editor : Java Glossary

by Roedy Green ©1996-2008 Canadian Mind Products
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editor

A program whose main function is composing and modifying text files, without embedded formatting for font, colour etc. A word processor, in contrast, creates proprietary format files that encode font, colour, size etc. One of the main uses of an editor is preparing Java source code or HTML for web pages. Every IDE comes with an editor. A editor might be used to create HTML, which has text formatting, but you work with raw text tags.

What features are important?

Programmability gets more important over time as you learn to automate repetitive tasks. Programmability also lets you correct errors in the editor’s design.
An editor often has a feature to invoke the compiler without leaving the editor. It can analyse the error messages and jump you to the next error in your source with single keystroke.
They should do syntax colouring, or they are useless for Java.
For serious work you will need a diff function for comparing file versions
You also need a code beautifier so that all code is formatted in a standard way before committing it to the repository
Programmers are notoriously bad spellers. A spell checker can help with documentation and choosing meaningful variable names.
Editors don’t have integrated debuggers. If they did, they would be called IDEs.
There are editors specialised for editing HTML such as Dreamweaver. These could be thought of as a specialised sort of word processor.

Your choice of editor is crucial. You will use it more than any other program. It is very hard to switch editors, because they each work differently, and you do most of your editing without conscious thought about the particlar keystrokes.

My favourite editor is SlickEdit®. My least favourite editor is EMACS. It is just too unlike any other Windows program. Not even the mouse works the same way. It has a powerful LISP macro language which is why people fall in love with it.

Programmable editors include:

SlickEdit®
programmable in SlickC. Can also interface with DLLs. It is fast, powerful and extensible. On the downside, I would prefer its macro language were Java rather that SlickC. It is available for Windows, Linux, Solaris etc. About $284.00 USD .
jEdit
programmable in Java/Bean Shell. Open source. written in Java.
Multiedit
About $140.00 USD .
NoteTabPro
Programmable in its own macro language. It is fast capable of handling many documents simultaneously. It is available only for Windows. $20.00 USD
EMACS
programmable in LISP. A religion rather than an editor as you will find out if you ever say anything unkind about it. Works in ways quite unlike any other Windows/NT program. Even the mouse works a different way. You can think of it as a programming environment. Free.
Starbase Codewright
particularly good for columnar tasks. Formerlay Premia. Programmable in macros similar to C. Can also interface with DLLs. About $300.00 USD .
VIM
A VI clone often distributed with Unix. It adds functionality to VI for programmers. It is not a user-friendly editor, more in the tradition of EMACs with a long learning curve.

Non programmable editors include:

TextPad
has syntax colouring. Only $30.00 USD to register.
Ed
simple editor.
JCreator
easy for beginners. Runs well on modestly powered machines.
Notepad
comes free with Windows. Has nothing else to recommend it other than ubitquity.
Zeus: shareware.

Best to test drive an editor before purchase. You may hate something others like. I invite you to tell me about your favourite editors, where you can get them, and what you like/dislike most about them. What counts as a high end editor vs a low end IDE is a gray area. Editors are typically much faster which is why I prefer them to IDEs for all but debugging.

IDE
Jikes
SCID

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EMACS

VIM

Notepad