There is nothing wrong with a simple editor like EDIT or Notepad.
In fact many of the older pages on this site were created with OS/2's "E" (OS/2's Notepad equivalent) and, later, File Commander's built-in text editor.
But sometimes an editor with built-in support for one or more scripting languages can help speed up our code writing.
And some editors have evolved to full-blown multi-language IDEs.
What to look for in editors?
That depends entirely on what you are going to use it for.
Do you want to use it for a single scripting or programming language only?
If so, try the editors and IDEs specializing in that language.
And look for built-in debuggers, compilers/packagers, and if your language of choice is object aware, object browsers.
Some editors don't have their own debugger, but do support external debuggers.
The same goes for compilers/packagers.
To me, an important feature in specialized editors is the capability to run the script within the editor itself and view the script's output in a window.
Most editors with this option also support at least external debuggers. These are, in fact, IDEs.
In case you want a "universal" editor, you may find some with syntax highlighting and word lists for all the languages you'll be using, but features like debugging and compilation will be a "challenge" at least. The best you can hope for is support for external debuggers.
You may also want to look at snippets/code libraries, and regular expressions based search and replace options.
And customizable tools, which means you can add your own (external) tools to the editor's menu.
Download the trial versions, and test, test, test and test.
Click on the "codes" (like "LT" or "DILOT") in the "Features" column to get a readable list of selected features.
Click on the "Features" column header to see the list of selected features I have looked for. I'll list them here as well:
| D | Integrated debugger |
| I | IntelliSense ™ like "intelligence" |
| L | Snippets library |
| O | COM object browser |
| P | integrated script packager |
| T | configurable external tools and macros |
This list is by no means "complete".
I did not buy and/or try all editors listed here.
For comparison, I tried to find lists of all features on the manufacturers' web sites, in help files or (for the programs I "own") in the menus.
However, I cannot guarantee the list is 100% accurate.
Features may have been overlooked by me, or may have been added or discontinued afterwards by the authors.
In some cases, like debuggers, it wasn't always clear if the editor/IDE comes with an integrated debugger or supports only external debuggers.
Besides, "not all debuggers are created equal", some seem to do a syntax check only, others support break points and variable view windows.
And there are more, other features than the ones I listed here.
Feel free to send me corrections for this list.
Again, to get (close to) 100% certainty, download the program's trial version, and try for yourself.
| Script Editors & IDEs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Programmer / Manufacturer | Supported Scripting Languages | Features | Download | Purchase |
| Admin Script Editor | iTripoli | AutoIt, DOS Batch, KiXtart, PowerShell, VBScript, WMI & ADSI, & more | ILOPT |  |
 |
| Amaya | W3C | HTML, CSS, XML, XHTML, MathML, SVG | N/A | |
Free |
| Arachnophilia | P. Lutus | HTML | (T) | |
CareWare |
| Authentic (Browser Edition) | Altova | XML | T | |
Free |
| Authentic (Desktop Edition) | Altova | XML | T | |
Free |
| AxScripter | IEInspector Software LLC | JavaScript, JScript, VBScript, HTML | D | |
|
| Boxer Text Editor | Boxer Software | AutoIt, C#, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, JScript, KiXtart, PHP, Python, VBScript & more | ILT | |
|
| BrineSoft Script Editor | BrineSoft | JScript, VBScript, WSF | ILOT | |
|
| CodeLobster | CodeLobster Software | HTML, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, Perl, Python, Action Script, SQL, ASP, VBScript, Ruby | N/A | |
|
| Dr. Batcher | Mental Works Computing Software | batch files | N/A | |
|
| Eclipse | Eclipse Foundation | C++, HTML, Java, JavaScript, PHP | DIT | |
Free |
| Eclipse PHP Development Tools | Zend | HTML, PHP | DT | |
Free |
| Editeur | Studioware | Cobol, HTML, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Rexx & XML; other file types can be configured manually |
T | |
|
| EditPad Lite | JGSoft | Text (DOS & Unix, ASCII & Unicode) & HTML; other file types can be configured manually |
N/A | |
Free for non-commercial use |
| EditPad Pro | JGSoft | batch, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, XML & many more | LT | |
|
| EditRocket | Richardson Software | batch, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, XML and more | LO | |
|
| EmEditor Standard Edition | Emurasoft | 50+ | LT | |
|
