source code editor for PHP, HTML, Javascript, etc

Download: PSPad Text and Code Editor

I’ve been programming for several years now and though I am forced to use Visual Studio as my default source code editor at work, I prefer using free code editors for my own code in PHP, Visual Basic, ASP, etc. Why would I want to use a free code editor?

Firstly, Visual Studio is an enormous program that takes up a ton of hard disk space and a ton of resources when you run it. Secondly, it supports syntax highlighting for it’s own languages including C#, VB.NET, etc. If you are coding in PHP, it’s not the best code editor out there. Thirdly, Visual Studio is far from free!

PSPad Text and Code Editor is one of my favorite source code editors because of it’s many features and small size. So who is this program for? Well, if you are a programmer who works in different languages, if you like highlighted syntax in their source code, if you are looking for a free editor that has most features ofcommercial editors, and if you want a editor that’s functionality can be extended using add-ons.

Here are some of the cool features of PSPad that I really like:

• Work with several files at once (uses MDI tabs)
• Create projects and work with projects individually
• Includes a built-in hex editor

• Includes a file difference feature (compare two files and find all differences with highlighting)

• Ability to record and save macros
• Pre-configured for most popular languages including PHP, VB, C++, SQL, ASP, Python and more
• Intelligent HTML preview inside the program using IE and Firefox
• IDE environment with external compiler, output catcher, log window and log parser
• Integrates TopStyle Lite CSS editor
• Code Explorer – Search through source code to find variables, etc

• Export highlighted text to RFT, HTML, TXT, or to clipboard
• Ability to compress HTML code
• Built in FTP client with ability to directly edit files on the server
• Matching bracket highlighter
• Built in spell checker

The list of features could just keep going and going! There are simply too many to write about. Overall, it’s a great source code editor, hex editor, and plain text file editor. If you are a programmer, then this is one tool you definitely want in your arsenal. Enjoy!