Plain Text Editor
Friday June 16, 2006
When working with code you need to be sure you use a plain text editor. This means that when you save the file, it is saving only your code and not any formatting. Almost all computers come with some sort of plain text editor as part of their operating system, but many coders like to go beyond the basics.
One thing many people find useful when choosing a program, is one that color codes the code as they type it. This is sometimes helpful for spotting a missed ';' or other simple mistakes because you will get a large chunk of code all in the same color. Other people prefer all encompassing programs that store the file structure and related files, give you previews, auto insert code, etc.
As for me, most of the time I end up working in a plain old text pad
How about you? What do you prefer?
One thing many people find useful when choosing a program, is one that color codes the code as they type it. This is sometimes helpful for spotting a missed ';' or other simple mistakes because you will get a large chunk of code all in the same color. Other people prefer all encompassing programs that store the file structure and related files, give you previews, auto insert code, etc.
As for me, most of the time I end up working in a plain old text pad
How about you? What do you prefer?
I prefer Notepad++. It color codes the syntax and supports many different languages. It also has line counting and auto fill if needed. It is freeware.
You can get it here.
Textpad. Nothing else comes close. Always on the lookout for new and better editors – but they never seem to deliver.
Unfortunately not free – but for $30 you get one hell of an editor.
Notepad2
http://www.flos-freeware.ch/
The original Notepad shipped with Windows is probably the handiest program of all times, small, fast, without frills! Notepad2 tries to follow this principle, it’s a small, fast and free text editor with syntax highlighting for HTML and other common languages. More information: Notepad2 FAQ, Notepad2.txt.
That sounds very similar to Taco Edit, which is for Mac (I’m a mac user) I like it, and try to use it
The reason I usually end up going back to my plain uncolored notepad style text is because my preferred FTP program (Transmit) opens things like that by default and I like the convenience of editing in my FTP program 
But if I’m having an error, I often open up in Taco to see if the colors look odd to try to spot my error, or at least to use the ’skip to line number’ feature 
Notepad2 and Notepad++ both has the color coding and powerful to use. Because Notepad++ has greater functionality, takes more memory as compare to Notepad2. Notepad2 is available as stand alone version.
I prefer Notepad2 if in hurry other Notepad++ is the best forever!
I use GVIM
Traditional VI, iMproved and made Graphical.
Colour coding great for XML etc
Works on WIN32, LINUX and MACOSX
with simple right click.