IBM Computer, Laptops and Servers

Nobody can tell you what editor you should use. You can take a look at all the 3,900 (or so) pissing contests archived by Google, and try to determine whether Bob's editor can beat up Frank's, or vice versa.

Or you can try out some of the products that are available, and determine for yourself which you like best, fit your budget, and meet your needs. You can start by playing with Notepad which, if you're running Windows, is already on your system. Once you're bored with that, here are some other tools. I wrote a little blurb about each one, but by all means, it is not gospel try them out for yourself.

• 2G NoteWorks
  
  This is a basic Notepad replacement tool with search and replace and some XML/HTML functionality. Nothing special to make it useful for ASP developers.
  
  
• AbsoluteEdit
  
  This editor features code completion, customizable syntax highlighting, and multiple document interface.
  
  
• ASP.Net Web Matrix
  
  This editor features integrated database support, multiple languages, and its own small-footprint web server. However, I have not used it for editing "classic" ASP code.
  
  
• ASP Wizard
  
  This editor features line numbering, a stored procedure generator, and various wizards for common ASP and ASP.NET tasks.
  
  
• Crimson Editor
  
  Crimson Editor supports syntax highlighting, multiple document interface, multi-level undo/redo and a built-in FTP client.
  
  
• CT Pad
  
  A Notepad replacement with a search and replace feature, but a few glitches. I've never used it.
  
  
• EditPlus
  
  This is a Notepad replacement with customizable auto-completion, syntax highlighting, multiple document interface, and FTP and browsing tools.
  
  
• HTML-Kit
  
  Features highlighting, auto-indenting, unlimited undo/redo, line numbering and spell checker.
  
  
• IntelliCanvas ASP/Studio
  
  This editor features code completion using IntelliSense, but not much else.
  
  
• Interspector
  
  This editor has syntax highlighting, user preferences, and line number display.
  
  
• Macromedia DreamWeaver
  
  This is often the bane of my existence. Code samples posted to the groups with MM_this and MM_that all over the place, barely legible and about 50% longer than necessary. This editor does a lot for you, and while that may be a part of its charm, I think that it is its biggest problem.
  
  
• Macromedia HomeSite
  
  Basically a glorified text editor with a lot of features, such as tag completion, HTML color syntax highlighting, and some CSS tools. I don't know that there's anything that stands out for usage in ASP development.
  
  
• Microsoft FrontPage
  
  This is fine for simple little HTML applications, but for ASP I strongly recommend avoiding this code-bloater. And please, don't make me mention Word or Publisher as HTML/ASP editors here!
  
  
• Microsoft Visual InterDev
  
  If you have a copy of Visual Studio 6.0, you can use InterDev to develop your scripts. There are a lot of wizards and publishing tools that I suggest you avoid, but for a text editor with syntax highlighting and IntelliSense, this will work great. If you want the ASP 3.0 type library, so that Server.Transfer and other IIS 5.0+ methods show up in IntelliSense, you'll want to check out our downloads section.
  
  
• Microsoft Visual Studio.NET
  
  This is my choice. Building on the strengths of InterDev, the Visual Studio.NET 2003 interface has some new features, like a better server explorer, and a very intuitive multiple document interface (with optional multiple panes). Some of the wizards are supposed to be better, and allegedly the SourceSafe integration is actually usable, but I still use it as a glorified text editor with syntax highlighting for various languages (VBScript, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and even T-SQL). Of course it also has global search and replace, line number display and IntelliSense.
  
  
• Notepads+
  
  A simple Notepad replacement with multiple document interface. I've never used it.
  
  
• NoteTab Pro
  
  Another Notepad replacement with multiple document interface, search and replace, and line number display.
  
  
• NotPad
  
  This little Notepad replacement has spell checking, multiple document interface and print preview. I used it several years ago, while wanting more than NotePad but refusing to use FrontPage.
  
  
• Sapien Primal Script
  
  This environment has syntax highlighting, code completion, unlimited undo/redo, persistent undo, and Unicode support.
  
  
• SourceEdit
  
  This editor features code completion, customizable syntax highlighting, and global search and replace.
  
  
• TextPad
  
  We've used this in my workplace for various projects; it has many strong features, such as different languages (including spell checking), batch processing, global search and replace (including regular expressions).
  
  
• UltraEdit-32
  
  UltraEdit features a spell checker, configurable syntax highlighting, line number display, and a built-in FTP client.
  
  
• WinEdit
  
  This editor has multiple document interface, a spell checker, and its own macro language.

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If you know of other editors we didn't cover, please let us know. However, we are not going to use this article as a launching pad for a VI vs. emacs war, so don't even think about it! <G>

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