a good programming text editor (not IDE)

[John Salerno]

I know there's a request for a good IDE at least once a week on the ng,
but hopefully this question is a little different. I'm looking for
suggestions for a good cross-platform text editor (which the features
for coding, such as syntax highlighting, etc.) but not a full IDE with
all the fancy jazz (GUI developer, UML diagrams, etc.).

Ideally, it would be something I could even put on a flash drive and
move from computer to computer, but this isn't necessary. Just something
I can immediately use in either Windows or Linux (or Mac, if necessary).

Based on another thread, I tried out Scite, but no matter what I do it
doesn't seem to remember the window size and position, or any options I
choose (like showing line numbers). It seems to always reset itself each
time I open it.

And naturally there are Emacs and Vim, but I just don't know if I need
to invest *that* much time into learning one of them (probably Vim,
since I hear it's lighter and faster).

I've tried a few others, like TextPad and Crimson, and right now I use
UltraEdit, which I love actually, except for minor issues here and
there. But it'd be nice to make the move, as much as possible, to free,
open-source, cross-platform software.

Thanks for any suggestions, and again I'm sorry if this feels like the
same question as usual (it's just that in my case, I'm not looking for
something like SPE, Komodo, Eric3, etc. right now).

[Josiah Manson]

You could try SciTE. It has syntax highlighting for almost every
language I have heard of plus some, and seems to work pretty well. It
has some issues with fonts, and on some computers is unstable (it
crashes in linux, and may have issues with multiprocessor machines).

I would also like to know if someone has made a good text editor that
works in a variety of languages and overcomes some of SciTE's
limitations.

John Salerno wrote:

I know there's a request for a good IDE at least once a week on the ng,
but hopefully this question is a little different. I'm looking for
suggestions for a good cross-platform text editor (which the features
for coding, such as syntax highlighting, etc.) but not a full IDE with
all the fancy jazz (GUI developer, UML diagrams, etc.).

Ideally, it would be something I could even put on a flash drive and
move from computer to computer, but this isn't necessary. Just something
I can immediately use in either Windows or Linux (or Mac, if necessary).

Based on another thread, I tried out Scite, but no matter what I do it
doesn't seem to remember the window size and position, or any options I
choose (like showing line numbers). It seems to always reset itself each
time I open it.

And naturally there are Emacs and Vim, but I just don't know if I need
to invest *that* much time into learning one of them (probably Vim,
since I hear it's lighter and faster).

I've tried a few others, like TextPad and Crimson, and right now I use
UltraEdit, which I love actually, except for minor issues here and
there. But it'd be nice to make the move, as much as possible, to free,
open-source, cross-platform software.

Thanks for any suggestions, and again I'm sorry if this feels like the
same question as usual (it's just that in my case, I'm not looking for
something like SPE, Komodo, Eric3, etc. right now).

[BartlebyScrivener]

I see Eclipse mentioned here a lot. Never tried it (i use Komodo).

http://www.eclipse.org/

It uses plugins. So, e.g., if you decide you do want an IDE, you add
PyDev

http://pydev.sourceforge.net/index.html

[Scott David Daniels]

John Salerno wrote:

And naturally there are Emacs and Vim, but I just don't know if I need
to invest *that* much time into learning one of them (probably Vim,
since I hear it's lighter and faster).

To paraphrase someone else (their identity lost in my mental fog) about
learning VI:
"The two weeks you'll spend hating vi (or vim) as you learn it will
be repaid in another month, ad the rest is pure profit."
--
--Scott David Daniels
sc***********@a cm.org

[Tim Chase]

I recommend Vim.

I'm looking for suggestions for a good cross-platform text
editor
Check.
(which the features for coding, such as syntax
highlighting, etc.)
Check.
but not a full IDE with all the fancy jazz
(GUI developer, UML diagrams, etc.).
Check.
Ideally, it would be something I could even put on a flash
drive and move from computer to computer, but this isn't
necessary.
Check
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache%...day%3D20050923
I do it doesn't seem to remember the window size and position,
in your gvimrc, use

set lines=50 columns=80
winpos 300 0
or any options I choose (like showing line numbers).
to enable line numbering
:set number
to disable line numbering
:set nonumber
to gottle line numbering
:set number!
It seems to always reset itself each time I open it.
Options can be saved in your vimrc/gvimrc file to preserve
settings. Additionally, the viminfo file can be used to preserve
registers, etc across editing sessions. On top of that, you can
use the ":mksession " command to take a snapshot of a session with
all its window positionings, manual folds, etc.
And naturally there are Emacs and Vim,
but I just don't know if I need to invest
*that* much time into learning one of them
(probably Vim, since I hear it's lighter and faster).
Excellent idea... :) I invested a bit of time up front to learn
vim, but it was well worth every moment I spent on it. I'll be
the first to admit that it has a learning curve like a brick
wall. But once you get the basics and force yourself to use it
until you get comfortable with it, it pays massive dividends.
to free,
Check.
open-source
Check.
cross-platform

Check.

In addition, it has folding, both console versions and GUI
versions, and a host of plugins for making various files easier
to edit. Oh, and a rather helpful mailing list!

Just some answers to your questions...

-tkc

[John Salerno]

Sybren Stuvel wrote:

Vim is definitely the best. If you're a GUI man, you can use GVim.

Ok, you guys are slowly converting me, but I do have one question: which
"version" of VIM should I use, or does it matter? I mean, there seem to
be at least two versions, a text version and the GUI version you
mention. Are the options shared between the two, or is it that you are
more or less "set" in one once you choose it, and if you move to the
other you have to redefine your preferences, etc.?

[Ant]

> I've tried a few others, like TextPad and Crimson, and right now I use

UltraEdit, which I love actually, except for minor issues here and
there. But it'd be nice to make the move, as much as possible, to free,
open-source, cross-platform software.

Vim is great if you have a good memory... Otherwise you end up trawling
through the help to find out how to do stuff that would in another IDE
be just a few menu clicks away.

jEdit is for me still the best text editor available. Very extensible
with macros (which can be written in Jython with the appropriate plugin
installed). Full mapping of key-bindings to built in commands, plugin
commands and macros a-la Vim, emacs etc. Also comes with a range of
plugins if you do want that little bit more power... Java based so
cross platform.

[John Salerno]

Ant wrote:

jEdit is for me still the best text editor available. Very extensible
with macros (which can be written in Jython with the appropriate plugin
installed).

I like the idea of being extensible, but of course I can only write in
Python. Are there any editors that support that?

[Fredrik Lundh]

John Salerno wrote:

jEdit is for me still the best text editor available. Very extensible
with macros (which can be written in Jython with the appropriate plugin
installed).

I like the idea of being extensible, but of course I can only write in
Python. Are there any editors that support that?

Jython is a Python implementation for Java.

</F>

[John Salerno]

Fredrik Lundh wrote:

John Salerno wrote:

jEdit is for me still the best text editor available. Very extensible
with macros (which can be written in Jython with the appropriate plugin
installed).

I like the idea of being extensible, but of course I can only write in
Python. Are there any editors that support that?

Jython is a Python implementation for Java.

</F>

Oh, I know, but doesn't it require knowledge of Java? Or am I being even
more newbie-ish than I thought I was? :)