Your Preferred Text Editor

[mashby]

I'm a Mac/iOS user and it depends on the task, but here are the text editors that I use on a daily basis:

1. Byword
   - general writing, blogging
   - desktop and mobile

2. Textmate
   - html and css
   - desktop

3. NVAlt
   - daily work log and notes
   - desktop

4. Simplenote
   - daily work log and notes
   - mobile

5. Taskpaper
   - task management
   - desktop and mobile

[Lanx]

notepad++

and word lots of symbol and word replacements i learned with word i don't know how to do with notepad++ like ^t is the variable symbol for "tab"

[codyeatworld]

sublime text 2/3

I currently have them uninstalled to force myself to vim on rails more...

[rowdy]

Windows: ConText

OS X: TextWrangler

Linux: elvis

Java (any OS): Eclipse

[korrelate]

TextPad!!! I've thought about UltraEdit, and I've heard lots of good things about it, but I've been using TextPad forever and can't give up that kind of familiarity. If I was spending a lot of time working on a remote unix box, though, I would probably be on UltraEdit.

[rowdy]

TextPad!!! I've thought about UltraEdit, and I've heard lots of good things about it, but I've been using TextPad forever and can't give up that kind of familiarity. If I was spending a lot of time working on a remote unix box, though, I would probably be on UltraEdit.

Is TextPad the one I'm thinking of? Used to be free, now commercial. Has a really neat feature to mark lines that match a search, and perform edit options just on those matching/marked lines? That was one feature I have not found in any other text editor.

[belac]

Has a really neat feature to mark lines that match a search, and perform edit options just on those matching/marked lines? That was one feature I have not found in any other text editor.

Vim can do that for you in just a few key strokes sir.

Now that I think about it, elvis should do that for you too. I assume it is built on top of the original ex editor like vi is, and the command to do what you're asking is an ex command. The highlighting might not be there like it is in vim though. I'm not familiar with elvis, so I don't know.

[t888]

I like Vim.

Out of necessity I learned how to use the vi editor in Unix years ago, and once I mastered it provided me the ability to edit and manipulate text with ease.  It has a high learning curve, but it is an editor that is always available on Unix and Linux systems.  Vim is an improved version of the original vi editor found in Unix, it has lots of nifty features like syntax highlighting, integration to development tools, etc.  It has been ported to most operating systems so you can install it on most platforms.

Honestly you just need to spend some time with different editors and see what you like.  There are a lot of good editors out there.  Notepad++, textwrangler, etc..

Have fun in your research.

[korrelate]

TextPad!!! I've thought about UltraEdit, and I've heard lots of good things about it, but I've been using TextPad forever and can't give up that kind of familiarity. If I was spending a lot of time working on a remote unix box, though, I would probably be on UltraEdit.

Is TextPad the one I'm thinking of? Used to be free, now commercial. Has a really neat feature to mark lines that match a search, and perform edit options just on those matching/marked lines? That was one feature I have not found in any other text editor.

It's still free to download the full version. Paying the license fee gets rid of some mildly annoying nags, though. And I don't know if the following matches your expectations about the find&replace functionality, but in TextPad, if you have a block of text in your script highlighted and then proceed to Find&Replace you will be presented with the option of making all replacements in the file or just make those replacements in the block of code you highlighted before opening the Find&Replace function.

For $15 bucks or whatever, this thing has been a steal. I've been using this app for Years and Years. Very stable, very lightweight, syntax highlighting addons are available for just about any language that you can think of and there's a lot more to go with it.

[rowdy]

TextPad!!! I've thought about UltraEdit, and I've heard lots of good things about it, but I've been using TextPad forever and can't give up that kind of familiarity. If I was spending a lot of time working on a remote unix box, though, I would probably be on UltraEdit.

Is TextPad the one I'm thinking of? Used to be free, now commercial. Has a really neat feature to mark lines that match a search, and perform edit options just on those matching/marked lines? That was one feature I have not found in any other text editor.

