- A code editor is quite similar to a text editor that’s used for programming computer languages.
- Various programming software is designed for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, to help developers write code.
- Here, I have listed the 11 Best Free Programming Software for Writing Code for the convenience of developers.
List of Best Free Programming Software for Writing Code
| Top Picks | ||
| Software | Unique-Feature | Links |
| Notepad++ | Best for novice developers who want to code in Java, C#, or python. | |
| Visual Studio | Integration with Azure DevOps, good for creating applications in C# | |
| Xcode | The best option for creating iOS or macOS applications. Provides real-time analysis of the written codes. | |
| Brackets | Integrated with Adobe PSD content. Contains drag-n-drop facility and runs great on low-end devices. | |
| Eclipse | Tons of plugins to support Java and PHP, an IDE that’s highly customizable. | |
Some Famous Code Editors in 2022
Notepad++
Notepad++ is a free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.
It is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size. By optimizing as many routines as possible without losing user friendliness, Notepad++ is trying to reduce the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. When using less CPU power, the PC can throttle down and reduce power consumption, resulting in a greener environment.
It supports several programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc. One of its most useful features is that you can write or edit your program with this software anywhere. You can also open up to nine files at the same time. It has many helpful tools in it like finding and replacing options, text highlighting and line numbers, and so on.
This note-taking and coding editing is a simple application designed to help people take notes. Just like any other text editor, it allows users to create new files, open existing ones and save them at will. The only difference here is that instead of being used as a code editor or word processing tool, Notepad++ provides a simple interface that can be quite helpful for novice programmers.
Visual Studio
Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. Visual Studio is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It can be used to develop applications on the .NET Framework, C++, and other types of platforms using languages like Python or HTML/JavaScript.
Once you have written your post in a markdown format, run this command: $ Jekyll serve –watch Now go to localhost:4000 to check whether your website has been generated correctly or not.
The software contains lots of extensions that can be used to bring convenience into a programmer’s life. To tell you the truth, I also learned C# coding language, through this software.
It allowed me to learn about coding in different languages like HTML, C, C++, and C#. I used it to execute all the coding required to develop a website. Because one can also design his website through Visual Studio, by executing codes written in CSS.
I would also recommend it for users who are currently working on Azure DevOps because it’s fully integrated with this website database platform from Microsoft.
Sublime Text
The Sublime Text editor is a powerful and popular text editor, used by thousands of developers. It offers an amazing set of features for web development as well as for general-purpose programming.
It provides an intrigue that’s quite fancy, so it can be preffered by professionals who are willing to build codes in C# or python. And for beginners, the code editor suggests syntax suggestions, which is good if you want to write accurate codes.
With the built-in support for accuracy in syntax, Sublime Text can be used to code efficiently. There’s less wastage of time in curating the written codes, so it can be preffered by both beginners and professional programmers.
Xcode
I have created an application on Xcode that shows a button in a window with some text and two labels. when you click the button, it will print out “Hello World” in the console window. Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) for iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and other Apple platforms as well as non-Apple operating systems.
It’s very important to be familiar with the Xcode interface since it will likely be one of your main tools as a developer. Especially for the ones who like to develop iOS or macOS applications.
One thing that’ll definitely intrigue you about Xcode is its ability to design an application. It allows you to drag and drop the items in the console which you would like to include in your applications. With such a facility enabled, you can easily create applications with desired design and add functionalities using Xcode and Swift.
While coding, you get real-time alerts on your mistakes and get a chance to learn how to create a fully functional application. All in all, Xcode can also be good for beginners who are willing to learn the process of developing iOS or macOS software.
AWS Cloud9
Cloud9 is a cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) that allows you to edit, run, and debug code in the cloud with just a browser. With Cloud9, you can develop applications using popular programming languages such as JavaScript, HTML/CSS, PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, and more.
I would recommend AWS Cloud9 for professionals, users who are building projects and like to collaborate with one another in real-time. Because it allows one to share his projects on other devices and test the serverless applications.
