Free Programmers' Editors, IDEs, ASCII Text Editors
ASCII Text Editors, IDEs, Syntax Highlighting Editors
Free Programmer's Editors, Integrated Development Environment (IDE), ASCII Text Editors
This page lists free programmers' editors, Integrated Development Environment or IDEs, ASCII text editors or plain text editors, syntax highlighting code editors, and the like that are useful to programmers and web designers for writing the source code of a program or writing the HTML/PHP/Perl code for a website.
Note that certain specific types of editors have their own separate pages:
- Free Java IDE and Editors
- Free HTML Editors and Web Editors (includes PHP, Perl, ASP, HTML, JavaScript)
- Free Hexadecimal, Binary or Hex Editors, Hex Viewers and Disassemblers
- Free Resource Editors, Compilers and Icon Editors - create icons for your website's favicon
- Free Digital Audio / Sound Editors
- Free Word Processors and Office Suites
In addition, commercial programming editors like the famous UltraEdit (download trial here) are not listed below.
Related Pages
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- Free Installers and Setup Utilities
- The Beginner's A-Z Guide to Starting/Creating Your Own Website
- Nvu Tutorial: How to Design and Publish Your Website with Nvu (free WYSIWYG web editor)
- How to Register/Get Your Own Domain Name - get one for your software site
Disclaimer
The information provided on this page comes without any warranty whatsoever. Use it at your own risk. Just because a program, book, document or service is listed here or has a good review does not mean that I endorse or approve of the program or of any of its contents. All the other standard disclaimers also apply.
Free Programmer's Editors, ASCII Text Editors (Plain Text Editors), Syntax Highlighting Editors
- Notetab Light
This is the freeware sibling of the commercial Notepad Standard. It has lots of features, and can handle multiple files up to 2GB in sizes, if your memory permits. One handy feature it has is the ability to display a tab for each document you have open under the toolbar, which makes it convenient if you are navigating around with a mouse. In spite of the fact that there is no source code syntax highlighting, it's one of my current favourites. (To get the free version from the above link, click the "NoteTab Editors" link on the side panel.)
- ConText Editor
This syntax highlighting editor supports numerous programming languages including C/C++, Delphi, Pascal, Java, JavaScript, Visual Basic, Perl, HTML, SQL, FoxPro, 80x86 assembler, Python, PHP, Tcl/Tk, etc (you can customize the syntax highlighting). Other features include code templates, customisable help files for each file type, export to HTML/RTF, file conversion (DOS, Unix, MAC), bookmarks, commenting, uncommenting code, capturing the output from console applications, etc. This is a Windows editor.
- SourceEdit
SourceEdit is a source code editing with syntax highlighting for ASP, PHP, C/C++, C#, Visual Basic, Pascal, Perl, Cold Fusion, SQL, HTML, CSS and XML. Other features include code completion (like Microsoft's Intellisense), clipboard history, keyboard macros, RGB mixer, function list, projects and workspace, find and replace in files, FTP support (allowing you to edit files located on an FTP server), a built-in hex editor, unlimited undo and redo, the ability to show whitespace and numbers, window splitter, column selection, word wrap, add/remove comments to a block of code with a click of a button, show a file in the default browser, etc.
- SciTE
SciTE is a syntax highlighting editor that uses the open source Scintilla editor library. It features syntax highlighting for a wide variety of programming languagues, the ability to select rectangular regions of text, the facility to compile or run programs directly from the editor's output pane, built-in support for certain compilers (C/C++ compilers like gcc, Visual C++, Borland C++, Python, PHP, etc), support for sessions, folding for many languages, Unicode support, etc. Platforms supported include Windows and Linux. The program is open source.
- Notepad++
Notepad++ is a source code text editor with syntax highlighting (C, C++, Java, C#, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, ASP, SQL, Objective-C, etc), multiple document handling using tabs, auto-completion of keywords (customizable), regular expressions in the search and replace function, macro recording and playback, brace and indent highlighting, collapsing and expanding of sections of code (to zoom in and out of pieces of code such as to provide an outline overview of your text/code), etc.
- CUTE User-friendly Text Editor
CUTE is a text editor that is extensible using Python. It supports projects, syntax highlighting of various programming languages (C, C++, C#, Java, Python, JavaScript) as well as HTML (etc), multiple documents (tabbed or child frame), ctags, auto-completion, search and replace with regular expressions, bookmarks, undo/redo, has an integrated file browser, themes, key macros, etc. Binaries (executables) are available for Linux. The source code is released under the GPL.
