Hello fellow campers.
Which text editor do you use? And why do you like it?
I started with Sublime and I particularly like it because I can have a split screen between HTML and CSS (I am still learning the languages). And I can easily switch to the actual page I am building.
But due to the FCC projects I guess using codepen is also helpful and you see the changes right away.
I used Sublime for a bit (which is a good editor I hear).
When I was first starting out on FreeCodeCamp, well I still am just starting out, I used Brackets 'cos the live preview is nice on OSX but it doesn’t seem to work so well now I have moved across to Linux. Now I am using Atom and have set-up Browsersync to do the live preview instead. To be honest I don’t think it matters so much what text eitor you use at this stage… try them all see what one you like…
p.s. If you setup Browsersync you can quickly see changes you make https://www.browsersync.io/
For a basic text editor I use SublimeText. When it comes to IDEs, my favorites are JetBraines IDEs, but I currently use VSCode for work to be consistent with the rest of my team. For doing quick stuff online I use repl.it or stackblitz.
I use VSCode since it is makes writing code so much easier especially with certain extensions installed. And you can install very helpful extensions for web development – like a live server that serves your html pages while you make adjustments in them or in js or css or other dependencies. Sublime may have similar abilities (I’ve never used it myself so others will point out how they compare no doubt!), but I LOVE VSCode.
The great thing about open source software is that you can try it all out and pick which one works for you!
BTW here’s a great list of editors comparable to VSCode, such as Atom, Sublime, etc.
I have been using Sublime for the longest time. I tried it because it was free, but then I ending up paying for a liscense because I liked it so much. I just like how sleek and customizable it is. I have also never had a problem with it crashing or anything. As an alternative I have used VS code when working with UE4, since using Sublime couldnt build the project/editor without more work that I wanted to put into it haha. I have also a very short experience with Notepad++, thats pretty decent too- and free!
As for seeing changes immediatley, I usually tend to just flip between desktops; one with Sublime and one with Firefox open. Its not quite as immediate as codepen, but its close enough for me.
Yeah me too – or you can shrink the browser window and place it side by side next to the IDE. That has the added benefit of forcing you to develop “mobile first” and adjust upwards for bigger screen sizes. I serve locally to FF from VSCode since it saves me from doing so many <CTRL> + R’s and can just save the file to update.
VS Code has been my favorite for a long time now. There is a bunch of plug-ins that can make it adjust to any need, one of them is live editing at Glitch where you will be having FCC projects later, very useful plug-ins for React, and the live server others have mentioned
/Jakob
Hi Lucca,
I use Visual Studio Code for everything I need.
I suggest you give it a shot! 
Gustavo.
In the beginning I used atom which they say was a good option and yes it does work well, but none the less now I’m on to sublime.
And the main difference to me btw the two, is that in sublime you put in a tag name and press tab, and the entire tag opener and closer appears, on contrary to atom where as soon as you start typing a word it starts giving you all the tag options according to what you typed in, as a drop down selection.
Well it is very helpful of atom, but in the end it just made me nervous, so I dropped it.
Just to note that my personal opinion is that brackets is very weak quality.
I admit I just use GitPod…
Atom -
Its beginner-friendly
Has plenty of packages that make HTML/ CSS/ JS dev a breeze.
Easiest integration with GIT.
Tip: Use any editor with an extra monitor/ screen for bumper productivity.
I use Sublime with the Emmet plugin. I have been pretty happy with it over the years. I have tried out VS Code since it was recommended in a LinkedIn Learning course I was taking, but I haven’t given it enough of a chance to be as comfortable with it.
I use a couple, depending on the circumstances.
local editors
cloud editors
I used to use vim for more serious work, but gave up as I couldn’t handle the cognitive overload of remembering how to do stuff. Being a “linux guy” I really pushed against the idea of using VSCode and was using Atom. I had to make the switch for better TypeScript support, and haven’t looked back.
For a web dev, VSCode should be the main choice. VSCode is powerful enough, while still being light weight enough. It also has tons of plugin support for a lot of stuff, runs reasonably well even for an electron app, and has tons of support directly from Microsoft. Other options like Atom, and WebStorm (costs $) are good alternatives, but both have issues with performance and overhead.
As being someone who uses a Chromebook often, there are other “cloud editors” that are worth mentioning as alternatives to what I already mentioned:
repl.it is used for the python projects
Oops, thanks for pointing that out.
Fixed.
I started out using Sublime, then VSCode for some time and then switched to VSCodium.
I use VS code since a year It’s a one of the best IDE I ever use.
I used to use VSCode, and I loved it. But now I’m just using Neovim (It’s a Vim community clone). Not very beginner friendly, but I went down the rabbit hole head first, and I love it.