While using Cloud9, users can communicate with others while developing or designing a project. The software also supports all kinds of famous programming languages, so you will not face any incompatibility issues while using it.
IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is a comprehensive IDE for Java development that simplifies building, testing, and running applications on the JVM. It comes with built-in tools to support your productivity and quality assurance, helping you stay focused on your business logic.
It contains support for third-party tools like Git, and a lot of features that can be enabled programming complicated applications. However, I would only suggest IntelliJ IDEA for professional developers, because beginners might find it hard to develop projects through this software.
With IntelliJ IDEA, users can develop Java applications with ease, and the implementation of JavaScript is also quite simple. So it can be a source for developers who are willing to program applications in the Java language.
TextMate
TextMate is a text editor for Mac OS, created by Allan Odgaard. It was one of the first editors to support full-screen editing with auto indentation and syntax highlighting. Its primary author uses a MacBook Pro Retina, Magic Trackpad, Apple Wireless Keyboard, and Magic Mouse. TextMate has been designed from the start to work well with these devices.
This code editor looks simple, but it can help you handle heavy load coding operations like no one else. The support for third-party plugins makes it more convenient for programmers to code without any complications.
Users can select and customize multiple code lines at the same time, so professional developers can prefer it if they want a fully organized code that is easy to handle and manipulate. Similarly, TextMate also shows you which lines were changed recently, so you can locate and fix the errors, if there are any.
NetBeans
NetBeans is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for developing Java programs, along with several other languages. NetBeans has been around since 1999 when it was called Sun ONE Studio.
The IDE provides a very feature-rich environment for creating and editing code, compiling the code into executable files, running the code to test it out, and debugging code to better understand how it works.
Another good facility of NetBeans is that it allows one to compare two different code files. So that, programmers can identify what’s wrong with their code, or how they can make it more efficient, so it could work properly.
It’s a good option for users who are interested in using a code editor that’s integrated with web server applications like Tomcat, GIT, and GlassFish.
However, I would only recommend it for users who have high-end devices. Because NetBeans consumes can’t run smoothly on slower devices, else, coding experience is great for beginners and programmers.
Gedit
Gedit is a text editor that comes with the GNOME desktop environment. It is designed to be lightweight, and easy to use while not compromising on powerful features. It was originally written in C programming language by Giuseppe Galletto and later rewritten using Vala language by Aditya Muktheswaran. The name Gedit stands for “GNOME Text Editor”.
It can be preffered by users who are willing to do high-end coding on their computer but never want the program to debug by slowing the performance speed. Because Gedit works great on low-end devices and contains the ability to execute lengthy codes.
In addition, this code editor offers a huge variety of appearance customizations. You can select whatever theme suits your requirements or simply select the dark theme to develop programs like a pro.
Brackets
Brackets is a free, open-source code editor that’s modern, lightweight, and highly customizable. It supports nearly all popular coding languages including CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and PHP. And it’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
The code editor works well for users who like to create fully functional web pages. Because it contains a real-time reviewing tab, to help individuals stay tuned with their actual programming progress.
As it is a product of Adobe, it is fully integrated with Adobe PSD. It can help your design your projects by dragging and dropping the items, right into the perspective tabs, where you are designing your projects.
All in all, Brackets works well for both novice and professional developers, who want a fully-featured code editor with fewer complications.
Eclipse
Eclipse is a universal tool platform – an open extensible IDE for building tools for any language, platform, and target. The Eclipse software development environment is written entirely in Java and is extremely flexible.
With its architecture based on plugins, it can be extended to support new languages and platforms through the addition of plug-ins. It provides a number of different ways to build your app with rich technology that allows you to choose the best way to build your application.
Eclipse is a multi-language, multi-platform integrated development environment (IDE) for software developers. Originally created as a Java IDE, it has expanded to include other languages and platforms such as C/C++ and PHP.
That’s all, thanks for your time spent reading the 11 Best Free Programming Software for Writing Code at it’sDailyTech.