- Anjuta DevStudio
Anjuta is a programmer's IDE for Linux with an editor that has syntax highlighting, code folding (or code hiding), automatic code formatting, autocompletion of code, line number display, text zooming, calltips for Linux/GNOME function prototypes, automatic indentation, etc. It also has an integrated debugger (gdb), application wizards to create GTK, GNOME and terminal applications, dynamic tags browsing, project management, etc.
- Notepad2
Notepad2, subtitled by the author as "yet another Notepad replacement", is a lightweight text editor that comes with syntax highlighting, undo, redo, a toolbar, handling of favourites, support for Unicode, UTF-8, Unix, Mac and DOS/Windows files, the ability to handle different code pages, and numerous other functions. It comes with source code.
- mi Text Editor (formerly MMKEdit)
mi is a text editor for Mac OS X, Mac OS 7.x, 8.x and 9.x. (There are versions for PPC Macs and 68k Macs) It has syntax highlighting for C, HTML and others. The English version is no longer supported.
- Open Perl IDE
Open Perl IDE is an integrated development environment for Windows that allows you to write and debug Perl scripts. It has a syntax highlighting editor which you can customize and it also allows you to debug your Perl scripts from within the IDE (for example, you can insert breakpoints, view and edit variables, etc). Open Perl IDE is open source and released under the Mozilla Public Licence.
- #develop (SharpDevelop)
#develop is a free Windows IDE for C# and VB.NET programs. It is released under the GNU GPL.
- Jedit Open Source Programmer's Editor
Jedit is a programmer's editor written in Java, so it runs on platforms that support Java, like Windows, Unix, Mac OS X, VMS, Linux, etc. It has syntax highlighting, a macro language, extensible plugin architecture, autoindent, word wrap, etc.
- syn Text Editor
syn is a syntax highlighting programmer's editor that supports numerous programming languages. It has autocomplete facilities, drag and drop editing, customizable shortcuts, unlimited undo and redo, highlighting of matching braces, etc. You can also extend its features using Microsoft's Active Scripting. This is a Windows editor.
- Visual MinGW
Visual MinGW is an IDE designed specially for use with the MinGW compiler (see the Free C/C++ Compilers page). The editor has wizards to create skeleton code for things like dialog boxes, SDI and MDI applications. It also has a project manager. The IDE is open source. Update: it looks like it's no longer being developed.
- RHIDE IDE for GNU based systems
RHIDE is an IDE for the GNU family of compilers that runs on MSDOS, Linux and Windows.
- Crimson Editor
This free programmer's editor supports syntax highlighting (HTML, C/C++, Perl, Java, Matlab, Latex, PHP, Delphi, ASP, Euphoria, Ada 83, etc), multiple documents (tabbed interface), multi-level undo/redo, word wrapping, spell checker, ability to execute user-defined tools and macros, edit remote files via FTP, find and replace, multi-byte support, auto-indent, etc.
- Leonardo IDE
Leonardo IDE is a Macintosh-based IDE, compiler and debugger for C programs. The Windows and Linux ports are said to be under development. It has a syntax highlighting editor, an ANSI C compiler, a compiler for the ALPHA visualization language, a graph editor, a reversible virtual CPU, etc. Note that the programs are not compiled to native code but to code to be executed for the virtual CPU. The virtual machine and debugger allows you to execute code forwards and backwards and supports multitasking. The IDE comes with animated algorithms, plus example source code for games like Tetris, Checkers, etc. The IDE is useful for checking and debugging your source code, search for memory leaks, etc. Note: development for this software has ceased.
- MinGW Developer Studio
The MinGW Developer Studio is an IDE for the MinGW compiler (see the Free C/C++ Compilers page). It features a multiple document interface, syntax highlighting, code folding, help integration, project management, debug and release project configuration support (like Visual Studio), debugging support, code calltip, makefile support, smart indent, etc.
- Jens File Editor
This editor features syntax highlighting (C, C++ and probably others), the ability to search in all opened files and in the current path and subdirectories, bookmarks, project management, macros, etc.
