Software Code Editors

The difference between local code editors (local development) and online code editors (cloud development).

Online Code Editors

The benefit of online code editing helps with showing others your code quickly (i.e. live code sharing). In addition, if you're having configuration or install issues with your local code editor, then you can try running your code online to see if you actually have a local editor issue or if it's your code.

Goal (for most online editors) - basically, throw some code online, show it to someone over the Web, allow them to make coding edits or comments, allow them to run the code snippet, and repeat same results.

Plunker - helping developers make the web


IDEOne

  • URL:  https://ideone.com/
  • Benefit: Helps me quickly test a code snippet and share with others online.  
  • EG:  Java, JavaScript


Offline Code Editors

The benefit of offline code editing is the ability to code without relying on a network connection. What's worse than to be in the middle of coding online and then the network disconnects due to some issue outside of your control? Exactly, which is why coding offline is still a great way to make progress and then to leverage 'git push' into a Git repository in the 'cloud'. This is often the best way to share code that is in the marketplace or used by customers.

Visual Studio Code || VS Code (by Microsoft) - Code Editing. Redefined.


WebStorm (by JetBrains)
URL:
Benefit:
EG:

PyCharm (by JetBrains)
URL:
Benefit:
EG:


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In-depth Evaluation & Old Editors

This part of the page is old content that I need to reorganize but is still useful.

Evaluate Still
  • https://codesandbox.io/
  • https://codeanywhere.com/
  • https://www.w3schools.com/tryit/

Online Opinion
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-free-online-code-editor


Online Editors: In-depth Evaluation


ideone

An online code editor where I can quickly code a program to solve a problem.

  • No account required
  • Many programming languages offered (default: Java)
  • Editor provides a quick template
  • Input/Output Display (either shows that your code works or that it fails with an exception)
  • Share Link (read-only link to quickly show others your code online)
  • Embed source code
  • Saves Code (but cannot edit later; must fork or copy to edit later)
  • Runtime limit = 5 seconds
    • Keep in mind that if your program runs longer than 5 seconds, then a timeout will stop the completion of program execution.
  • Sponsored by Slack
  • Invented by Sphere Research Labs
I think this is the best one nowadays. Mind me, if I want to store mini-programs, then use GitHub or another online repository manager instead of this (ideone).


CodeChef

Similar to ideone, but seems more for helping students learn to solve problems, code, and compete. Thus, no easy ability to share code.

Quick Tutorials


CodePen

To evaluate in-depth...
useful web programming site



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Old, No Longer Useful

Don't waste your time on these. Using these just doesn't make sense to me.

Collab Edit

http://collabedit.com/
Most simplest online text editor; Shareable link; Syntax highlighting for some programming languages. However, this does not compile or run code. It's basically useless nowadays because of actual online coding editor UNLESS all I want to do is share my text editor online for a super quick discussion. But then, why not use Slack or another chatting app?

IceCoder

Why would I need a browser based code editor? Either I'm online and can connect to a quick online editor (which I can embed into my own web app if I desire) or I'm offline and I want to use an IDE (Eclipse, IntelliJ) or code editor (like Atom, Sublime). But to the author's credit, it seemed pretty useful when it first came out. Unfortunately, doesn't seem to have caught a wave trend which is why this tool became outdated quick?