Part of the programming process happens in the head, but you also need a good code editor to help translate all your ideas to a computer screen. In Windows, there are a lot of free code editors that are quite good and with a lot of potential, and that is precisely what we are going to see in today’s post.
Sublime Text
Sublime Text helps you code faster thanks to its suggestion and auto-completion of code for HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. It also has an API compatible with server languages ​​such as Python and PHP.
The interface allows easy switching between folders and offers some smart packages, although it does not have all the functionality of an IDE. Although there is a full version with a license, the free version is more than decent for those who are just starting to code. Available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Notepad ++
One of the most popular code editors, written in C ++. Notepad ++ is lightweight and has great execution speed thanks to its Win32 API. It uses a GPL license and is available only for Windows.
The text editor displays syntax errors for languages ​​like PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. It also offers suggestions for completing words and functions, as well as macro recordings and playback with a fully customizable graphical interface.
Atom
Another of the most popular free code editors for Windows. It has a really simple interface but with a high level of usability. One of its most useful features is that it allows you to send packages directly from the application.
It also offers plugin support, command color palette, smart autocomplete, multiple windows, and more.
Visual Studio Code
One of its most remarkable features is that you are dealing with a really light code editor. Developed by Microsoft, it offers support for different platforms (Windows, Linux, and Mac) and functions that go beyond those of a simple text editor.
VS Code allows you to write code in an interactive environment with the help of artificial intelligence, all through a simple interface that is very easy to access for new programmers. It has an intelligent error detector and a live server with which you can see the changes we make in real time.
Apache NetBeans
In this case, we are facing an open-source project. With this tool, you can develop with Java, C ++, PHP, and other popular programming languages.
Like the rest of the editors, it highlights the flaws in the source code to correct errors. It also offers wizards and templates to help you build your first apps. Available for Windows, Linux, Mac OSX, and BSD.
Brackets
A great code editor that differs from the rest thanks to a large number of features it offers. Developed by the Adobe team, this is an Open Source editor available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
With Brackets, you can see previews in the live browser and modify the code on the fly. It also has code converters, a quick edit function, project management, batch analysis …
Bluefish
Bluefish is an editor for programmers and web developers with a multitude of options for writing web pages, scripts, and applications. This is a light and fast editor, capable of loading up to more than 500 documents with ease.
It offers project support, remote file access support using gvfs, compatible with FTP, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, WebDAV, CIFS, and others. It also has the classic search and replaces tools, as well as the possibility of integrating external programs such as Lint, Weblint, Tidy, or Javac.
Codespaces
Codespaces is a “cloud code editor” that works from the browser, based on Visual Studio Code. It offers integration with Git repositories, extensions, and a terminal window from where you can edit, run and debug code from any device with Internet access.
Codespaces is a tool developed by Microsoft. Although the company has already hinted that it intends to create payment options to use Codespaces in cloud environments, the application itself is still completely free.
CodeLite
CodeLite is a free and open-source IDE platform specialized in C, C ++, PHP, Node.js, and JavaScript. Available for Windows, but also Linux and macOS.
Being an IDE, you find a more elaborate development environment than that of a simple text editor, with support for plugins, a generic compiler, interactive debugging, integration functions, and autocomplete. At first, it may seem a bit complex for novice users, although it is easy to get used to once you have gotten the hang of it.
Vim
Vim is a command line application originally designed for Linux and macOS 30 years ago, although it is also available for Windows. It is an “old school” tool and is operated only with the keyboard.
Vim offers quite a few cool features, such as the ability to create keyboard shortcuts for certain commands or add plugins. It requires a bit of “acclimatization” to learn to navigate and customize the editor to our liking, but it is one of those applications that undoubtedly has its charm.