- Grasp Programmer's Editor
This programmer's editor comes not only with the usual syntax highlighting support for programming languages, it also supports Control Structure Diagram (CSD) - that is, it displays control structures which allow you to understand and follow the program logic more easily. Ada, C, C++, Java, and VHDL are apparently supported, and there are versions for Windows 95/NT, Linux and various Unix systems. There is also a Java version, called jGRASP, which is currently the only version that is still under active development.
- POW Programmers Open Workbench
This integrated software development environment for Windows allows you to generate native Windows applications using Oberon-2, and it includes an Oberon-2 compiler. The IDE also supports Java and C/C++. The Oberon-2 compiler is a full implementation of the language and comes with the Oberon-2 library OPAL which allows you to create Windows programs without having to directly access Windows API.
- Nedit Text Editor
Nedit is an X Windows text editor with a GUI interface reminiscent of Windows and Macintosh. It has a good support for mouse based actions including dragging selections, etc. Other features include syntax highlighting, for C++, C, Java, Ada, Fortran, Pascal, Yacc (the parser generator), Perl, Python, TCL, csh (C shell), awk, HTML, LaTeX, VHDCL, Verilog, etc; auto-indent; programmable language-sensitive smart-indent; block indentation adjustment; parenthesis flashing and matching; compiler errors matching to source lines; tab emulation; ctags support; C-like macro language; etc. Precompiled binaries are available for Silicon Graphics, Sun (Solaris and SunOS), HP-UX, Digital Unix, Ultrix, IBM AIX, Linux and VMS. Source code is also free, for those who want to tinker even further with it. You will need either Lesstif or Motif on your system to run the editor.
- Yudit Unicode Text Editor
Yudit is a Unicode text editor for Linux that has direct True Type support. The website claims that you can easily edit Unicode text without having to learn a new keybinding. It also supports the older non-Unicde character sets like ISO 8859, KOI8, JIS, GB, BIG5, KSC, EUC, and HZ. UTF-8 is its default encoding. You can enter any language's characters either by configuring your keymap, or by Unicode number, SGML name or RFC 1345 mnemonic.
- Kdevelop IDE
This XWindows C/C++ IDE has project management; a dialog editor which will generate the dialog box source code for you; a class browser; an integrated debugger; application wizards that can generate menu bars, toolbars, status bars, a mini KDE application, a Qt-only based application, a C/C++ terminal application; integrated editor with syntax highlighting; integrated Unix tools; a powerful help system; a class generator; etc.
- V IDE
V IDE works with GNU g++, Borland C++ 5.5 and Java and runs on Windows and Linux. It includes a syntax highlighting editor for C/C++, Java, Perl, Fortran, TeX and HTML. It has a built-in code beautifier, macro support, ctags support, project manager, integrated support for the V applications generator and icon editor, integrated support for the GNU gdb and Sun's jdb (for Java), etc.
- FTE
This syntax highlighting editor (for many languages and HTML) comes with source code and supports the Linux, Win32 and OS/2 platforms. It handles large files, has multiple levels of UNDO, support for an external spell checker, regular expression searching, support for executing a compiler, etc. It handles multiple documents but it loads them in split windows: the current version (at the time of this writing) does not support overlapping windows.
- Elvis (VI clone)
Elvis is a VI clone with syntax highlighting, multiple files in multiple windows, integrated support for FTP and HTTP, etc. It has ports to Windows, Linux, Solaris, OS/2, MSDOS
- GNU Emacs Editor
This is the well-known GNU Emacs editor. Some swear by it, others detest it and many flame wars have been fought by its adherents and its detractors. There are binaries for a multitude of operating systems (including the various flavours of Unix, Macintosh, and, would you believe it, DOS). It is supposed to be very configurable, and supports a number of computer languages.
- Jed Programmers' Editor
A programmer's editor that can be used even on remote terminals. The editor is supported on Linux. I'm not sure about other systems.
- LE Terminal Text Editor
A terminal text editor for Linux that has syntax highlighting, the ability to edit both Linux and DOS text files, and a configurable keymap. It runs on Linux and probably other Unix systems.
- LPE Editor
A console mode editor intentionally designed to be lightweight and devoid of frills. It runs on the Linux platform and is released under the GNU GPL.
- VIM (VI clone)
VIM, or VI Improved, is an editor in the spirit of the Unix "vi" editor. It has many extensions and has a special mode that allows it to mimic the Unix "vi" exactly. There are versions for a multitude of operating systems, including Win32, Unix, DOS, MacOS, OS/2, VMS, etc.
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