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

The Slow Death of TopStyle

I recently received an email (thanks, Charles) asking me to bring readers’ attention to the current plight of TopStyle, which hasn’t been updated in well over a year or two. As a result, the editor’s strong user base are concerned about TopStyle’s catatonic state (see here and here). Newsgator, on the other hand, seems to have little interest in the product, although they have posted an ad for a Delphi developer to continue work on the editor. I don’t know if any Delphi developers visit this site, but it would be great to get the word out in case some do. It would be a shame if the product didn’t continue to evolve, since it was and continues to be (despite its lack of updates) one of the best editors on the market.

Review: Komodo IDE 4.0

(Please note: this review is based on the Windows version of Komodo IDE 4.0.)

Ok, before I say anything else, I’ll say this: Go get Komodo IDE 4.0 and test it out. This is a great editor, packed with excellent features. If you code for the web, it’s got most if not all of the tools you need to not only build your sites and applications, but test and debug them as well.

Continue reading Review: Komodo IDE 4.0 »

First Look: Intype

Similar to the e Text Editor, Intype is a Windows take on the Mac-only TextMate. An early take. In fact, the software is still in the Alpha stage, having only recently materialized out of vaporware status. But it’s coming along nicely, featuring TextMate’s minimalist interface, themes, and trademark bundles and snippets.

Continue reading First Look: Intype »

Watch for Falling Rocks

I’m going to be playing around with some different themes for the site, so there is going to be some inevitable weirdness. Namely, ratings and stuff will disappear, as well as the forum posts in the sidebar. Sorry for any inconvenience…

UPDATE: I’ve decided to go with the “Internet Jobs” WordPress theme. I’m still tweaking, but the basic layout is what I want. Like it? Hate it? Let me know (with reasons).

Trust

Whew, long time no post. Blame it on being busy and a short-term fixation on accounting. Time to correct that…

For consistency, I base the reviews found on the site on a kind of grading rubric that gives or docks points for features or the lack thereof. While the rubric provides an excellent guideline, it often seems to fall a little short when judging certain software, and until now I haven’t been able to put my finger on why. The simple reason is because the rubric doesn’t measure or account for trust. Trust is the one feature that can really make or break an editor: If you can’t rely on your editor to help get your work done the way you expect it to, then that editor should be put back on the shelf.

As an example: WeBuilder 2006 has held the top spot on this site since the reviews began. I love the feature set, its similarity to TopStyle, and its great price. However, in recent versions, little quirks and bugs have crept into the software, at times making it unusable when I’m in a rush to get things done. In other words, WeBuilder is losing my trust.

Another more positive example: BBEdit. When I need to search multiple files (maybe hundreds or thousands) for a specific term and I need the results quickly, BBEdit is the software I go to. I have yet to find a search function more reliable in any editor on any system. I trust BBEdit’s search implicitly; I never second guess its results.

So, what does this mean in the grand scheme of things? Only that I’ve figured out that intangible quality I inevitably seek in every editor I evaluate. And that my search for that perfect editor is certainly not over.

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them. As well as more editor suggestions.