A developer’s code editor is a personal choice, and we are not trying to create a dustup about whose personal favorite is being snubbed. Our only goal is to present the field of contenders as we see them and allow everyone to come to their own conclusions based on their personal needs and preferences.
With that in mind, please note that we haven’t placed the editors below in any ranking order.
Free Code Editors
1. Visual Studio Code by Microsoft
Visual Studio Code (or VS Code) has quickly become the standard for software development since its release in 2015. Like most Microsoft products these days, VS Code is available on all major platforms. That means that developers on Mac, Windows, and Linux can use this incredibly powerful tool. Not quite an IDE (that’s actually a separate product altogether), VS Code can take on most of the tasks of an IDE
with the right configuration and plugin library. The community for VS Code is incredibly passionate, and that works to everyone’s benefit. With VS Code being open source, that community works exceptionally hard to keep VS Code competitive with the rest of the field. Written in Node.js and Electron, you can be sure the code isn’t going to become outdated or lag behind any time soon.
Key Features
- cross-platform
- open source via MIT license (Github link)
- built-in Git (including merge conflicts, diff checking, and modified file tracking from within the editor)
- in-editor debugging
- large library of extensions and plugins
- compatible with nearly every programming language
- very lightweight in comparison to other, similarly robust editors
- quick and responsive
- specific Linux distros for Ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, Red Hat, and Debian
- IntelliSense highlighting and autocomplete works like a dream
Platforms
- MacOS
- Windows
- Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, Red Hat, and Debian in particular)
VS Code is for you if…
…you use code editors. It’s that good, and it’s that popular. While some people might be put off by the Microsoft development, that isn’t a particularly big deal with VS Code. Sure, the UI shares similarities between some of the MS products (which can be good or bad for you), but that’s purely superficial. VS Code works great on every platform we’ve tried it on, and there hasn’t been a noticeable difference in performance between the three, either. Even though VS Code does have a ton of packages you can download to customize the code editor to whatever you want it to be, you don’t have to. It works well from the moment you first run it, and the integrated Git and debugger just work. You don’t have to fiddle with them to get them configured well.
Free Video Tutorials of Visual Studio Code
Interview Questions and Answer for visual studio code
1) What are the different activities we can do with Visual Studio?
Answers=>
A) Visual Studio supports various activities like developing, build, debug, test, deploy, version control, devops, improve performance, extend and data.
- Develop – Write and manage your code using the code editor.
- Build – Compile and build your source code.
- Debug – Investigate and fix problems with your code.
- Test – Organize your testing processes.
- Deploy – Share your apps using Web Deploy, InstallShield, and Continuous Integration, and more.
- Version Control – Share code using version control technologies such as Git and TFVC.
- DevOps – Continuously build and release your apps in the cloud, and implement Agile practices with VSTS.
- Improve Performance – Identify bottlenecks and optimize code performance by using diagnostic tools.
- Extend – Add your own functionality to the Visual Studio IDE to improve your development experience.
- Data – Create data apps that connect to any database or service, and anywhere—local or cloud.
2) What languages can you code in Visual Studio?
Answers=>
A) Visual Studio supports multiple programming languages like:
C# – A modern object-oriented programming language with functional programming capabilities for building any application on the .NET platform.
Visual Basic – A modern, easy to learn, the object-oriented programming language for the .NET platform, focused on easily creating Windows applications.
C++ – A powerful and flexible programming language and development environment for creating applications for Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.
F# – A modern functional programming language with object-oriented capabilities for the .NET platform, focused on making Functional Programming easier for any task.
JavaScript – A lightweight, cross-platform, scripting language often used to help make web pages more interactive.
TypeScript – A superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript and enables you to create more scalable code.
Python – A dynamic object-oriented, high-level programming language often used for rapid application development.
R – An extensible programming language typically used for statistical computing and graphics.
3) What is Microsoft Visual Studio used for?
Answers=>
A) Develop modern web apps using Visual Studio and powerful open tools.
Web and Cloud Applications:
Web development – Build web apps with ASP.NET and standards-based technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
Azure development and management – Easily build, test, deploy, and manage scalable apps and services on the Microsoft cloud.