It's still free to download the full version. Paying the license fee gets rid of some mildly annoying nags, though. And I don't know if the following matches your expectations about the find&replace functionality, but in TextPad, if you have a block of text in your script highlighted and then proceed to Find&Replace you will be presented with the option of making all replacements in the file or just make those replacements in the block of code you highlighted before opening the Find&Replace function.

For $15 bucks or whatever, this thing has been a steal. I've been using this app for Years and Years. Very stable, very lightweight, syntax highlighting addons are available for just about any language that you can think of and there's a lot more to go with it.

No, replace-in-block is not quite what I was thinking of.

Might have to read up a but mire on elvis.

[jdcarpe]

I must have had a brain fart and forgot to mention my favorite editor of all time. It came bundled with DOS, from version 1.0 on. It has been ported to an open version for FreeDOS.

Yes, I'm talking about the best editor ever made: Edlin.

[hashbaz]

I must have had a brain fart and forgot to mention my favorite editor of all time. It came bundled with DOS, from version 1.0 on. It has been ported to an open version for FreeDOS.

Yes, I'm talking about the best editor ever made: Edlin.

COPY CON, SIR

Also, ed is of course the standard text editor.

[morflleh]

i am student in computer science too and i've been using notepad++ for years 

i also have tried editplus but i prefer notepad++ cause more simple and easy to use 

[mkawa]

the only.thi.g worse than.emacs is.nano. then there's pico. that's basically the ninth circle of hell

[lcs]

the only.thi.g worse than.emacs is.nano. then there's pico. that's basically the ninth circle of hell

 

[Hypersphere]

I love my nano. But then, I use unix pine email....

[___q]

Emacs is clearly the one true text editor.  I'm not sure how the original post was even a question worth asking.


Vim is somewhat acceptable as well, as a backup (and vi/vim tend to be installed on any random machine you end up using).

[lcs]

Emacs is clearly the one true text editor.  I'm not sure how the original post was even a question worth asking.


Vim is somewhat acceptable as well, as a backup (and vi/vim tend to be installed on any random machine you end up using).

___q my buddy!

[rowdy]

I taught myself basic emacs for the hell of it once.  Then I went back to elvis.

emacs is ok, but press the wrong key in a multi-key sequence and/or with the wrong modifier pressed, and something unexpected usually happens.

[vasouv]

I think Notepad++ doesn't handle large text files very well. I tried opening a 35MB SQL file, it opened it but couldn't scroll up or down and ended up crashing. Sublime Text 3 (beta) and TextPad opened it with no problems.

AND, TextPad seems to have the smallest memory acquisition. With this SQL file open, Notepad++ was ~100MB of RAM, Sublime Text 3(beta) was ~170 and TextPad a mere 20MB!!!!

[rowdy]

Back in the day the text editor I used could only handle files the size of the (severely limited) RAM (think 640K should be enough for anyone).

So I wrote my own paging text editor.

It was fun, but a bit slow sometimes.

[korrelate]

I think Notepad++ doesn't handle large text files very well. I tried opening a 35MB SQL file, it opened it but couldn't scroll up or down and ended up crashing. Sublime Text 3 (beta) and TextPad opened it with no problems.

AND, TextPad seems to have the smallest memory acquisition. With this SQL file open, Notepad++ was ~100MB of RAM, Sublime Text 3(beta) was ~170 and TextPad a mere 20MB!!!!

I know!!! Right!!! I've thrown HUGE files at TextPad and it's never let me down. I'm sure there's a limit to what it can open, but with a modicum of sense it's unlikely that it's limit is keeping you from getting anything done.

[nuclearsandwich]

I use Vim 90% of the time because the modality gets me but mostly because I like my editor to be an editor and unix to be my development environment. I'm also a fluent emacs users but I don't like the fact that emacs wants to be my terminal too but man do I wish I could write lisp to extend Vim.

Since I teach a lot, I also used to use and recommend first TextMate, then Sublime Text, and now Brackets as a simple modern editor for new programmers.

