EditPlus Review

Shareware text/code editor with a 30-day free trial period

Submitted by Kejatz on Mon, 2009-04-06 02:44.
Author's Product Rating:
Ease of Use: 
Effectiveness: 
Help/Support: 
The lowest price: 27$
You can buy it at RegNow for that price.
Pros:
Supports all major proficiency level functions of text/code editing (syntax highlighting, code snippets, FTP client, auto complete, column select, spell check, action recording…). Supports customization over almost any existing option in the program.
Cons:
Poorly designed user interface, which makes achieving efficient workflow very difficult.
Review:

Program’s interface is dying for a redesign. Old Windows-fashioned buttons are not just poorly picked, but are very confusing for beginners or even intermediate coders because they don’t seem to represent an intuitive connection between the button’s appearance and its function.
Although not one of the prettiest boys on the market, don’t be fooled by its lack of good looks because it certainly has quite a number of functions under it’s sleeve, which brings it to the-best-text-editor-programs league. Some of the most important features include:

  • Code snippets called "Cliptext" (chunks of frequently used code available in easy to access side toolbar - a valuable time saver). You can also create your own snippets of code for languages or even create snippets for your own language in a text file.
  • Syntax highlighting (amongst supported languages are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, VBScript, ASP, PHP, Perl, C, C++ and Java). Also available customizing control over syntax highlighting is a great plus.
  • Tabbed browsing through open files using Document Selector bar.
  • Built in FTP client with all necessary settings (transfer your files to remote locations without leaving the familiar workspace of your editor).
  • Keystroke recording and playback.
  • Definable user tools.

One of my favorites are certainly:

  • Column select (selecting the text vertically by holding ALT+C, over standard horizontal text select, which improves your traveling and managing trough code).
  • Program settings stored in INI file (just once you have to save program settings to your own liking and backup the INI file).
  • Auto complete (editor will automatically assume and complete standard pieces of code for you - a valuable time saver). Although auto complete is currently available only for C, C++ and Perl, you can define rules yourself for other languages (HTML, CSS…) by adding them in a text file.

One of the understanding features for this kind of software is integrated internet browser for previewing pages with leaving the editor, but a completely unnecessary feature. After all, you’ll need to check your page across various browsers and their version to polish a document appearance, and not just IE built-in browser simulation.
Regarding the bugs in the program, there are few, but nothing too alarming or indicating some major programming flaw. To be honest, every software has bugs, so let’s give EditPlus a brake regarding bugs.

Conclusion:

The thing is, if there wasn’t already a very broad choice of text editor software on the market (most of them being freeware) I wouldn’t recommend spending money on EditPlus. Word of advice to the developers of this software: phenomenal interface design would give it the necessary edge to boost its standard up against other text editors and then I would gladly recommend EditPlus to anyone. So my final review is this: EditPlus can provide adequate proficiency level of functions for coders but since currently has freeware software alternatives, don’t buy it.

So say we all!