Code Editors for Web Development

Web development is an essential skill. Web development makes interaction with various websites easy. Web developers create websites for clients to have more reach to their audience with exceptional user experience.

This article will cover code editors web developers use to build websites.?

What are Code Editors?

Code Editors refer to the essential tools web developers need to develop more efficient and error- free websites. They have numerous features that help ensure optimum results. Some of these features include; automatic indentation, error-checking, syntax highlights, and code snippets. These features act as a safeguard for the developers to enable them write codes efficiently and with little or no errors.

Every successful web developer must have high-level understanding of the code editors.

Types of Code Editors

These are some popular code editors used in web development.

1. Visual Studio Code
2. Sublime Text
3. Atom
4. Notepad ++
5. Vim

Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is a free open-source code editor that allows for the building and debugging of modern web and cloud applications. Microsoft developed VSCode and made it available in April 2015.

Key features of the Visual Studio Code

• Supports multiple language including HTML, Java, PHP, python, C++, C#, and many others.
• Allows for coding with extensions
• Full customisation to fit personalized coding style
• Built- in features such as run code, version control, integrated terminal, etc.

Advantages of Visual Studio Code

1. Open-Source and Free: VS Code is open-source and free to use, making it accessible to everyone.
2. Cross-Platform: It supports macOS, Linux, and Windows, allowing developers to use it on their preferred operating system.
3. Extensibility: With a vast library of extensions, you can customize VS Code to fit your specific needs, whether it’s adding support for new languages, debuggers, or tools.
4. Integrated Git Support: VS Code has built-in Git integration, making it easy to manage version control directly from the editor. It is also integrated with GitHub CoPilot
5. IntelliSense: This feature provides smart code completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules, enhancing productivity.
6. Built-in Terminal: The integrated terminal allows you to run command-line operations directly within the editor.
7. Debugging: VS Code includes a powerful debugger that supports breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console.
8. Performance: It’s lightweight and fast, ensuring a smooth coding experience without consuming too many system resources.

Sublime Text?

Sublime Text was developed in 2008 by Jon Skinner and Sublime HQ. It is a licensing and source code editor available for different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Sublime Text supports programming and markup languages.

With Sublime Text, users can customize their themes and improve functionality with plugins using the Python API. The editor uses a simple interface. Some features of Sublime Text are;?

• Configurable syntax highlighting
• Code folding
• Search-and-replace supporting regular-expressions
• Terminal output window.?

Though It is a proprietary software, free versions of the Sublime Text are available.

Atom

GitHub developed atom for the 21st century web developer. It is a modern day, sophisticated open-source editor that is oriented towards real-time collaboration.?

Some features of the Atom code editor include:?

• Cross-platform compatibility
• File system Browser
• Auto Indentation
• Editor enhancements
• GitHub Integration
• Open source and community built
• Highly customized
• Auto-completion?
• Supports numerous programming languages?

These features aid the productivity level of this code editor. As a 21st century developer, you may want to try this code editor.?

Notepad ++

Notepad ++ is one of the best code editors for Windows operating systems. It supports syntax highlighting for a lot of programming languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, etc.?

It is an open-source code editor that is super fast which enables higher execution speed and a smaller program size. It is written in the C++ programming language and has the following for its features.

• Small download and program size
• User-defined syntax highlighting
• Macro recording and playback
• Plugins can be used to expand functionality
• Supports multiple language
• Customizable GUI

Vim

Vim is alternatively called Vi. It is a text editor that supports a large number of programming languages. The Vim is compatible with the Linux, Unix and MacOs operating system which enables recording of macros easier. However, it has minimal IDE functionality.?

It was developed in 1991 by Bram Moolenaar.?

Features of Vim

• Spelling check feature
• Workspace personalization due to a large number of plugins.
• It is command-centric
• Memory efficiency
• Stores settings with a simple text file
• Supports multi-view and multiple Windows.

Conclusion

Many other code editors include Ultraedit, Espresso, Note Tab, Brackets, Bluefish, Spacemacs, among others. Code editors are not only necessary for an error-free code result, but also for speed, efficiency and a high level of productivity which every web developer needs.?