Best Cross-Platform Code Editors

Web developers probably use code editors most of the time. Choosing one that works well for your workflow and goals, has all the features you need to be successful, and is easy to use can help improve your code quality and save you time.

These are the top five best cross-platform code editors for web developers that I have found. Each runs on one of the three major operating systems: Windows, Linux, and OS X. The features you will need will largely depend upon your working style, current programming skills, and the kind of work you plan to do. It is possible to use just one editor for all your development needs, but many developers use several different editors for different purposes.

Let’s take a look at the five best cross-platform code editors for web developers.

1. Atom

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for web development. At a glance, Atom by Github accomplishes the requirement to get something both customizable and user-friendly. With this great tool, you can integrate your own package manager within the realm of this great editor, and it offers a built-in package manager for installing new packages. It comes with a pre-installed, nice eight theme set variety of colors, including four UIs to choose from. You can easily find what you are looking for thanks to a productive and immensely supportive community that shares your love for customizing, colors, and creativity.

2. Visual Studio Code

One of the best JavaScript IDEs on the market, Visual Studio Code works on both Windows and Mac OS. The IDE can also support Node.js and TypeScript. Amongst many of its great features, it has a more significant syntax highlight than other development environments, covering languages like C++, C#, Python, and PHP, etc. Amongst many other great features, it has been praised for being easy to learn. The variables, functional definitions, and imported modules are automatically filled with IntelliSense. Using breakpoints, call stacks, and an engaging console, you can delve deeper into the code and debug it. Also, it is free to use.

3. Brackets

Brackets is the best IDE in this regard if you’re looking for an editor that understands the fundamentals of web design. It has a powerful set of tools with both visual and preprocessing support, so it’s quite handy. Because web designers would be able to better understand how difficult it is to alter a website according to a client’s needs, they wanted to create it specifically for them. Besides the fact that it’s wholly open-sourced and free, its best feature is that it’s entirely free. A huge community has developed around it due to these points, which allows it to provide support whenever needed.

4. Sublime Text 3 

Sublime is a powerful and versatile IDE, much like the other IDEs on this list. It supports JavaScript, works well on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and is completely free as well. Web developers rely on it for all the things they would expect a source code editor to do, and it will soon become that developer’s best friend. Learn about using it to its best advantage by watching a 2-hour video course. The Sublime Text IDE is not only free but it is used by both professionals and beginners who want to learn web development at a higher level. It’s also used a lot by academic writing professionals in the UK.

5. Net Beans

Since its inception, NetBeans has grown in popularity and usage among web developers. A powerful web development IDE that is easy to use and lets you develop a cool mobile or desktop web application in no time. The plugin is not only compatible with JavaScript but is also well known for its compatibility with both HTML5 and PHP, as well as both C and C++. As a free and easy-to-use tool that is compatible with Java8, it is an excellent choice for everyday use.

6. Light Table

Light Table is a powerful platform for developing and exploring applications and programs. Light Table is more like a reactive work surface than a web development tool. In terms of its user experience, it is more of a unique web development IDE. Rather than just creating a creative environment, a real work surface for coding is the approach behind its integration. The editor has additional features like decluttering, adding information, and moving around things that a basic editor does not have. The editor comes with its own app, so you can use it more efficiently than an ordinary editor.

7. Notepad++

Finally, Notepad is one of the best and most widely used IDEs for C++ development. It is an open-source editor specifically designed for work with C++. In spite of its support for more than 50 languages, and despite it not being the most used tool, C is still the first choice for many programmers. It runs best on Windows, and it has deep analytics because the C programming language is particularly popular among web developers. In light of the current importance of JavaScript and its efficient developments, it is likely that the Notepad family will soon release a tool that supports Java as the major platform.


8. PHP Storm

Why not make a PHP-specific IDE when you have one for every language? That’s why PHP Storm is also great in the PHP community. The Jet Brains PHP Framework offers one of the best coding environments out there for developers who use frameworks integrated with PHP. It has been increasingly used as WordPress users swelled over the years, which is why platforms like WordPress and Symphony work well together. Its most notable feature is a feature called Visual Debugger that requires no configuration. Additionally, this tool can provide greater insight into your code and application.

Conclusion

Web developers need the right IDE to make their job easier. There are a lot of factors that go into software development, but a primary tactic is to make sure you know the fundamental languages, such as JavaScript and HTML. The expertise in these language programs can open up many opportunities to maximize profit for your business.    

By Anurag Rathod

Anurag Rathod is an Editor of Appclonescript.com, who is passionate for app-based startup solutions and on-demand business ideas. He believes in spreading tech trends. He is an avid reader and loves thinking out of the box to promote new technologies.