programming text editor

[chronodekar]

I recently recommended Notepad++ to someone on the "Software for Windows" section.

That got me thinking and searching for alternatives. I've found these so far,

Programmer?s Notepad

Notepad++

jEdit

ConTEXT

Recently I've felt that notepad++ is getting slow (it could be my system), but I was wondering what would be a good editor for a programmer?

I've used ConTEXT before and I liked that it loaded fast on my system. But, notepad++ had more features. At the moment, I just can't seem to decide what I want, faster loading or more features?

From one coder to another, what would you guys recommend for a text editor on an Windows system?

EDIT: I'm looking for free options.


To Mark (the mod), I know this fits the bill for "Software for Windows", but I feel that my target audience lies here. Feel free to move this if you think otherwise.

 

[postmortemIA]

UltraEdit is features-wise equivalent to Notepad++, but it handles large files (in gigabytes) well. However, it is not free.
For programmer, you can consider free IDE such as Netbeans or Eclipse, but they are very slow when compared to Notepad++.

Notepad++ is as good as it gets in open source lightweight text editor.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I love Programmer's Notepad but I'm having some issues with it in Windows 7 where it flat out refuses to start.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Geany

 

[chronodekar]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Geany

Thats a new one on my radar. Is it fast on windows ?

 

[squatchman]

Screw windows... go vim

 

[sao123]

I like the visual studio IDE... I just wish there was somehting lighter which would still color code all the c++ keywords and comments etc.

 

[chronodekar]

Originally posted by: squatchman
Screw windows... go vim

As far as it goes, when I work on Linux, it's vim hands down. (from Putty or the terminal) If I'm on Ubuntu, I might use gedit, but for programming it's vim. (No put-down meant for anyone from Church of Emacs)

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: chronodekar

Originally posted by: squatchman
Screw windows... go vim

As far as it goes, when I work on Linux, it's vim hands down. (from Putty or the terminal) If I'm on Ubuntu, I might use gedit, but for programming it's vim. (No put-down meant for anyone from Church of Emacs)

emacs > *

 

[squatchman]

Originally posted by: sao123
I like the visual studio IDE... I just wish there was somehting lighter which would still color code all the c++ keywords and comments etc.

joke post?

 

[chronodekar]

Originally posted by: squatchman

Originally posted by: sao123
I like the visual studio IDE... I just wish there was somehting lighter which would still color code all the c++ keywords and comments etc.

joke post?

He HAS some 9000+ posts to his name so , it might be serious... At the least, he has me scratching my head.

 

[Ken g6]

Originally posted by: squatchman
Screw windows... go vim

Or keep windows, but go GVim anyway!

If you're crazy, you could try emacs instead.

The one thing I really like about Visual Studio, and Netbeans for Java, is the language-specific syntax checking they do. Otherwise I use GVim.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: chronodekar

Originally posted by: squatchman

Originally posted by: sao123
I like the visual studio IDE... I just wish there was somehting lighter which would still color code all the c++ keywords and comments etc.

joke post?

He HAS some 9000+ posts to his name so , it might be serious... At the least, he has me scratching my head.

do any of the above do what I am asking? I havent really been able to experiment with them. I did all my college programming on the CSE department standardized computers...
(Visual Studio 6) and that was in 96-01...

so if there is something good for C++/C#/.Net programming without VStudio...speak up

Oh and I want it to PRINT my code in color too!!!!

 

[Ken g6]

GVim certainly color codes code. Edit: The technical term is "Syntax Highlighting", and you'll find it in most good editors.

I'm not sure about printing, but GVim can save your code as color-coded HTML, which you can definitely print in color.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: squatchman
Screw windows... go vim

Originally posted by: squatchman

Originally posted by: sao123
I like the visual studio IDE... I just wish there was somehting lighter which would still color code all the c++ keywords and comments etc.

joke post?

One of my favourite things about the AT Programming forum is the lack of platform religion around here, despite the intrinsic cross-platform nature of this board. You're only new here, so you don't have a grasp of the culture on this board yet, but please refrain from doing this.

Believe it or not, many of us enjoy programming on the Windows platform, and Visual Studio is a very powerful tool. I program in both Windows and Linux BTW.

 

[postmortemIA]

Visual Studio is going to handle well large projects with many source files better than plain text editors. Those who make fun of it do not know how to utilize its features, especially ones that don't exist in UNIX editors.

 

[Markbnj]

I use Visual Studio and Eclipse on a regular basis, and my experience with integrated environments goes back to Borland C++ 3.5 or 4 (can't recall exactly). VS2008 is the best integrated development environment ever designed. I don't think there's much room for real debate about that, and I don't often hear people who have used a wide variety of tools debating it. However, among certain types anything Microsoft does is meat for a joke. An editor is not an IDE, and there are times when all I want is an editor. At those times I usually use ScITE, but I have used Notepad++ and others.

