Text Editors A REPORT ON SOME OF THE BEST TEXT EDITORS AVAILABLE AND THEIR PROS AND CONS
Edward Eldridge | Software Development | 22nd of November 2016 1
Contents 1. What is a text editor? 2. Why use a text editor? 3. Most popular text editors 4. Conclusion 5. Bibliography
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 2
What is a text editor?
A text editor is simply defined as a program that can be used to edit or create text. The most basic example of a text editor is Notepad. This is included on all computers but is extremely basic and should only be used for very basic tasks. Examples of text editors with more functionality include Notepad++, Sublime Text and Vim. I will be talking about these three different editors in this report.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 3
Why use a text editor?
Text Editors most basic function isn’t complex. They are used to edit and change text or to create text documents used as a reference for other programs. They are often used to change configuration files such as ‘.ini’ files, documentation files included with software or sometimes even to write source code. For simple tasks such as changing one or two variables in a configuration file or for taking simple notes, Notepad will suffice. However, if you are going to be spending a lot of time editing text files, having the advanced functionality of another text editing program such as Notepad++ or Sublime Text will make your life easier and save you a lot of time. Editors such as Notepad++ or Vim are used to create and edit HTML documents, CSS Files or even for creating complex configuration files. They are used instead of normal text editors because of their extra functionality such as the ability to break down the text into a more readable fashion using color and paragraphs and also their ability to use plugins tailored for specific needs. I will go over some of my favorite text editors and their pros and cons.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 4
Sublime Text
Due to it’s cross-platform and feature packed nature, Sublime Text is one of the most popular text editors available. It supports a wide variety of programming and markup languages.
Pros
Performance – Compared to other text editors such as Vim and Notepad++, Sublime Text requires very little system resources. This makes it useful for using on laptops and other mobile devices. User Interface – Due to it being a paid piece of software, a bit more thought has gone into the user interface. It’s easy on the eye with lots of customizable options. It also
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 5
supports a large range of simple shortcuts to making navigating your text that bit easier. Cons
Licensing – Unfortunately, Sublime Text is not an open source program and requires a license to use. You can download it for free but it will continuously prompt you to purchase it. The price isn’t cheap either, $70 for a text editor is a large sum of money.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 6
Notepad++ Notepad++ has been around for a long time. It’s usually used as an upgrade to Notepad or WordPad
Pros
Document Map – Lets you see the document in it’s entirety in a small window on the side of your screen Availability – Notepad++ is free and open source. It can also be installed portably so it can be ran from a flash drive or a cloud storage service such as OneDrive or Dropbox.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 7
Cons
Interface – Compared to Sublime Text, Notepad++’s interface is nowhere near as streamlined or visually appealing.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 8
Vim I had never personally heard of Vim up until doing this report but it has been hailed as the ‘Holy Grail’ of text editors. Work started on Vim in the late 80’s and it’s still used today.
Pros
Open Source – As is with all pieces of software, eventually someone will come along and make an open source version. Vim is the open source text editor. It’s cross-platform and also free.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 9
Customization – Due to it’s open source nature, Vim can be customized to suit the user’s needs. If the user is in desperate need for a specific feature they can develop an add-on themselves for Vim. Scripting Language – Vim even has it’s own scripting language called ‘vimscript’ or ‘VimL’. It has the very basic functionality of an object oriented programming language. This allows the user to manipulate text using actual code. Cons
Steep learning curve - Even though it’s simply a text editor, Vim has been known to have a rather steep learning curve. This is due to it’s user interface which isn’t user friendly in comparison to say Sublime Text or Notepad++.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 10
Conclusion In conclusion, we can see that most text editors are quite similar. The majority have tabbed interfaces for management of multiple files, highlight different text depending on it’s function. Their differences however are in their functionality, Notepad++ for example is useful for simple editing of configuration files and HTML documents. Sublime Text may be more suited to a business environment as it is a professionally made program and Vim may appeal to the programmer who wishes to support open-source software and to also have the ability to tweak it their own needs. Therefore, we can say, that there is no ‘best’ text editor. It is completely up to the user.
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016 11
Bibliography 1. Lifehacker Top 5 Text Editors) (http://lifehacker.com/five-best- text-editors-1564907215) 2. Sublime Text (https://www.sublimetext.com) 3. Notepad++ (https://notepad- plus- plus.org/download/v7.2.1.html) 4. Text Editors (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T ext_editor) 5. Vim (http://www.vim.org) 6. GitHub’s Text Editors (https://github.com/showcases/ text-editors)
EDWARD ELDRIDGE – SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (GMIT) – 22/11/2016