[hashbaz]

Vim has Python and Ruby bindings these days, in case you're not aware.  Not Lisp, but immeasurably better than vimscript.

[nuclearsandwich]

Vim has Python and Ruby bindings these days, in case you're not aware.  Not Lisp, but immeasurably better than vimscript.

Yeah, but both have limits compared to what you can do with vimscript and mega awkard APIs. Plus they segfault frequently on latest Ruby. When I can I use Lua to bind to Vim. Otherwise I grab a drink and embrace the madness.

[daerid]

Amen to that, brother. I seriously don't think that Tim Pope is even human

[nuclearsandwich]

Vim has Python and Ruby bindings these days, in case you're not aware.  Not Lisp, but immeasurably better than vimscript.

Yeah, but both have limits compared to what you can do with vimscript and mega awkard APIs. Plus they segfault frequently on latest Ruby. When I can I use Lua to bind to Vim. Otherwise I grab a drink and embrace the madness.

I was really hoping Tim Pope would write a vimscript book. Then I realized that would be like re-publishing the necronomicon.

[___q]

If any of you use the second-best text editor, and want to learn more about it, I've found "Learn Vimscript the Hard Way" to be excellent: http://learnvimscriptthehardway.stevelosh.com/   (it's free online, and he sells print-on-demand copies through lulu).

(Or, of course, you could just learn elisp like a normal person.)

[nuclearsandwich]

I'm actually kind of surprised stevelosh isn't here himself.

[phoenix1234]

My favourite text editors:

Vim
Nano
Gedit
Notepad++
UltraEdit

 

[ssdt]

Notepad++ for pretty much everything, mainly LaTeX.

[Nask]

Notepad++ as a freeware, and SublimeText even though it's a shareware.

[therecorder]

http://www.codertools.com/

The Lite/Free version of this is nice, but unknown to most.

[metalliqaz]

http://www.codertools.com/

The Lite/Free version of this is nice, but unknown to most.

Just looked at the website.  I'm wondering what the "Query and analyze databases" function looks like on a text editor...

[therecorder]

http://www.codertools.com/

The Lite/Free version of this is nice, but unknown to most.

Just looked at the website.  I'm wondering what the "Query and analyze databases" function looks like on a text editor...

I think that you can download and try the Pro version (at the top of the page)...  The Free version download is at the bottom of the page.

[therecorder]

http://www.codertools.com/

The Lite/Free version of this is nice, but unknown to most.

Just looked at the website.  I'm wondering what the "Query and analyze databases" function looks like on a text editor...

I think that you can download and try the Pro version (at the top of the page)...  The Free version download is at the bottom of the page.

The Free version is also one of the few free version text editors that has a built-in spell checker.

*** ALSO http://www.codertools.com/download.aspx ***

[metalliqaz]

The Free version is also one of the few free version text editors that has a built-in spell checker.

Other than Notepad++

I actually know there are better editors out there than n++.  I used to use ultraedit and textedit, and this one also looks very good.  However, I give lots of points for open source.  n++ use scintilla editing component, which is used on several Unix text editors, so it gives you that cross-platform compatibility.

[daerid]

Vim is my daily editor unless I'm doing .NET or using a new API in another language at which point I use an IDE. Even then, I often have the file open in both places. I've never used emacs but get the feeling it is a very powerful and customizable editor like Vim. The learning curve to use Vim is a little steep. The learning curve to do things that will make your coworkers jaws drop (which is fun to do sometimes) is very steep, but it is worth it and not to hard to attain if you just make a little progress each day. Using motion commands combined with on the fly macros is by itself reason enough to learn Vim. I've not seen that ability in any other editor that even comes close to the speed, ease, and precision with which you can do it in Vim. At the end of the day, any editor is just another tool in your toolbox. Because its one you'll use a lot, it is worth learning and mastering. Feel free to experiment and see which you like. Just be sure you give them a fair chance. I'd argue anything less than a month or so of daily use and ongoing learning isn't really giving the editor a chance. In your journey, you'll probably encounter the sentiment that proficiency with an editor (or any tool) is not worth worrying about because so little of your time as a developer is actually spent on the act of writing code. Ignore these people. They don't want what's best for you. It's really very simple: the less time it takes you to physically write code, the more time you get to spend on problem solving, design, etc. Good luck in your studies. It's an amazing career for lifelong students.

