These days there are numerous tools that will help you edit website’s code with accuracy. Not every tool is the same, though. This makes it easier for people to make wrong decisions. The following guide gives you information about the most effective text editor for web development available on the market today.
You’ll also learn how this type of software can make your life easier if you do web development work.
RJ TextEd
RJ TextEd is high on our list fighting for the spot of the best IDE for JavaScript. It is a full-featured text and source editor with Unicode support and all in all, a great IDE for web development.
It supports not only JavaScript, but also PHP, ASP, HTML, and CSS. Some of the most important features of this web development IDE include but are not limited to:
- Auto-completion.
- Code folding
- Column mode
- Multi-edit and multi-select
- Document map
- Annotation bar
- Advanced sorting
- Handles both ASCII and binary files
- CSS and HTML wizards
- Highlighting of colors in CSS/SASS/LESS
- An advanced color hint that can convert between color formats
- Dockable panels
- FTP and SFTP client with synchronization
- File explorer, text clips, code explorer, project manager
- Convert between code pages, Unicode formats and text formats
- Unicode and ANSI code page detection
- Open/Save UTF-8 encoded files without a signature (BOM)
- Unicode file paths and file names
- HTML validation, format, and repair
- Tools available like syntax editor, color picker, charmap
SUBLIME TEXT 3
Sublime is a top IDE and one of the best JavaScript editors available for free. It is currently available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is fast and flexible and it will do everything one should expect from the best IDE for website development.
Many users, even ones that work with Sublime for many years, do not realize that it can actually be configured as a fully-featured IDE, with features like code autocompletion, using snippets and macros, etc. This 2-hour video course will help both beginners and advanced users to tweak Sublime the way that would work best for them.
NOTEPAD++
Notepad++ is an opensource IDE and one of the top free IDEs written in C++. It supports over 50 languages and while it is not far from being the best IDE for Windows, you have to keep in mind that it is available for Windows only.
PyCharm
While PyCharm isn’t exactly the best free JavaScript IDE, the paid Professional Edition is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a reliable web development IDE for Python programmers.
That being said, Python is not the only language PyCharm supports. In fact, it works great with pretty much all the popular languages and frameworks out there including AngularJS, Coffee Script, CSS, Python, HTML, JavaScript, Node.js, Python, TypeScript and template languages.
Here are the key features:
- Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
- Comes with Django IDE
- Easy to integrate with Git, Mercurial, and SVN
- Customizable interface with VIM emulation
- JavaScript, Python and Django debuggers
- Supports Google App Engine
However, we have to mention that the users sometimes complain about PyCharm having certain bugs, such as the autocomplete feature occasionally not working.
If you’re just starting your Python learning path, this 2-hour video course by Bruce Van Horn, a Senior Python developer, which combines a quickstart guide both for PyCharm and Python as a language itself, could be a worthwhile time investment. The course covers PyCharm installation, integrating it with Git, SQL systems, configuring the debugger, etc. – in parallel explaining the Python basics as well.
IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is a great web development IDE that offers several plans. There is a free community version but if you want to take advantage of all the Java Script development tools it has to offer, you should consider checking out the paid-for Ultimate Edition. It might actually be worth your while.
IntelliJ IDEA is a great CSS IDE, but it also supports a wide variety of programming languages such as AngularJS, CoffeeScript, HTML, JS, LESS, Node JS, PHP, Python, Ruby, Sass, TypeScript, and more.
The most important features include:
- Extensive database editor and UML designer
- Supports multiple build systems
- Test runner UI
- Code coverage
- Git integration
- Supports Google App Engine, Grails, GWT, Hibernate, Java EE, OSGi, Play, Spring, Struts, and more
- Deployment and debugging tools for most application servers
- Intelligent text editors for HTML, CSS, and Java
- Integrated version control
- AIR Mobile supports Android and iOS devices
However, keep in mind that while it might be the best JS editor, IntelliJ comes with a pretty steep learning curve so it is probably not the best option for absolute beginners.
RubyMine
RubyMine is a premium web development IDE and while you will be able to get a free trial, this IDE isn’t free of charge. However, if you are a Ruby enthusiast, it is definitely worth checking out.
That being said, Ruby isn’t the only programming language this IDE supports. It also supports CoffeeScript, CSS, HAML, HTML, JavaScript, LESS etc.
Notable features include:
- Code snippets, autocomplete and automatic refactoring
- Project tree allows for quick code analysis
- Rails Models Diagram
- Rails Project View
- RubyMotion allows for the iOS development
- Stack support includes Bundler, pik, rbenv, RVM and more
- JavaScript, CoffeeScript and Ruby debuggers
- Integration with CVS, Git, Mercurial, Perforce and Subversion
- Bundled keyboard schemes
- Code inspections for possible errors
Note: Keep in mind that you need at least 4GB of RAM for RubyMine to run smoothly.
PHPStorm
PHPStorm is another IDE developed by JetBrains. It is the best coding environment for web developers that work with PHP Frameworks like WordPress, Symfony, Laravel, Zend Framework, Drupal, Magento, Yii, and others.
It is renowned for its Visual Debugger that has zero-configuration and provides detailed insight into everything that happens in your code and application.
The user interface is very attractive and simple to use and it enables the use of cutting-edge front-end technologies like CSS, HTML5, JavaScript, Emmet, TypeScript, CoffeeScript, Sass, Less, Stylus, and others.
