Code Editors Cost

Most code editors are free to download, including Visual Studio Code, a code editor designed for beginners.

What are Code Editors?

A code editor is a type of developer tool, widely used by programmers to facilitate their writing process. It’s a standalone program that developers will write their code in before entering it where it will ultimately be executed. Code editors provide features that make coding more efficient and give the programmer more clarity about how their code functions. Code editors have been in use since 1985, when IBM developed the first one. 

Prior to the invention of code editors, coders generally wrote in a word processing program before transferring their code to be executed. The importance of code editors is that they are specifically designed for writing programs efficiently. Unlike a word processing program, the creators of a code editor build all of its features with this purpose in mind. Standard features of a code editor include live parsing, syntax highlighting, automatic indentation, auto-completion, and expandable code snippets.

One of a code editor’s most important features is color-coded syntax highlighting. The code editor parses the code in real-time to identify its key elements—such as variables, commands, and functions—and highlights them in different colors to help the programmer see the code’s structure more clearly. Another aspect of code editors that clarifies structure is the automatic indentation of code that runs inside functions or loops, so the coder can see that this code is subordinate to the larger structure of the program.

Code editors typically include built-in error-checking, which allows coders to avoid tedious debugging by hand. Like search engines, code editors also have an auto-complete feature, which saves time by anticipating and suggesting what you might want to write next. Another time-saving element of most code editors is the ability to use built-in code snippets to execute the same code repeatedly. Some editors let you create custom code snippets for your specific projects. Many of them can also work with plug-ins that increase their functionality. 

On a higher level, code editors make it easier for a Developer to navigate code files and resources as they work. Today, almost every Developer uses a code editor. For beginners, the most popular code editor is Visual Studio Code. Other beginner-friendly code editors include Atom, Notepad++, and Sublime.

Read more about what code editors are and why you should learn them.

What Can You Do with Code Editors?

Code editors allow a Developer to write error-free code more efficiently. They come equipped with features that facilitate the coding process. These features include syntax highlighting, automatic indentation, error-checking, autocomplete, and code snippets. That’s why their use is practically universal among developers today.

Color-coded syntax highlighting allows the coder to see the structure of their code. The code editor identifies in real-time what type of coding element the programmer is using, and uses color highlighting to mark variables, commands, and functions in the code. The live parsing that makes syntax highlighting possible also allows code editors to provide automatic indentation. Sections of code that are subordinate to the overall program, like those within functions or loops, are indented to show the relationship they bear to the rest of the code.

Another aspect of code editors that increases developer efficiency is the error-checking function, which allows the coder to avoid hours of tedious debugging. Many code editors have an autocomplete function, just as search engines do. This saves you time by anticipating and suggesting what you may want to write next. Code snippets also speed up your process by allowing you to avoid typing the same lengthy bit of code over and over again.

In-Depth Review of the Cost

Many code editors are free to download and use. Popular code editors that are freely available include Visual Studio Code, Atom, Notepad++, and Vim. Sublime, another widely used and beginner-friendly code editor, requires a $99 license for indefinite use but has a free trial version. However, unlike many other types of software, in the case of code editors, most beginners can get everything they’re likely to need from a free product. So if you’re getting started with coding, there’s no need to pay for a code editor.

Why Learn Code Editors?

It’s important to learn code editors because they are an industry-standard skill. They have become nearly universal among developers because they make the coding process more efficient. The error-checking feature allows you to avoid a long and tedious process of debugging your code by hand. As with a search engine, auto-complete anticipates the code you will want to write next so that you don’t have to type the whole thing out. Code snippets also save you time by providing a shorthand that you can employ when using the same module of code over and over again, which is particularly relevant if you’re working in an object-oriented programming language.

Using a code editor can also help you understand your own code more clearly. The syntax highlighting function of a code editor identifies elements of your code in real-time and marks variables, commands, and functions in different colors. This feature, along with the automatic indentation that clarifies relationships between sections of code, allows a developer a clearer perspective on the structure of their programs.

Read more about why you should learn code editors.

Free Introductory Code Editors Course Online 

Perhaps, as you read about code editors, you’re thinking that this sounds like an interesting skill, but you’re not quite ready to start a full coding course. If so, you may simply want an overview of code editors, which you can generally acquire for free online. Noble has a free tutorial on the Visual Studio Code editor to get you started with that program. If you want to learn more about code editors in general, there are some courses available at Udemy that will take you through how code editors work and what you can do with them. Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare all have courses on the use of specific code editors.

Read about more free videos and online tutorials on how to use code editors.

Learn Coding with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

When you study coding at Noble Desktop, the expert instructors and small class sizes will expedite and enhance your learning process. Noble’s varied training formats allow you to choose the type of training that will work best for you, whether that’s in-person or live online. Once you’ve finished a Noble course, you can retake that class for free, which can be helpful if you’d like to learn even more about coding. Coding courses at Noble include the use of code editors and other vital developer tools.

Noble has several certificate programs in coding. Your choice of program will depend on why you want to learn the skill. If you’re interested in becoming a Web Developer, you might want to enroll in a certificate in full stack development, unless you’re exclusively interested in front end work. In that case, the front end web development certificate program might be for you. Noble’s certificate in JavaScript development is also a good option for aspiring Web Developers. Students looking to become Data Scientists may want to check out the Python Developer certificate program.

If you’d prefer to start with an individual class before leaping into a certificate program, you can study coding in-person or take live online coding classes.