Python – Interactive development for Python apps, using familiar frameworks including Django and Flask.
Node.js – Build scalable network applications using Node.js, an asnchronous, event-driven JavaScript runtime.
Data storage and processing – Tools and frameworks to develop and test data solutions using SQL Server, Azure Data Lake, or Hadoop.
Data science and analytical applications – Languages and tooling for creating data science applications, including Python, R, and F#.
Office/SharePoint development – Create Office and SharePoint add-ins and solutions using C#, Visual Basic, and JavaScript.
Windows Applications
Develop apps and games using Visual Studio to reach every device running Windows.
Universal Windows Platform development – Develop applications for Windows 10 with the Windows Universal Platform and C#, VB, or C++.
.NET Desktop development – Build WPF, Windows Forms, and console applications using the .NET Framework.
Windows development with C++ – Build classic Windows-based applications using the power of MFC, ATL, and the Microsoft C++ toolset.
Mobile & Gaming Applications
Create native or hybrid mobile apps that target Android, iOS, and Windows.
Mobile development with .NET – Build cross-platform applications for iOS, Android, or Windows using Xamarin.
Game development with Unity – Create 2D and 3D games with unity, a powerful cross-platform development environment.
Mobile development with JavaScript – Build cross-platform applications for iOS, Android, or Windows using the Apache Cordova framework.
Mobile development with C++ – Build cross-platform applications for iOS, Android, or Windows using C++.
Game development with C++ – Use the full power of C++ to build professional games powered by DirectX, Unreal, or Cocos2D.
Other Toolsets
Visual Studio extension development – Create add-ons that extend Visual Studio, such as commands, code analyzers, and tool windows.
Linux development with C++ – Create and debug applications running in a Linux environment.
.NET Core cross-platform development – Build cross-platform applications using .NET Core, ASP.NET Core, HTML, JavaScript, and container development tools.
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2. Sublime Text
Sublime Text is pretty close to the industry standard for text editors. There’s a reason for that. Being designed for code, markup, and prose is a big
plus. They haven’t put the same consideration into their prose workflows as say, Scrivener or Final Draft, but you have the option of doing everything within one editor. Like Atom and VS Code, Sublime Text has as an incredibly active package repository that extends its features far beyond the initial download.
Sublime Text is a beautiful, feature-rich code editor. Maybe the biggest draw is that it puts a premium on user experience. The UX is probably the tightest of every entry on the list. This is because of features like distraction-free writing mode, quick shortcuts/search, split editing, and much more. One of the biggest features users flaunt is the ridiculously intuitive keyboard shortcut system.
You have to deal with upgrade prompts as you open the editor occasionally, but you can use it as long as you wish to evaluate it. This is done on the honor system as the developers feel confident enough in their product that you’ll like it enough to pay to support continued development.
And once you get used to Sublime’s, well, sublime keyboard shortcuts, you’ll wonder how you ever wrote a word without them.
Key Features:
- Goto Anything (lightning fast search/shortcuts)
- Command Palette
- Keyboard shortcuts make everything smoother
- Split Editing
- Highly customizable
- Multiple selections
- Distraction free writing mode
- Instant project switch
- Plugin API
- And more
Platforms:
- Windows
- MacOS
- Linux
Sublime Text is for you if…
…you prefer a good user experience over everything else. That’s not saying Sublime Text doesn’t have the features you need for almost every project (it does), and that’s not saying that Sublime Text isn’t a workhorse that can’t handle major projects (it is and it can). It’s just that just using Sublime Text is the most memorable part of the whole package. And there’s a lot in the package.
Free Video Tutorials of Sublime text
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3. Atom
Atom, a project started by Github and thus now owned by Microsoft, has established itself as one of the premiere code and text editors out there. The best part is that Atom is totally free, open source, and highly customizable. Built around a minimal core, Atom comes with multiple language-specific packages built in, and the library of community-written ones has exploded over the years since the editor was first released. Atom is as robust as you need it to be – if the editor doesn’t do something you need, you can create that feature yourself. The Teletype features has been embraced by users, too. It allows multiple developers to work on the same code from remote locations.