Among the features you can use for PHP coding are:
- Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
- Automatic code completion
- Error highlighting
- Remote deployment
- Databases/SQL
- HTML and CSS Editor
- JavaScript Editor
- Command-line tools
- Smart code navigator
- Refactoring and debugging tools
- Docker
- REST Client
- Composer
- Unit testing
Thanks to the Version Control Systems integration, you can easily perform many routine tasks. It has intelligent coding assistance that will automatically take care of your code and check if it is okay while you type.
Additionally, you can refactor your code using reliable options for moving, renaming, deleting, extracting methods, manipulating variables, pushing members up, pulling members down and many other refactorings. With the language-specific refactorings, you can make project-wide changes safely undo them with just a few clicks.
Webstorm
The leading IDE development company, JetBrains, targeted JavaScript with the WebStorm IDE.
It is an extremely user-friendly and lightweight IDE that was designed with the aim of creating a state of the art web apps. For that reason, it supports technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, but also Angular JS, TypeScript, Node.js, Meteor, ECMAScript, React, Vue.js, Cordova, and others.
It is the best IDE for modern JavaScript development in terms of client-side, server-side and mobile. WebStorm offers a very modern and slick user interface with many features that will help you with your coding. Some of the features WebStorm can offer are:
- Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
- Intelligent Code Completion
- Multi-line todos
- Automated refactoring of code
- Debugger
- Syntax error detection
- Unit testing
- Convert to variables with arrow functions
- Integration with VCS
- Cross-platform features
- Powerful navigation
- Parameter hints
- Seamless tool integration
- Git integration
- Refactoring for JavaScript, TypeScript, and stylesheet languages
WebStorm also gives you one place within the IDE where you can run Grunt, Gulp, and NPM tasks. It takes advantage of intelligent support and increases your productivity with its automation.
Additionally, it has a cool feature called secret service or Spy.js, where you don’t have logs to trace, debug, and profile. The feature triggers a node.js server into running a proxy that will intercept all browser traffic and enable you to edit a JS file as you go.
Atom
Atom is a modern and sleek-looking open-source editor for programmers. Atom was developed by GitHub and promoted as a “hackable text editor for the 21st century”.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.485.1_en.html#goog_652202510
Atom became popular even before its first stable release. Based on its excellent list of features, I can certainly mention it as one of the best text editors for Ubuntu, or any other operating system for that matter.
Don’t just take my word for it. Have a look at some key features of the Atom code editor:
- Easily extensible
- Built-in package manager with a huge number of plugins available
- Smart autocompletion
- Split windows
- Cross-platform
- Embedded Git control
- Command palette support
Atom offers .deb and .rpm packages on their official website. You can also follow our tutorial to easily install Atom on Ubuntu and Fedora-based Linux distributions.
In either case, you can also head to their GitHub page to explore more.Atom
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is possibly the best JavaScript ide for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Not only does it support JavaScript, but it also supports Node.js, TypeScript, and it comes with a whole ecosystem of extensions for other languages including C++, C#, Python, PHP etc.
It provides great syntax highlighting and auto-complete with IntelliSense based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules. It also allows you to debug code by launching or attaching to your running apps debug with breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console. You can effortlessly integrate a JavaScript UI library into Visual Studio Code. All in all, this IDE for JavaScript is definitely one to check out. An important note – it is free to use.
To get the most productivity out of the Visual Studio Code, we recommend this quick 1-hour online course, which will guide you through adding custom hotkeys, creating templates and boilerplates to increase coding speed, integrating with GitHub to be able to work on Git repositories without leaving VS Code.
Visual Studio Code is a popular code editor from Microsoft. Now don’t push the panic button just yet. Visual Studio Code is completely open-source.
In fact, Visual Studio Code was among the first few ‘peace offerings’ from Microsoft to the Linux and open-source world.
Visual Studio Code is an excellent code editor for all kinds of tasks. It’s lightweight as well. Some key features are:
- Intellisense provides useful hints and auto-completion features
- Built-in Git support
- Built-in extension manager with plenty of extensions available to download
- Integrated terminal
- Custom snippet support
- Debugging tools
- Support for a huge number of programming languages
- Cross-platform
Installing Visual Studio Code on Ubuntu and other distributions such as Fedora-based ones is very easy, thanks to Snap and Flatpak packages.
Alternatively, you can also download .deb/.rpm packages for Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions from its official website.Visual Studio Code
VSCodium
If you want to get rid of the telemetry, branding, and licenses of Visual Code Studio, VSCodium is for you.
VSCodium is essentially the same minus Microsoft telemetry and branding.
You can find .deb/.rpm packages along with files for Windows or ARM-based systems on their GitHub page. If you prefer to use Flatpak, you can also find it listed on Flathub. For reference, you can take a look at our Flatpak guide for help.VSCodium
Kate
Kate is an underrated modern text editor developed by KDE.
Kate can prove to be a potential alternative to Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code. It may not offer the same features/plugins that you find with Visual Studio Code, but you should get all the essentials to get started.
Some of the features are:
- Split window
- Multiple document editing
- Session support
- Code folding
- Cross-platform support
- Integrated Git support
- Autocomplete feature
- Plugins to extend functionality
If you want a different code editor with similar features as VS Code, you should try Kate editor.
You can find an AppImage file and a Snap package to install it on any Linux distribution.
In either case, you may find it listed in your software center (check for the version available), or you can build it from the source.Kate Editor
Conclusion
As you must be aware by now, there are tons of websites that provide their own text editor. It might be possible that the plugin I’m mentioning is already installed in your browser, if not, then install them in your PC or Laptop. Having a text editor is really important if your current website is coded in HTML, CSS, PHP or any other web language.