 

[chronodekar]

Originally posted by: sao123
so if there is something good for C++/C#/.Net programming without VStudio...speak up

Oh and I want it to PRINT my code in color too!!!!

sao123,

When I was in college, I used conTEXT (Java programming). It displayed the source-code in color and also had an option to print it out (coloured). I consider it a standard feature of any programming editor worth it's salt.

And to point out a distinction, the topic is about editors NOT IDE's. (On that note, I find both, VS2005 and Eclipse very useful).

An IDE is a software package that comes along with a compiler and other helpful utilities that make your programming life easier.

An editor, at the most basic level, is just notepad. Nothing else. A programming editor is something that adds to the basic package. Usually has some way to run macros, and can be used to invoke a compiler/debugger. (But you must install those separately). And of course, a programmer's editor MUST come with syntax highlighting.


Sometimes, when you discussing ideas with a team of developers or just had an urgent need to look at your source-code (WITHOUT the need to compile it). What would you rather open it in? VS2005 or notepad ?

I'd choose notepad because it opens a LOT faster.

There are other scenarios, but I hope you get my message ?

 

[dinkumthinkum]

The first thing I do when I'm stuck on a Windows system is install gvim. If you are used to vim on Linux, then you should do this. It has an easy installer package, and it makes life much more pleasant.

 

[Crusty]

Originally posted by: chronodekar

Originally posted by: sao123
so if there is something good for C++/C#/.Net programming without VStudio...speak up

Oh and I want it to PRINT my code in color too!!!!

sao123,

When I was in college, I used conTEXT (Java programming). It displayed the source-code in color and also had an option to print it out (coloured). I consider it a standard feature of any programming editor worth it's salt.

And to point out a distinction, the topic is about editors NOT IDE's. (On that note, I find both, VS2005 and Eclipse very useful).

An IDE is a software package that comes along with a compiler and other helpful utilities that make your programming life easier.

An editor, at the most basic level, is just notepad. Nothing else. A programming editor is something that adds to the basic package. Usually has some way to run macros, and can be used to invoke a compiler/debugger. (But you must install those separately). And of course, a programmer's editor MUST come with syntax highlighting.


Sometimes, when you discussing ideas with a team of developers or just had an urgent need to look at your source-code (WITHOUT the need to compile it). What would you rather open it in? VS2005 or notepad ?

I'd choose notepad because it opens a LOT faster.

There are other scenarios, but I hope you get my message ?

To be fair to sao123, an IDE is also an Editor... but an Editor might not also be an IDE.

Like markbnj, I've been using IDE's since Borland C++(no idea what version... whatever was old in 2000) and VS2008 is by far the best IDE I've come across.

To answer the OP when I need just an Editor I'll use emacs in Linux or Notepad++ in Windows. The majority of my coding is done in either .NET or Ruby on Rails so I prefer VS2008 for .NET and Linux/emacs for RoR.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: chronodekar

Originally posted by: sao123
so if there is something good for C++/C#/.Net programming without VStudio...speak up

Oh and I want it to PRINT my code in color too!!!!

sao123,

When I was in college, I used conTEXT (Java programming). It displayed the source-code in color and also had an option to print it out (coloured). I consider it a standard feature of any programming editor worth it's salt.

And to point out a distinction, the topic is about editors NOT IDE's. (On that note, I find both, VS2005 and Eclipse very useful).

An IDE is a software package that comes along with a compiler and other helpful utilities that make your programming life easier.

An editor, at the most basic level, is just notepad. Nothing else. A programming editor is something that adds to the basic package. Usually has some way to run macros, and can be used to invoke a compiler/debugger. (But you must install those separately). And of course, a programmer's editor MUST come with syntax highlighting.


Sometimes, when you discussing ideas with a team of developers or just had an urgent need to look at your source-code (WITHOUT the need to compile it). What would you rather open it in? VS2005 or notepad ?

I'd choose notepad because it opens a LOT faster.

There are other scenarios, but I hope you get my message ?

yes, i understand the diff between and IDE and and editor... when I program at home I use VS 2005.net IDE because I usually want to compile/test/run what I am working on every 10 lines of code or so... AND it does print in color like I want...

BUT...
I wish I had an editor for my above request because... lots of time I need to explain to a student or my intern or just anyone a few lines of code, a function, a class, or an algorithm... for this, I dont need my full IDE, I just want an editor with syntax highlighting on screen and on paper, one that would run off my flash drive would be most excellent - so I dont have to install it on my work computer.

 

[squatchman]

You want vim... er... "gvim"

If you want code completion then fire up some ctags, the syntax highlighting is already built in.

When the project is so complex that you need something more than svn and vim you've already got bigger problems.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: squatchman
You want vim... er... "gvim"

If you want code completion then fire up some ctags, the syntax highlighting is already built in.

When the project is so complex that you need something more than svn and vim you've already got bigger problems.

if vim or gvim is anyhting like VI or VIEDIT i want nothing to do with it.

 

[ivan2]

vi and all it's varients, learn it, love it.

 

[sourceninja]

I use vim on windows and linux and textmate on osx