What is a Code Editor?

Software designed mainly to help developers in coding is known as code editors or source code editors. These are essentially text editors with a few extra features for managing and editing code. It may be used independently or as part of an IDE.

Using the finest code editor can help you code faster.

Code editors are unique to a programming language. Some editors only support one or two programming languages, whereas others support several languages. Only language support allows it to make suggestions and highlight important information.

Structure editor is a sort of coding editor or, to put it another way, the capability of various editors. Structure editing is a method of altering a code’s structure based on its syntax tree. The structure of code created in a programming language is referred to as the syntax tree.

The code is not compiled by the code editors. You can only write and edit source code using it.

Functions Of a Code Editor:

When developers use these editors to write code, they don’t have to worry about syntax.

Code editors instantly flag any syntax mistakes. Developers do not need to be concerned with syntax. It saves a lot of time to have auto-indentation and auto-completion. A terminal is built into some editors, such as sublime text and Visual Studio Code.

Characteristics

The features of these editors are outlined below: 

• Syntax highlighting 
• Auto indentation 
• Auto-completion 
• Brace matching

What Is The Difference Between A Code Editor And An IDE Or A Text Editor?

The functionality of code editors is higher than that of plain text editors. Syntax highlighting and auto indentations aren’t available in simple text editors. Also, code editors are not the same as integrated development environments (IDEs).

Debugging features, code generators, and other complicated features are included in IDEs to help developers, whereas code editors help developers in coding. It identifies keywords and syntax mistakes according to programming languages.

Review Of The Best Code Editors In 2022

The best code editors for programmers are listed below. There are online editors for both Windows and Mac users on the list.

#1 – Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a Microsoft code editor that is, shockingly, open-source software. It’s probably the most IDE-like of the code editors on our list. It’s powerful software, but it’s also one of the slowest to start. On the other hand, VS Code is fast and capable of handling a variety of essential tasks, such as rapid Git commits or accessing and sifting through numerous folders of information.

VS Code has experienced rapid popularity, with users flocking to it and developers abandoning other editors. VS Code includes a built-in terminal and Git compatibility, which are both significant pluses for software users. Its ‘IntelliSense’ feature provides code auto-completion and information on function arguments and known variable names.

Features:

• Syntax highlighting.
• Auto-completion for variable types, function definitions, and imported modules.
• Debugging with breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console.
• Visual Studio Code is extensible and customizable.

Pros:

• Lightweight tool.
• It doesn’t use up a lot of RAM.

Cons:

• On Linux, the system might be laggy sometimes.

Pricing:

• Free

Website URL:

• Visual Studio

Developers:

• Microsoft

#2 – Atom

GitHub developed Atom, which is open source. It was significantly impacted by the new style of editor promoted by Sublime Text during its initial development. However, there are some significant differences: Atom is free and open-source, and it comes with built-in support for Git and GitHub. Atom has faced performance and stability issues in the past, although they have substantially improved as the technology has developed. It does take a little longer to launch than some code editors, but it’s just as dependable and easy to use once it’s up and running.

Features:

• It has a built-in package manager.
• It provides smart options for auto-completion.
• You can open the tool in multiple panes for comparison.
• It supports cross-platform editing.
• It provides more features for finding & replacing text and for searching files.

Pros:

• Easy to use.
• It provides some special developer tools.
• Easy to customize UI.

Cons:

• For writing packages, you will need a Coffee Script.

Pricing:

• Free

Website URL:

• Atom

Developers:

• Github

#3 – Sublime Text

Sublime Text is the editor that drastically changed how the best code editors functioned. It’s small and light, and it’s open and ready to edit your file nearly as soon as you hit the button. One of the features that makes it the most excellent code editor in its class is its responsiveness. Waiting a few seconds for a file to load may not seem like much if you just want to make a quick adjustment, but the wait may add up.

Another significant advantage of Sublime Text is its extensibility, with a vast and increasing list of plugins accessible to install via the package manager. Themes for customizing the editor’s look, code linters (which can help you quickly find mistakes in your code), Git plugins, color pickers, and other features are available.

Sublime Text is free to download and use for a limited time, but for extended use, you’ll need to pay $80 for a license, which the application will remind you about until you pay. If you want to spend, you can use the same license key on all of your computers, so you can input the same code on all of them to remove the payment reminder box. On the other hand, the paid license is probably Sublime Text’s worst flaw; there are many operating ease regarding various useful free alternatives accessible to developers.

Features:

• It can detect and highlight syntax errors.
• For the whole project, it can automatically create an index for class, method, and function.
• Provides innovative options for opening files, jumping to symbols, etc.
• It allows you to edit multiple lines simultaneously.
• With the help of a JSON file, you can almost customize everything.

Pros:

• You can select and edit multiple lines.
• Easy to use for beginners.

Cons:

• No package manager.
• The print option is not available

Pricing:

• You need to pay $80 for the license. There is also a free trial available.

Website URL:

• Sublime Text

Developers:

• Sublime HQ

#4 – Notepad++

Notepad++ is a popular C++ code editor that is free to use. It utilizes a pure Win32 API, which allows for faster execution and more straightforward programs. One of the most excellent code editors that only operate in the Windows environment and is licensed under the GPL.

Features:

• It allows you to record and replay macros.
• Many features, such as adding bookmarks, finding and replacing tasks, auto-completion, and syntax highlighting, are included for the operating convenience of use.
• It has a Multi-View and Multi-Document Tab interface.

Pros:

• There is a spelling check option available.
• Beginners will find it simple to use.
• GitHub provides excellent community support.

Cons:

• HTTP, SSH, and WebDAV do not support remote file editing.
• If you wish to use Notepad++ on your Mac, you’ll need to download third-party software.

Pricing:

• Free

Website URL:

• Notepad Plus Plus

Developers:

• Developer Don Ho

#5 – Brackets

Adobe’s open-source editor, Brackets, appears to be a well-rounded piece of software. It doesn’t support as many languages as others when it comes to syntax highlighting (but it still has quite a few). It also supports CSS preprocessors like Less and Sass because it concentrates on front-end technology.

Brackets isn’t the fastest or most reliable on many specific ease measures, but it contains a few unique features worth examining. Most of the other editors on this list need you to modify configuration files. It is primarily adjustable through its menus (you can also edit the configuration file in Brackets if you prefer).

There’s also a helpful function for quickly modifying CSS. You can pop out a tiny piece of an HTML page with a hotkey, then change any CSS rules that are now impacting the element you’ve selected. This means you can immediately identify and correct a style issue without having to waste time looking for it.

Features:

• It’s expandable.
• It’s both light and robust.
• Brackets has a tool called ‘Live Preview,’ which allows you to see the changes you make to your CSS or HTML in your browser right away.
• It comes with Inline Editors.

Pros:

• Updates include new features and bug fixes regularly.
• Customization is simple.
• You can see a preview of the code that will establish the connection.

Cons:

• There is no option for auto-complete.
• Plugins from other parties are not supported.
• Full-screen and split-screen modes are not available.

Pricing:

• Free

Website URL:

• Brackets

Developers:

• Adobe

Conclusion

When making a list of the best code and text editors, leaving out a few worthy contenders is difficult. Every writer, coder, and developer has a set of tools that they like, just as a carpenter has a favorite hammer and an artist has many beneficial brushes that they prefer. So, if there’s something you believe we should have included on this list that we didn’t, please let us know in the comments (with your reasons why, too, of course).