If you are a beginner and you want to learn a programming language, use a text editor. If you are really interested in learning, never use an IDE, at least in your initial phase of learning.
For more, you can read my previous article- the advantages of using a text editor over an IDE for programming.
I did not say it blindly. Being a professional Python developer and having a good sense and experience of programming, I have my two cents on it.
If you are a novice programmer and if you really want to learn to program, here is the list of text editors you should use.
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If you Google it, you can see the huge list of Text Editors available to download. It’s like creating more confusion for newbies. There are always pros and cons to each text editor. To avoid the confusion of new programmers, I am just listing 3 text editors that I personally use.
Listing here some of my favorite text editors you should start with, without giving any other thoughts.
Notepad comes preinstalled on Windows. It is the simplest text editor. It does not have a syntax highlighting feature.
Notepad++ comes with basic syntax highlighting features.
The best thing about Notepad++, it resumes the last job. If you missed saving any file in Notepad++, it will be resumed when you open the Notepad++ editor.
You can download and install Notepad++. It is available for free.
When it comes to Windows, it is my first choice. This text editor is specially built for coding and has good support. Again, it is available for free to use.
It supports syntax highlighting features for most basic programming languages like C/C++, Python, Java…
The portable version of the Sublime Text editor is also available. You can download it and use it without installing it on your system.
Download Link: Sublime Text
If you are using any of the Linux distribution, Vim comes preinstalled with most modern Linux distributions. It is my favorite. I even use it for my project development purposes.
The vi and vim text editors also highlight the syntax. You can turn off or on highlighting the syntax in vim.
If you are really interested in learning and mastering any programming language, move to Linux. Ubuntu is most suitable to start with. Ubuntu has Vim preinstalled.
Other than Vim, you can use the Sublime Text editor as well.
Windows is the most popular operating system, and it is widely used.
On Windows, you can use Notepad++ or the Sublime Text editor. It is difficult to realize the difference between the two unless you use and feel it.
The Sublime Text editor comes with more programming features. I personally use it.
I am not a big fan of the iOS ecosystem when it comes to programming. If you are a Mac user, you can use the Sublime Text editor.
Note: The Sublime Text editor is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac. If you purchase the Pro version, you need a single license to run it on any of the systems you own. Even, you can use the free version, which is more than sufficient in your learning phase.
All the text editors I have mentioned are open source. And you are free to use them. If you are a front-end developer and looking for a simple text editor, you can use our simple online HTML editor for FREE.
Now you have installed the best suitable Text Editor on your system. Are you ready to learn some real programming stuff?
Here is the list of 50+ coding questions you should practice. It consists of all the coding questions you need to start learning and mastering any programming language. Most of the questions are already asked in many job interviews.
Create a directory in your system and start writing code for one question at a time.
You can only master any programming language by practicing as much as you can. It does not matter how many programming books you read.
So, what’s stopping you now?
Fasten your seatbelts and go on a log drive. I am waiting for you there… 😀
Wrapping Up
These are all my choices for the best FREE Text Editors for Programming.
IDE is built solely for programming. I am not denying this fact. When you want to build some projects, you need extra programming features to skyrocket your project development. For example, for developing a Python project, PyCharm is the best. I use it.
But if you are a novice in programming, it is more about learning. And learning comes with an understanding of each programming aspect. The text editor is what you need.
What’s your experience and thoughts on learning to code using the text editor?
I am a Python enthusiast who loves Linux and Vim. I hold a Master of Computer Science degree from NIT Trichy and have 10 years of experience in the IT industry, focusing on the Software Development Lifecycle from Requirements Gathering, Design, Development to Deployment. I have worked at IBM, Ericsson, and NetApp, and I share my knowledge on CSEstack.org.
