5 Code Editors Every New Developer Should Know About

Summary

There are many different editors out there. Here I show you how they differ and why you might need more than one.

Anatomy

In this very short post I will briefly highlight 5 text editors that I have come to use and enjoy on a daily basis.

For many brand new developers one of the first questions asked is along the lines “What editor should I use?” or “What is the best text editor?”. And very eagerly someone will respond. Then someone else will also respond. Before you know it you have a long list of editors and you are trying to narrow that list down to the one perfect editor.

Probably write more about how its individual parts work.

Spoiler — there is no one perfect editor.

This is not meant to discourage you. It is meant to liberate you.

Instead of fretting over finding an editor that’s mediocre at meeting all your needs why not find an editor that excels at fulfilling one of your needs. If all you have is a hammer, all your problems look like nails. So instead I suggest finding a specialized tool for a specialized purpose. You wouldn’t wear the same clothes when you’re getting married as when your going surfing would you.

So that is exactly what I have done. I have curated a list of 5 text editors each specialized for a particular purpose based on its strengths. I briefly give you its use case, followed by its top 3 qualities, and a link to download or access.

Sublime Text

Lightweight and fast. Sublime Text is my go to editor when inspiration strikes. It boots up in an instant so I can quickly write down those fleeting coding gems.

Top Perks

• fast start up
• loads of plugins
• available for Linux, macOS, and Windows

Get it here: sublimetext.com

Atom

For small projects I turn to the Atom editor. I mostly use it for web development. It lends itself very well for organizing my projects just as I want them.

Top Perks

• fully customize-able
• many packages
• integrates easily with GitHub

Get it here: atom.io

Thanks for reading.

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