PROJECTS
Linux
productivity as it allows for working with several
files at once, even without the need to switch
between tabs.
Sublime Text supports plugins and that’s the
point where we can make this general-purpose
text editor more web focused. Start by installing
Package Control, a plugin manager for Sublime Text.
Then you’ll be able to get various extra goodness,
like Emmet for code snippets in JavaScript, HTML
and CSS, the Git integration plug-in, colour picker,
code minifier and many others. Plug-ins really add
a lot to the editor’s functionality. For instance, the
SideBarEnhancements plugin enables file renaming,
moving and duplicating, which is not possible
otherwise. Pay a visit to the Package Control site
(https://packagecontrol.io), which hosts hundreds of
plugins of all sorts, many of which can transform
Sublime Text into a stunning Swiss Army knife for
web development.VISUAL STUDIO CODE
https://code.visualstudio.com
Traditionally, VS Code draws comparisons with
Sublime Text, as both code editors boast
modern design, a dark theme and a respectful set of
extra plugins. Again it is plugins that can turn a
general-purpose development tool into web-focused
software. In the case of VS Code, the must-have list
includes Font Awesome codes, CSS Peek, CSS Tree
Validator, Live Sass Compiler as well as a code
minifier plugin. The strongest thing about VS Code is
that it has all the most frequently used tools at close
reach: the side bar hides a project explorer, a search
and replace tool, a source control panel, a debugger
and a built-in extensions manager.
There are also over 10,000 available extensions
for virtually any purpose and taste, all installable
with a couple of mouse clicks. The goal remains the
same: extensions help make VS Code users more
productive in writing and editing source code. The
editing features in VS Code are superb; for example,
indentation, snippet execution and bracket matchingsimply work and don’t get in your way. It may be a
little laggy when chewing extra large files (those
weighing in at 5MB and more) but this is hopefully
not the case for most web projects. With the support
of screen split, tabs, bread crumbs and a bunch of
useful View parameters, VS Code is easy to pick up
and get using straightaway. Although hopefully
Linux users don’t mind that VS Code looks and feels
like a Microsoft product.PINEGROW
https://pinegrow.com
A powerful web studio with developed means
for styling and visual editing. While many
other web editors may resemble word-processing
apps, Pinegrow could be better compared with a
vector editor. The interface is somewhat unique
compared to its contemporaries, yet it is quite
comfortable to use. Although you can start a new
Pinegrow project with an empty index.html and
write everything by hand, the application
encourages you to use page templates, which are of
very high quality. It takes far less effort to populate
the template-based project with your own text and
images than to do the same from scratch.
Pinegrow is also the only application in our guide
that hides the source code of a web project by default- press Ctrl+E to bring it up. On the other hand,
using your mouse to select logical blocks on the page
and then adjust them proved to be faster and more
effective than writing code. On top of that, Pinegrow
adds a marvellous CSS visual editor, a handy sidebar
with widgets that you can drag and drop on the
canvas (buttons, tables, text fields etc) and some
(paid) extra plug-ins.
For all these plentiful features, Pinegrow offers
developers purchasing options that vary from $36
to $111. The basic license should be enough for
one-page web sites, whereas the costly pro license
includes a collection of WordPress themes. Anyhow,
there is a 30-day trial period, which is enough for
taking Pinegrow for a spin.
Top left VS Code is another
tool that works with
plugins and boasts a very
intuitive UI
Top middle Similar to a
vector editor, Pinegrow
supplies templates for you
to enhance
Top right Pingendo’s
templates enable you to
quickly get up and running
Opposite page Aptana
is free and offers a lot
for web developers and
administrators