HTML Editor Reviews | Reviews and Discussion of (X)HTML Coding Tools

First Look: Aptana 0.3

I just spent 2 1/2 hours downloading the 44MB Aptana public beta. The website describes Aptana thus:

Aptana is a robust, JavaScript-focused IDE for building dynamic web applications. Highlights include the following features:

• Code Assist on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS languages, including your own JavaScript functions
• Outliner that gives a snapshot view of your JavaScript, HTML, and CSS code structure
• Error and warning notification for your code
• Support for Aptana UI customization and extensions
• Cross-platform support
• Free and open source. (Source available soon)

While it definitely wouldn’t be fair to review a product still in beta, I wanted to share some of my initial impressions.

What I Like

• This is the first time I’ve liked the look and speed of a Java-based editor. The developers have done an excellent job with the GUI, and on my Windows XP laptop, Aptana is pretty zippy.
• Tabbed, multi-document interface with draggable tabs. Now I can reorder open files to my heart’s content. I don’t know why more editors don’t have this.
• The outline sidebar. Gives you a graphical outline of your current document.
• Project sidebar. Create definable projects.
• Code hinting and code completion for HTML, CSS, and Javascript! And it “feels” right — very smooth and responsive.
• Auto-pairing of quotes and brackets. Also highlights brackets and quotes when your cursor is in between them.
• I’m using the Windows version, but there are also versions for OS X and Linux.
• So far, it’s free.
• Great website: easy to navigate, lots of info, screenshots, screencasts, forum, wiki.

Gripes

• 44MB. 2 1/2 hours. Man I hate dial-up.
• No PHP (server-side language) support at this time.

Overall

I obviously haven’t tested Aptana thoroughly enough to know if there are bugs or quirks. But, from what I’ve seen, Aptana is looking great at version 0.3. If you’re working almost exclusively in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, go and download a copy and test it out. I’m definitely looking forward to future releases. I’d love to hear other’s impressions — leave a comment if you’ve tried Aptana.

7 Comments »

1. Aptana is a rebranded version of the Eclipse IDE, If you want support for PHP, Python, Ruby or Perl then there’s plugins you can download from the EasyEclipse project’s plugin page.

   Or, (what I wound up doing since I was already running EasyEclipse for LAMP) you can install Eclipse and download Aptana as a plugin for that.

   Comment by Michael Raichelson — July 29, 2006 @ 8:29 am

2. Hi Michael,

   Thanks for that info. Eclipse is another huge download, but I’ll definitely have to check it out.

   Eric

   Comment by Eric — July 29, 2006 @ 9:50 am

3. A Think you didn’t explore it in details its a superb IDE for Javascript they are working on including PHP also its just a beta.

   It actually only 27 MB the extra 20 MB is for the Java Runtime you could have downloaded the one whithout the JRE from http://www.aptana.com/download_all.php

   Considering the fact that its a IDE 44 MB is not such a big thing.

   Comment by Arpit Jacob — August 4, 2006 @ 5:23 am

4. Hi Arpit,

   Thanks for pointing out the JRE-free version. smacks own head

   44MB isn’t a big deal when you have high-speed internet, and when considering it is an IDE, but it is a big deal when you’re on dial-up.

   Comment by Eric — August 4, 2006 @ 8:13 am

5. Hi Eric, I’ve solved traffic problem in next way: 1) download eclipse-platform-3.2-win32 (from eclipse site) = 33Mb 2) From eclipse download and install Aptana plugin = about 2-3 Mb (don’t remember exactly BONUS: when I’ve checked Memory consumption.. Aptana = 130 (Mem Usage) + 200 VM Size (Windows Task Manager) Eclipse+Aptana plug=80+100. For me it’s a big deal.

   Comment by daemon — August 9, 2006 @ 1:48 pm

6. daemon: Thanks for the tip. I downloaded Eclipse (for LAMP) from the Easy Eclipse page over the weekend and just loaded the Aptana plug-in into that. Haven’t had time to test it yet, though.

   Comment by Eric — August 9, 2006 @ 1:53 pm

7. Here’s my opinion on Apatna…

   http://musingsonbytecodes.blogspot.com/2009/07/help-get-it-off-of-me.html

   Comment by Chetan Kumar — July 5, 2009 @ 8:57 am

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