Top 5 Text Editors for Mac
Text editing is a very important part of a developer’s life. This is even more significant for Mac developers, who are accustomed to a captivating environment. For them, there is a good selection of software. Here below, is a description of five top text editors for Mac. For each of them, the highlights and downsides are detailed.
- When GitHub tells the world it’s working on a code editor, the world listens with utmost attention. After all, it’s GitHub we are talking about.
- The 11 Best Code Editors Available in 2018. Espresso is a Mac-only code editor, but it can’t not be mentioned. It’s nearly an IDE, but works as smoothly and cleanly as Atom or Sublime. A lightweight Text/Code Editor (Like NotePad ++ for Windows) is a way more practical way to create simple proyects or make light modifications to code.
1. UltraEdit
UltraEdit is a commercial software that has been in the market since 1994. However, it has a free trial period of 15 or 30 days, depending on usage. It is well received amongst developers, and in 2006 Softpedia considered it as excellent.
UltraEdit stands out because of its multiple features, which are true aids to development. These features include many editing tools, such as automation via macros and scripts, configurable syntax highlighting, code folding, file type conversions, regular expression find and replace, column edit mode, and Unicode and hex editing mode. These utilities are complemented with an interface for APIs.
That and some nice theme options make it a beautiful and fast way to edit code. It easily wins as my personal favorite text editor. MacVim is an amazing program for those willing to learn its ways.
In addition, UltraEdit has functionality for comparing files, file encryption and decryption, remote editing via FTP, and project management.
Overall, UltraEdit is a best text editor for Mac as its comprehensive collection of utilities are a definite aid to any developer.
2. Brackets
Brackets is an open source and free text editor, initially created by Adobe Systems, and at present maintained on GitHub. It has been available since 2014, and it is regularly updated. This text editor Mac is written in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It is cross platform, and aimed at Web Development.
Default Text Editor Mac
This free text editor Mac has an impressive set of functionalities. They include Quick Edit, which allows for inline editing of CSS, Color Property, and JavaScript elements; and Live Preview, which puts code edits instantly to the browser, presenting an updated webpage as the code is changed. Live Preview is based on a Node.js backend, which predicts what the code does as the developer types the code.
Other popular functions include element highlighting, where elements selected in HTML and CSS files are highlighted within the browser; and Split View, which creates splits of windows either vertically or horizontally.
Brackets supports multiple file formats, covering over 38 file types, including C++, C, VB Script, Java, JavaScript, HTML, Python, Perl, and Ruby.
In addition, this free text editor Mac includes a feature named PSD lens, which enables the extraction of pictures, logos and design styles from PSD files without the need of opening Photoshop. Brackets richness is enhanced by its extensions, which empowers users to create additional functionality.
Summarizing, Brackets presents a popular and great choice, which in addition to being free, has many very useful features for code development.
3. Komodo Edit
Komodo Edit is an open source free text editor Mac, with a very good user interface that makes it useful for writing code and other things. This app has several useful tools for editing, such as the capacity to track changes, autocomplete, multiple section, skin and icon sets, and a markdown viewer.
Coupled with them, are multi-language support, a friendly toolbox, commando, and a projects and places manager. This editor is an offprint of the well-known Komodo IDE, from where it inherits many of its good characteristics.
Overall, it is a very professional and complete tool, with an interface that stands out. In addition, it is free and open source, meaning that the code is available to anyone wanting to use it.
4. Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a commercial text editor Mac. However, it offers an evaluation version for unlimited time, making it free in practice. Currently it is in version 2, with a beta version 3.
This editor comes with a Python Application Programming Interface (API), and supports many languages. Besides, its functionality can be enhanced via plugins, typically developed by communities and available under free software licenses.
Sublime Text has a user friendly interface, with 22 different themes to choose from. Amongst its most interesting features is the distraction free mode, which consists of having only the text in the center of the screen.
Other functionalities are an advanced customization capacity, based on simple JSON files; and split editing, which can be done with two different files or with different parts of one file.
In brief, its quick navigation to files and lines, its cross-platform support, and project-based preferences, make this app being frequently rated as “best text editor for Mac”.