It does directly compete with MS’s poster child VS Code, but they are maintaining both editors as a gesture of good faith to the communities surrounding each.
Key Features (out of the box):
- File system browser
- Teletype
- Fuzzy finder for quickly opening files
- Fast project-wide search and replace
- Multiple cursors and selections
- Multiple panes
- Snippets
- Code folding
- A clean preferences UI
- Import TextMate grammars and themes
- Highly extendable
- Highly theme-able
- Incredibly passionate community
Platforms:
- MacOS
- Windows
- Linux
Atom is for you if…
…you’re the kind of person who likes to have your software be exactly what they want it to be and do exactly what you want it to do. With the growing library of mods and add-ons, Atom is one of the most customizable code editors out there. It works great out of the box, but its real power comes from the open source community around it and the almost infinite customizations you can add to it yourself. Some folks are put off by the Microsoft acquisition of GitHub, but in the months since, Atom has continued to flourish.
Free Video Tutorials of Atom
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4. Notepad++
Notepad++ is an extremely popular text editor. That is in part because it’s free and GPL-licensed open source. Even more than that, though, the reason it’s one of the best text editors around is that it’s simple. It doesn’t try to be Atom or VS Code or Sublime Text. It’s a code editor, plain and simple. Beginners and veterans can get everything they need out of it. Coders and developers often recommend this one as a great option for someone just getting into code editing and might be overwhelmed by the environment offered up by others. Notepad++ is a wonderful, simple option not just for beginners, but developers at any level. A lot of professional devs use Notepad++ as their daily driver because it’s light, effective, and does what it needs to do.
The downside: the software is Windows-only. Many devs are on Mac or Linux, but for those living in Microsoft’s turf, this is a great option to try out since it’s free. You’ve got nothing to lose. Especially if you’re coming new to the field.
Key Features:
- Syntax Highlighting
- Syntax Folding
- Search/Replace
- Highly customizable
- Auto-completion
- Multi-document tab interface
- Zoom in and out
- Multi-language environment supported
- And more
Platforms:
- Windows
- Linux (a forked version exists)
Notepad++ is for you if…
…you are new to code editors and want to ease your way in. Additionally, if you want a resource-light option, Notepad++ is it. Because of how simple and easy the developers have made it, you’re not going to bog down your system as you work. That means you might not be loading gigabytes of information at once, but for run-of-the-mill web development tasks and so on, Notepad++ is more than enough.
Free Video Tutorials of Notepad++
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5. Bluefish
Bluefish is more of an IDE than a real text editor, which means it may be a little advanced for brand new users. It’s free, supports pretty much every language because it’s open-source, and comes with a wide variety of useful features for use across many platforms. It’s constantly updated by the community that’s built itself around the editor and can handle some pretty complex code bases. You can edit in full-screen or wrap the text as you want, and the powerful search-and-replace tool keeps things tidy. The IDE also supports a lot of secure connections, so you won’t have to worry about a separate FTP client, as you can work on your sites and repos remotely from within Bluefish itself.
Key Features:
- Lightweight
- Integrated Development Environment
- Multiple document interface
- Project support
- FTP/SFTP/HTTP/HTTPS/and more
- Snippets sidebar
- Unlimited undo/redo
- Auto-recovery
- Full-screen editing
- Powerful search and replace
- Customizable programming language support
- And much more
Platforms:
- Linux
- BSD
- MacOS
- Windows
- Solaris
Bluefish is for you if…
…you want to learn all the nuance and power of a full IDE. This might not be the best option for brand-new coders because working in an integrated development environment can be overwhelming at first, but if you’re willing to put in the effort to learn how the environment works, you will have a fantastic tool. With Bluefish, you can do a lot if you want to put in a bit of effort learning how to make it sing. It doesn’t have the polish of the IDEs made by companies like JetBrains (see below in the Premium section), but not much does. For a free option, though, it’s phenomenal.
Free Video Tutorials of Bluefish
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