need to pay for the license and the difficulties with Git integration.
Atom
We have already mentioned this code editor for front-end development as a basis for the Visual Studio Code solution. It is also free and open-source. It was developed by GitHub as an internal source code editor. Its wider use by designers started in 2014, so the company released it to a wide audience.
The editor has many advanced features, so developers widely use and know it very well. This coding editor UI option is truly well-designed. You can divide its interface into separate panes. That helps compare different files easily. Its features can immensely improve the workflow of your development project. You can utilize such features as a smart automatic completion, a built-in package manager, a find-replace feature, file system browsing, and others.
Atom features a wide variety of open-source themes and packages. Many third-party developers contributed a lot to their appearance. As an example, let’s take Teletype, developed by the core company’s crew. It provides and supports real-time collaboration. This feature is advantageous for those designers who want to have a trustworthy instrument for social coding or possible pair programming.
Therefore, the main pluses of Atom code editor are the following:
━ a built-in package manager;
━ unique customization options;
━ integration with Git;
━ packages that are easy to install.
The great benefit here is that the editor is open-source and free.
As for minuses, developers usually complain that booting can occasionally take much time, and some performance issues, like system slowing down, can sometimes happen.
Brackets
This code editor for front-end development was created by Adobe Systems. It works perfectly with such front-end work frames as CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. It can establish real-time connections with Google Chrome, so you will see all the changes you are making in your Google browser.
You can divide this editor into two panes - vertical and horizontal - for smoother side-by-side coding. Nevertheless, it also allows for inline editing. To open the inline editor, tap the combination of Ctr + E for Windows or Cmd + E for Mac after selecting a specific ID with the help of a cursor. The system will display all the selectors for this ID in one inline window. Brackets editor also allows for using Sass and LESS together. You can utilize inline editing and live preview for this.
So, the benefits of the Brackets editor are the following:
━ it's lightweight (it occupies only 40 MB on a hard drive);
━ the preprocessor support;
━ the Live Preview feature for synchronization with the browser;
━ useful visual instruments for front-end solutions.
The system is free and open-source, which is another great benefit of it.
However, this editor has a range of disadvantages. It may provide the confusing management of extensions because it does not have filtering options in its registry. In addition, it features fewer themes and available extensions than other editors do. You cannot use this editor to work in such back-end languages as Python, PHP, WordPress, or Ruby.
Light Table
This code editor for creating website projects was launched as a Kickstarter campaign in 2012. It raised over $300,000 at that time. Further on, it developed into a full-performance editor for all main operating systems like Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows.
The characteristic feature of Light Table is its straightforward and sleek interface that does not allow for any clutter. It features a command palette and a fuzzy finder. Its development language is ClojureScript, and it can support this language alongside others, like Clojure, Python, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
You do not need to view the results of coding on the console because the system allows for inline evaluation. It has a feature called Watches, and you can follow all the important values within your code with its help.
Light Table also has everything you may need for your project solution, like games, graphs, and almost all types of visualizations. It also features a built-in plugin manager that you can access from the View - Plugin Manager menu. The selection of plugins is truly immense.
The most important advantages of this editor are the following:
━ it is highly customizable;
━ the system allows for watches and inline evaluation;
━ it has a clutter-free and efficient interface that performs very fast;
━ has a potent plugin manager;
━ is open-source and free;
━ has the EmbedAnything feature.
Its minus, though, is that the editor does not provide any default PHP support. It means that if you want to develop with WordPress, you need to do some additional steps or use a specific PHP plugin.
Final Thoughts
Therefore, you have enough information now about the most popular code editors widely used in the web developers’ and designers’ communities. These examples and their descriptions may help you choose the best front-end editor for your web development and coding needs. You may also want to look for other editors online to compare and contrast them with these ones.
We can advise you on the most efficient code editor to fulfill your web development tasks. Or we can help you do the job professionally and get your website or app created quickly.