5. Atom
Atom is a free and open source text editor Mac, written in Node.js and embedded in GitControl. It can be used as a plain text editor Mac, or a source code editor. Through the use of plug-ins, this app supports many languages such as HTML, CSS, C/C++, Objective-C, Java, Go, C#, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Perl, XML, Mustache, Clojure, Ruby, and several more, making it a useful tool for the modern developer.
![Text Edit Code For Mac Text Edit Code For Mac](/uploads/1/3/3/2/133272430/988703645.jpg)
Some of its useful characteristics include multi-tabbed editing, auto-completion, multiple panes, a file system browser, good navigation options, and a package manager. In addition, a very important feature of Atom is the availability of virtually thousands of free packages, which completely increases its functionality.
Its user interface is friendly, and it comes with several themes that permit the user to select a visual environment of his liking.
Download Text Edit For Mac
In general, Atom presents a wise choice, particularly for MEAN web developers.
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Xcode is the go-to Mac development environment, but it can be a bit much for a beginner. If you’re curious and just want to play around, Microsoft Visual Studio Code10 Essential Productivity Tips for Visual Studio Code10 Essential Productivity Tips for Visual Studio CodeVisual Studio Code blows other programming text editors out of the water. It's free, open source, lightning fast, and packed with productivity features.Read More might be the better choice.
It’s no longer weird to see Microsoft in the Mac section since the company ramped up its Mac and iOS support a few years ago. Visual Studio Code is another promising product from Apple’s rivalMicrosoft Loves Apple – These Mac and iOS Apps Prove itMicrosoft Loves Apple – These Mac and iOS Apps Prove itStuffy, boring, insular. These are three adjectives that have been used to describe the Microsoft of yesteryear. But that Microsoft is gone. They've changed. Radically.Read More.
Iphone text message forwarding. It has support for myriad languages, and you don’t even need to compare it to Xcode since they serve different needs.
![Text Edit Code For Mac Text Edit Code For Mac](/uploads/1/3/3/2/133272430/940267745.jpg)
Who Is It For?
If you are looking for an extensible text editorThe Best Mac Text Editors to Use in 2018The Best Mac Text Editors to Use in 2018Need a new text editor for your Mac? Here are the best free and paid macOS text editors for plain text, coding, and everything in between.Read More, Visual Studio is a real competitor to Sublime and Atom. Like most of Microsoft’s recent macOS efforts, it feels surprisingly at home on Apple’s platform.
It has a darker theme, and doesn’t look like a hastily dashed-off port of the Windows version. Code is great for simple automation scripts, but plugin support is where it really shines.
With community-developed plugins, Visual Studio Code can be a Swiss Army text editor. One plugin allows you to write and run shell scripts in the editor, as well as a host of other languages. Another has support for Markdown. There’s even a plugin to write and run Applescript.
If you are a sysadmin that has to work with Windows systems, you can also use Code to write Powershell on the Mac. Find and replace text for mac excel. Developers can find plugins to support almost any language you like.
The inclusion of native Git version control means you can easily do all your work from a single editor.
Getting Started
When Microsoft ported Visual Studio Community to the Mac, it was a bit of a mess. The design focused on the idea of cross-platform mobile development. This included some packages from Xarmin to enable multi-platform mobile apps using C#.
Code gives you a simple stand alone program without any cruft. Simply head over to the Visual Studio Code site and it should auto-detect that you are on a Mac.
Download the package and unzip it. Once you have copied the app to the Applications folder, you are ready to go. When you first open the app, you’ll see a web page with a rundown of the basics of working with the app. This includes some of the most popular plugins that you can install.
If you scroll down, you’ll find a list of handy keyboard shortcuts too. You can press Shift + Command + P to get a full list of available commands. If you prefer Vim or Emacs shortcuts, there are plugins to use these instead.
Plugins for Everything
The Visual Studio page has a free marketplace for plugins that you can explore. You can also search and install them right in the app, which makes it easier to get working right away. To open the plugins marketplace click on the bottom icon in the toolbar on the left.
By default, it opens with a list of the most popular extensions:
In our example above, we are going to install the AppleScript plugin. This has support for writing and running Applescript. This allows you to get some experience with a language that’s native to your Mac.
In the plugin menu, enter Applescript, it should be the first result. Select it, click Install, then wait for the Reload button to pop up. Click it to reload Code, and the plugin is ready to go.
