Web Development Tools

Everyone has their preferred Web Development Tool to write code efficiently and get the job done. This comparison will be primarily opinion based by my colleague and me, because we both have different needs in our daily routine of code-writing.

I remember the days of Ultra Edit, HotDog Pro, Dreamweaver, Notepad++ as Web Development Tools, we all used at least one of them. They where/are loaded with tons of buttons to do various things that could help you with writing code.

While all those features/buttons/wysiwyg/settings in the tools could really help you, they were distracting you from the one thing you wanted to do in the first place.....writing code.

This is where my favorite tool comes in the picture: Sublime Text. I use it mostly for writing HTML, CSS/SASS, JavaScript & PHP

Sublime Text

Clean, simple, fast and yet so powerful. Straight out of the box it can already do helpful things such as:

• Goto Anything
• Command Palette
• Distraction Free Mode
• Split Editing
• Instant Project Switch
• Customize Anything
• Plugin API
• Cross Platform
• Multiple Selections

PHP STORM

As much as I love PhpStorm, and in fact I use this every single day, the truth is, I also use Sublime Text. You might think this makes absolutely no sense, but I disagree.

For me it's similar to choosing the right car.

For example, when I'm going to the beach, I prefer a convertible: it's light, fast and good looking. When taking a road trip with my family plus luggage; a convertible is no longer the right choice. In this situation a SUV would be a better decision: robust, practical and loads of options.

When I’m coding hardcoded, working with packages and classes that i’m not familiar with, PhpStorm is a godsent. It's like the SUV: a developer tool with loads of options. Especially in situations where I want to pull a class and I can’t remember the full path. In those cases I don’t use Sublime Text, it's just too difficult.

However, when I’m fixing a bug, I don’t need PhpStorm's awesome refactoring capabilities or the autocompletion. I just want a plain editor like Sublime Text: my convertible. It is ridiculously fast, PhpStorm can’t even begin to compare. In that situation, Sublime Text is the right choice for me.

What's your favorite code editor?