Free Programming Editors

[Wyndru]

Could anyone suggest a good free programming editor? I've always just used notepad, but I would like something a little more functional and designed for common languages. It would be great if it supported some of the common web and app languages like C++,C#,HTML,Javascript,PHP,CSS,VB,mySQL, etc...

I don't care so much about perfect error notifications, I just want something that is clean, indents automatically and is easy to search, find/replace, goto line.

I found a product called notepad++, I'm at work though so I haven't tried it yet. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[squatchman]

vim with ctags

 

[Evadman]

jedit. It's notepad on steroids.

 

[postmark]

notepad++ is awesome.

Textpad is also nice, but costs money.

I used to use Crimson Editor about 8 years ago, but haven't looked at it since. It was awesome then.

 

[Crusty]

The evolution of my text editors... notepad -> notepad++ -> gedit -> kate -> emacs -> vim.

After using vim... not sure how I could ever go back to any of those, even on windows.

 

[tatteredpotato]

vim with ctags

This.

 

[Ken g6]

After using vim... not sure how I could ever go back to any of those, even on windows.

This! Although I once worked a job where they wouldn't let me install anything but notepad. D: (And NetBeans, but that doesn't help when editing PHP.)

Anyway, what's this ctags, and how would I use it?

 

[Crusty]

This! Although I once worked a job where they wouldn't let me install anything but notepad. D: (And NetBeans, but that doesn't help when editing PHP.)

Anyway, what's this ctags, and how would I use it?

My current gig doesn't even have anything installed BUT vim in our dev environment 😛

ctags is very simply just a really helpful navigation tool to get you through your source quickly.

http://ctags.sourceforge.net/

 

[Schadenfroh]

EMACS or VIM (command-line) for when others are around or when talking about the matter.

When you are alone or at home, notepad++ (windows) and gedit (Linux) for quick editing / viewing and Eclipse or Netbeans for standard programming.

 

[Wyndru]

Awesome, lots of choices I see. I'll install a few and try them out.

Thanks for the responses!

 

[Crusty]

EMACS or VIM (command-line) for when others are around or when talking about the matter.

When you are alone or at home, notepad++ (windows) and gedit (Linux) for quick editing / viewing and Eclipse or Netbeans for standard programming.

Sure I can agree with that. If I'm sitting in windows and need to take a quick note while on the phone or something I'll still open up notepad, but for any serious editing I'll always jump into vim.

 

[sandorski]

ConText

 

[Woosta]

vim with ctags

this.

 

[sourceninja]

http://cream.sourceforge.net/ is a nice vim implementation as well.

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

What's the attraction to Vim? Maybe it's just my windows background showing, but the thing appears almost purposefully arcane - :q! to quit? HJKL to navigate?

 

[Crusty]

What's the attraction to Vim? Maybe it's just my windows background showing, but the thing appears almost purposefully arcane - :q! to quit? HJKL to navigate?

The idea is that you never have to move your fingers far to get anything done. It also separates the notions of writing and manipulating text allowing you to do complex things quickly.

 

[Nothinman]

What's the attraction to Vim? Maybe it's just my windows background showing, but the thing appears almost purposefully arcane - :q! to quit? HJKL to navigate?

The command to quit is just q, a bang (!) is only needed if you want to force it to quit with unsaved changes. Seems logical to me. And using HJKL to navigate takes a little getting used to, but once you do it's so much better than moving your hands over to arrow keys. As Crusty says, it's designed so that you never have to move your hands from the home row.

 

[Woosta]

Using a text editor other than vim/emacs is like running with Forrest Gump's leg metal plates on, it ain't efficient.

 

[Pia]

After learning Vim I'm sad I can't access all that power from everywhere else - text fields, applications, etc.

 

[Aikouka]

If we're talking IDEs, I'll typically use Eclipse (Java, PHP, etc) or Visual Studio (C#). I never really got into VIM much, but I've seen what it can do... it's certainly not a bad tool.

 

[tatteredpotato]

After learning Vim I'm sad I can't access all that power from everywhere else - text fields, applications, etc.

There's plugins for web-browsers that give you vim keybindings. I've been using the jumanji browser some myself that is a lightweight WebKit browser with a vim-like interface.

 

[Leros]

EMACS or VIM (command-line) for when others are around or when talking about the matter.

When you are alone or at home, notepad++ (windows) and gedit (Linux) for quick editing / viewing and Eclipse or Netbeans for standard programming.

I don't like VIM, but few people at work will help me unless I use it when they're helping me 🙁

 

[Wyndru]

It's been a long time since I've used vi, so when I started using vim, I realized I need to use it for a while before I can be efficient at it.

I also started using notepad++, and I like the ability to automatically comment out highlighted areas, the search functionality, compare code side by side, the macros and how it remembers what you have worked on, even in the last session.

Between these 2 editors, I think I'm good, I wish I left notepad a while ago.

 

[Pia]

There's plugins for web-browsers that give you vim keybindings. I've been using the jumanji browser some myself that is a lightweight WebKit browser with a vim-like interface.

I already use Pentadactyl for Firefox, actually.
But browser is just one app. With every new vi-mode or plugin comes new configuration and setup work. And vim-like isn't quite the same as vim.

 

[Double Trouble]

I tried vim a while back and just couldn't get the hang of it. Notepad++ is where it's at for me.