Testing Plugins by Running Code
We are going to write a simple script and ask to use the editor to Run it. First, open iTunes, then switch back to Code. Enter the following script:
Save your script as Quit-iTunes.applescript and you should see the correct syntax highlighting. To run your script, press Shift + Option + R — you should see iTunes quit. This confirms you can use Visual Studio Code to write and run Applescript.
Of course, there’s already a built-in OS editor for thatHow to Use Applescript's UI Scripting on MacHow to Use Applescript's UI Scripting on MacRead More. However, you can also install the Code Runner utility, to run shell scripts as well. Now Code can be a central place to work with your scripts.
Advanced Features
For coders, there is built in GitWhat Is Git & Why You Should Use Version Control If You’re a DeveloperWhat Is Git & Why You Should Use Version Control If You’re a DeveloperAs web developers, a lot of the time we tend to work on local development sites then just upload everything when we’re done. This is fine when it’s just you and the changes are small,..Read More and debugging. You can access everything from the toolbar on the left. If you are working with the Terminal, you can access it right from the app. When you click on the debug icon (the bug with a line through it), you can then click the little terminal and work on the command line.
Git support operates on the folders that you open, but it can make it easy for you to make changes and commit them all in the same window. If you just want a directory to pin to the side (as with Text Wrangler), there doesn’t seem to be a way to do that. This is a small gripe but might prevent some people from switching.
There’s also a Zen mode that strips away all the chrome. This creates a distraction-free editor.
Transform Code Into Something Else
You can just use Code as a scripting editor if you want, but there are many different things you can do with Code. You can simply copy a command into Code and each plugin will be installed, which we’ve included below.
Markdown Editor
Text Editor For Code Mac
If you are looking for a text editor focused on writing MarkdownWhat Is Markdown? 4 Reasons Why You Should Learn It NowWhat Is Markdown? 4 Reasons Why You Should Learn It NowTired of HTML and WYSIWYG editors? Then Markdown is the answer for you no matter who you are.Read More, you can use the following plugin combo:
Markdown All In One — This plugin gives you keyboard shortcuts and support for table of contents and lists in Markdown. You can also open a second pane that previews your text as your type it. The command to install is: ext install markdown-all-in-one
Markdown Converter — If you are writing Markdown to convert to another format, this plugin lets you choose a variety of formats. It supports HTML, PDF, and even image files. The command to install is: ext install markdown-converter
Web Development
Mac Text Edit Help
If you want to set up Code for web development, here is a suggested combo:
HTML5 Snippets — This plugin allows for HTML highlighting along with snippets and autocomplete. The command to install is: ext install html-snippets
Javascript (ES6) Code Snippets — This plugin has snippets for a few different flavors of Javascript that use the ES6 syntax. The command to install is: ext install JavaScriptSnippets
Intellisense for CSS class names — This is a helpful tool for setting up autocomplete on the defined classes for your CSS sheets. The command to install is: ext install html-css-class-completion
Why Choose Code?
Code is not the first editor to have a wide array of plugins,Making The Best Text Editor Better: 7 Great Sublime Text PackagesMaking The Best Text Editor Better: 7 Great Sublime Text PackagesRead More but it does feature some of the best plugin support in the business. Code has a diversity of options to help guide from beginner to expert. It can just as easily be a handy text editor with more options than TextEdit.
Are you just getting started with scripting on the MacWhat Is AppleScript? Writing Your First Mac Automation ScriptWhat Is AppleScript? Writing Your First Mac Automation ScriptAppleScript can help you automate repetitive tasks on your Mac. Here's an overview and how to write your first AppleScript script.Read More? If you are passionate about other text editors, let us know why your choice is the best!
Image Credits: Galushko Sergey/Shutterstock
Explore more about: Applescript, Programming, Text Editor, Visual Studio Code.
- I was considering using VSC as an IDE on my Mac.. but a lot of people online seem to think it's almost spyware, that MS has telemetry going that doesn't stop even if you 'disable' it in their config options. They claim that their firewalls (I assume application-level firewalls, like Little Snitch or Hands Off? not sure) keep flagging VSC attempts to phone home.Others say that's just VSC checking for updates. Maybe. But I don't really trust MS. On the other hand, it might be a nice free IDE for JS, maybe even for PHP?Thoughts on the privacy/security issues?