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

Review: Araneae 5

Prior to it being suggested in the forums, I had never heard of Araneae. I was even more surprised to see that the fifth version of the the software had just been released (frankly, in these Web 2.0, everything-is-in-beta days, I’m surprised to see version numbers larger than 1.0 anymore). Upon launching the program, I was pleased by the clean interface. Unlike TextMate, however, Araneae’s simple appearance doesn’t belie a flexible, complex, and powerful editor; rather, Araneae is basic inside and out and lacks many (almost all) of the features I’ve come to rely on in an HTML editor.

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Review: PHP Designer 2007 Professional

PHP Designer 2007, just released this week, is the newest iteration of MPSoftware’s PHP Designer series. Long touted as one of the best free PHP editors around, PHP Designer’s new version brings with it a new licensing structure: There is the free Personal version (which can’t be used for commercial work) and the more robust Professional version, which is now priced at €55/$69 USD. While PHP Designer 2007 Professional is primarily aimed at PHP programmers, the editor certainly holds its own in the HTML editor arena. Is it worth the new price? I guess that depends on the type of coding you do.

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Review: Bluefish 1.0

One of the reasons I wanted to set up Linux on my computer again was to take a closer look at Bluefish, the free, GTK-based editor. I’d tried a beta version a year or so ago, more for fun than anything, and I remembered it being a fairly pleasing experience. So, I was excited to try it again, this time for the sake of proper evaluation. The result? I’m still excited. Not because It’s made me want to switch over to Linux, but because of its potential.

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Review: TSW WebCoder 2005

At first glance, I thought TSW WebCoder 2005 might replace WeBuilder 2006 as my editor of choice. It has almost all the features I look for in an editor, plus it’s lightweight and relatively inexpensive. Upon further inspection, however, TSW WebCoder 2005 lacks some polish. Regardless, it’s a solid editor, and I find it surprising that I’ve only just heard of it.

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Review: Quanta Plus 3.5

My first Linux adventures began in 2000 thanks to Corel. Since then, I’ve been fascinated and frustrated by the open source OS, always wanting to spend more time in Linux but inevitably returning to Windows to get things done. My obvious attraction to Linux and open source software is the philosophy on which they are built: create, share, and improve. Moreover, the fact that such impressive software is available at little to no cost has always been an incredible bonus.

Now that Linux is becoming even more user friendly, thanks to distros like Mandriva and the extremely popular Ubuntu, more people are choosing Linux as their primary web development environment. As a result, Linux HTML editors are starting to come into their own with more features and functionality than ever before. One of the oldest, most robust Linux HTML editors is Quanta Plus.

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Review: Alleycode HTML Editor

While some of the software I’ve reviewed so far could have easily been classified as HTML IDEs [Integrated Development Environments], Alleycode is strictly an HTML editor — think Notepad with a few more buttons and a clip library. While it’s certainly lightweight, fast, and free, Alleycode’s feature set pales in comparison to the many other HTML editors on the market, offering only one real, usable benefit.

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Review: HTML-Kit 1.0

While first impressions can certainly be wrong, people often don’t have the time — for whatever reason — to properly evaluate things beyond their first, critical encounters with them, and software is no exception. In fact, because we tend to judge software on its ability to help us get our work done more quickly or easily, it’s essential for the software to put its best foot forward, so to speak. Many developers don’t seem to understand this and, as a result, don’t properly show off the features that make their software stand out — much to the detriment of themselves and their potential users. Continue reading Review: HTML-Kit 1.0 »

Review: BBEdit 8

Ease of use, efficiency, and personal comfort are the primary criteria I’ve been using to rate the editors on this site. A piece of software can have all the bells and whistles in the world, but if it doesn’t help you get your work done quickly, accurately, and easily, then all those features don’t amount to much. What an ominous way to introduce this review of BBEdit, the long-standing and revered editor for the Mac!

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Review: TextMate

Touted as “The Missing Editor” for the Mac, TextMate isn’t even 2 years old yet, but it has already received an incredible amount of publicity, praise, and attention online. Strictly speaking, TextMate isn’t really an HTML editor; rather, it supports around 50 programming languages, including (X)HTML, CSS, and PHP (the languages I work in the most).

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Review: skEdit 3.6.1

Before I begin, I have to qualify this review by saying that I develop primarily in Windows and typically only use my Mac for browser testing. The websites I develop are XHTML/CSS-based and I often find myself working with PHP and MySQL. I haven’t spent a lot of time in OS X, so I’m not familiar with all the ins and outs of the os (the keyboard short-cuts, for example, or even some of the key symbols). All this is to say that a regular Mac user may have a different take on some of what I have to say about any software created specifically for this platform. Now that that’s out of the way…

When I think of skEdit, I am reminded of the story The Little Engine That Could. skEdit seems like the underdog HTML editor for the Mac — one that’s all heart; one that does a little and does it very well. If you write CSS and HTML, there’s a lot to like about skEdit, including code hinting/auto-complete, its snippets, and its terrific $24.95 USD price tag.

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