In this tutorial, we will learn more about some of the most popular IDEs for the JavaScript environment.
JavaScript is the most popular programming language for web development along with other related technologies like CSS and HTML for developing good-looking front-end applications as well as highly interactive applications.
With the introduction of frameworks like NodeJS and ReactJS, which are built on top of JavaScript, it has become even more powerful and has built its place in backend development as well.
Hence its imperative to have a great coding environment which overall can help to enhance developer productivity.
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code has neither a full work environment nor many work planning features. However, it is lighter and more customizable. Also, It does not require a powerful desktop to run it. It has a similar IntelliSense feature. It already has integrated Git-support, so one can quickly run pull, push, and commit operations directly from the application.
This editor has a first-class debugger, which comes in very handy when dealing with Node.js and JS-based applications in general. The application starts in the debug mode that can also be activated at any time. The debugger also has some distinctive features as call steak, setting breakpoints and watch variables.
It is widely used and has a dedicated community. This cross-platform has an integrated terminal and, despite being light, still takes a decent time to load a project. Especially if you try comparing it to Bash or PowerShell performance. Like Microsoft, it has some buggy updates, so it’s better to exercise caution when updating it.
Atom
Atom is an IDE built by GitHub and has a great deal of support from Facebook. It’s a simplistic yet mighty text editor. It’s free, open-source, and has the best GitHub integration. Atom has capabilities for easy editing and project browsing in one single window.
By default, the application has a right but somewhat excessive built-in package. Also, it is advised to remove unnecessary components to reduce slowdowns. Atom is good at its intended purpose – running big complicated projects that can utilize all of its modular features.
However, there is also a downside to it. Atom is resource-hungry and can be slow even on powerful machines, especially, if the packages are not appropriately managed.
Komodo
Komodo IDE Is a relatively minimalistic and quick IDE for multilingual use. It has a full set of IDE functionality, like debugging, unit testing, and custom workspaces. Komodo has syntax correction for most coding languages and a live preview, which are welcome features for the frontend development.
Unfortunately, its Code Intel only works with Python, PHP, Perl, Tcl, Go, Ruby, Node.js, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Code Intel for C++ is also there, in a limited capacity. Another downside is pricing. It can range from $7 a month for personal use to $490 a month for an enterprise. However, if you need a multilingual work environment, that might be an option for you.
Beautifierjs
JS Beautifier is one of the best and successful js beautifier online that you can use. Working with this tool is simple and you can easily put your codes in its editor and organize and beautify them. This tool is free and is considered among the most accurate sites for beautifying and organizing JavaScript codes, which has managed to attract many users to date.
Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a powerful and ergonomically convenient multilingual text editor. It is a freemium software. You don’t have to buy it, but it will pester you if you don’t. And you should support the developer, really.
Its multi-cursor and multi-select features are loved by many programmers, as it allows for editing code in multiple places at once. However, it is considered to be strange and hard to get used to by others. It’s a matter of perspective.
Sublime Text also supports a lot of features useful for writing JavaScript. There are IntelliSense packages for JS as well. By the way, it has a decent Github integration. It is also relatively light and fast.
Light Table
It is an open-source development environment for JavaScript projects. The IDE was developed by the MIT team and funded via Kickstarter, collecting more than $300,000. LightTable provides feedback and code execution, assisting developers in quick abstraction creation.
RJ TextEd
This JS IDE is known as a universal web development environment, as it supports not only JavaScript but also HTML, CSS, PHP, and ASP. IDE provides smooth autocompletion, Unicode integration, code folding, sorting, and column interface mode. Interface settings allow choosing between multi-edit and multi-select modes, turn on annotation bars, and advanced sorting.
CodeLite
CodeLite is an open-source development environment that supports JavaScript, PHP, C++, and C. The IDE is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. The environment is integrated with Open Source compilers like GBD, MinGW, and FreeBSD.
The functionality of CodeLite is based on refactoring and code completion features, project management add-ons, syntax highlighting, and source browsing. Also, IDE allows UnitTest+++ integration, subversion and scope integration, and a source code editor.