| EmEditor Professional Edition | Emurasoft | 50+ | LT | |
|
| ExeScript Editor | ScriptCode.com | Batch, HTA, JScript, Object Rexx, PerlScript, Python, PowerShell, VBScript, WSF, WSH | DILP | |
|
| foxe (firstobject xml editor) | firstobject | XML, HTML | N/A | |
Free |
| HtaEdit | Adersoft | HTA | DILOPT | |
|
| JustStyle CSS Editor | UCWare | CSS | N/A | |
(shareware, free for non-commercial use) |
| Komodo Edit | ActiveState | CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Tcl, XML | N/A | |
Free |
| Komodo IDE | ActiveState | CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Tcl, XML | DIL | |
|
| LINQPad | Joseph Albahari | LINQ | I*L | |
Free (except Autocompletion add⁃in) |
| Liquid XML Studio | Liquid Technologies | XML | D*IL | |
|
| MemPad | Horst Schaeffer | plain text | N/A | |
Free (donations welcome) |
| Notepad++ | Notepad++ team | batch, KiXtart, Perl, VBScript & many more | T | |
Free (donations welcome) |
| nPad2 Source Viewer/Editor | Nikola Dachev | HTML, PHP, ASP, C++, Object Pascal, Java, Basic, CSS, JavaScript, SQL | N/A | |
Free |
| Oiko CSS editor | Oiko Software | CSS, HTML, XML, XHTML | N/A | |
Free |
| OnScript | XLnow | VBScript, JScript, WSF, WSC, batch files, HTA, INI files, PerlScript and Python | DILO | |
|
| Open Perl IDE | Jürgen Güntherodt | Perl | D | |
Free (donations welcome) |
| Perl Express | Perl Express Group | Perl | DL | |
|
| PerlEdit | IndigoStar | Perl | D | |
|
| PFE (Programmer's File Editor) | Alan Phillips | Configurable | N/A | |
Free |
| PHP Coder | phpIDE | PHP | DIO | |
Free |
| phpDesigner | MPSOFTWARE | PHP, CSS, HTML, JavaScript | DT | |
|
| phpDesigner 2007 Personal | MPSOFTWARE | PHP, CSS, HTML, JavaScript | T | |
Free |
| PowerGUI Freeware | Quest Software | PowerShell | DILT | |
Free |
| PowerGUI Pro | Quest Software | PowerShell | DILPT | |
|
| PowerPad | PowerLocker | PowerShell | N/A | |
Free (if you deselect the CD in the order form) |
| PowerSE | Devfarm Software | PowerShell | DI | |
Free (free license needs renewal every 60 days) |
| PowerSE | Devfarm Software | PowerShell | DI | |
|
| PowerShell Analyzer | ShellTools | PowerShell | DL | |
Free |
| PowerShell IDE | Dr. Tobias Weltner | PowerShell | DIL | |
Free |
| PowerShell ISE (Integrated Scripting Environment) | Microsoft | PowerShell | D | Native in Windows 7 | |
| PowerShell Plus | Idera | PowerShell (editor: C#, HTML, PowerShell, VB.NET, XML) | DIL | |
Free (e-mail registration required) |
| PrimalScript Scripting IDE (Standard, Professional & Enterprise Editions) | Sapien | 39+ | (D)ILOT | |
|
| Professional Notepad | ATech Group | HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, PERL, SQL, Delphi, C++ | N/A | |
|
| Programmer's Notepad | Simon Steele | Configurable | LT | |
Free (donations welcome) |
| PSPad | Jan Fiala | DOS batch, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, KiXtart, Perl, PHP, Python, Unix ShellScript, VBScript and 120+ other languages | N/A | |
Free (donations welcome) |
| Rapid CSS | Blumentals Software | HTML, CSS | IL | |
|
| Rapid PHP | Blumentals Software | HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP | DIL | |
|
| Running Steps | Stepping Software | batch files | DI | |
|
| SannySoft Perl Editor Lite | SannySoft | Perl | D | |
|
| SannySoft Perl Editor Professional | SannySoft | Perl | D | |
|
| Script Debugger IDE | Stas Semenov | ActiveX (ASP, VBScript & more), CSS, HTML | DILO | |
|
| sIDE (simple IDE) | Croës Gérald & Cogoluegnes Arnaud | PHP | T | |
Free |
| Simple CSS | hostm.com | CSS | N/A | |
Free |
| SystemScripter | ScriptInternals.com | VBScript | DILOT | |
|
| TextPad | Helios Software Solutions | HTML, Java, Pascal, VBScript & more | N/A | |
|
| TopStyle4 | topstyle4.com | ASP, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, VBScript | N/A | |
|
| UltraEdit | IDM Computer Solutions | almost all | T | |
|
| UEStudio '06 | IDM Computer Solutions | almost all | DIOT | |
|
| VbsEdit | Adersoft | VBScript | DILOT | |
|
| VIM | vim.org | "highly configurable" | N/A | |
CharityWare |
| WEB-ED | JSWare | (D)HTML, CSS, ASP, VBScript, JavaScript | DIO | |
|
| Wing IDE 101 | Wingware | Python | DI | |
Free for non-commercial use by educators, students and hbbyists |
| Wing IDE Personal | Wingware | Python | DI | |
|
| Wing IDE Professional | Wingware | Python | DI | |
|
| XMLFox | RustemSoft | XML | N/A | |
Free |
| XMLFox Advance | RustemSoft | XML | N/A | |
|
| XML Notepad 2007 | Microsoft | XML, HTML | N/A | |
Free |
| XMLPad | Nikola Dachev | XML | N/A | |
Free |
| XMLQuire | Qutoric | XML, XPath | I | |
Free |
| XMLSpy | Altova | CSS, DTD, OOXML, WSDL, XML, XSLT & more | DIL | |
|
| ZionEdit | Zionmaster | C/C++ (Java), Perl, Ruby, Python, LISP, HTML (+JavaScript, PHP etc), Fortran77-9X, Makefile & Batch file | N/A | |
Free (donations welcome) |
| page last uploaded: 22 November 2012, 10:23 |