+1 for mentioning vim macros. If I had to only keep one feature of vim, it'd be the macros (well, that and modal editing, which the macros kind of require).

[Thimplum]

Vim is my favorite.

[hashbaz]

+1 for mentioning vim macros. If I had to only keep one feature of vim, it'd be the macros (well, that and modal editing, which the macros kind of require).

Indeed.  On-the-fly keypress replay macros are fantastic.

My #1 most loved feature in vim is the t/T and f/F text objects.  Absolutely indispensable for me both for moving through code and for editing.

[Altis]

Notepad++ for me.  Although I haven't really tried many others, to be honest.

I just like having a black background to type on... tabs are always handy, too.

[rowdy]

Notepad++ for me.  Although I haven't really tried many others, to be honest.

I just like having a black background to type on... tabs are always handy, too.

Most text editors let you change colours.

The most irritating in terms of "tabs" I have seen if jEdit - it has a dropdown list at the top to switch between open files.

[Altis]

The most irritating in terms of "tabs" I have seen if jEdit - it has a dropdown list at the top to switch between open files.

You'd love Visio 2010.. I had to use it on an old laptop at work.... In that, I had to use the ribbon up top to change to a different set, then click a box which dropped-down my open windows.

Would not enjoy that on a regular basis.

[rowdy]

The most irritating in terms of "tabs" I have seen if jEdit - it has a dropdown list at the top to switch between open files.

You'd love Visio 2010.. I had to use it on an old laptop at work.... In that, I had to use the ribbon up top to change to a different set, then click a box which dropped-down my open windows.

Would not enjoy that on a regular basis.

Ouch!

I guess that is not as bad as cycling through several files open in elvis (:n :n :n :rew ...)

[inteli722]

emacs or Notepad++. Use emacs on my laptop (linux), notepad++ on my desktop. I have emacs on my desktop, but I never edit text anyways on that thing!


I use Microsoft word for processing, but that's been clarified to be something different.

[TacticalCoder]

Emacs ftw!

It can use Lisp substitution when searching / replacing strings:

http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/ReplaceRegexp

It can be easily extended to add crazy new features. Here's a 1m30 video that is really worth watching showing someone adding on-the-fly evaluation of forms/code for elisp (mimicking what LightTable does for Clojure) where you can see values passed to functions "flowing" trough the code:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNO-vgq3Avg

(the point here is not necessarily that having this is important: the point is that that functionality was first really demo'ed in another IDE and then an Emacs hacker was able to replicate a working proof-of-concept by hacking some elisp magic in a short amount of time. Doing the same in another IDE / editor would probably be a major undertaking)

Emacs because of macros, ace-jump-mode, paredit, org-mode, magit, shell-command-on-region and hundreds of other cool things.
Emacs because instead of having to adapt myself to an editor / IDE's way of working I can adapt Emacs to my way of working.

Note that as much as I think that Emacs rocks and that there's a reason why it's still around after decades and why it shall still be there in decades, I do also think that the default Emacs shortcuts are the most stupid shortcuts ever invented... But in Emacs everything is customizable so for me it's not an issue 

Oh and:

cat flames > /dev/null


P.S: I do have my fully paid-for latest version of IntelliJ IDEA but I really don't use it that often.

[angelic_sedition]

I still have a lot to try, but these are what I primarily use right now:

+1 for Sublime Text (with Vintage/Vintageous mode)
Notepad ++
Gedit

I used to primarily use np++, but after finally trying out Sublime Text, I'm in love. Might use vim more in the future, but right now I'm sticking with ST3. 

[GamingFTW]

Notepad++ for extensive editing, ust regular notepad for simple edits.

[Tarzan_]

PSPad.

[jiggityjane]

Textmate here.