What code editor and IDE to pick for a Magento Store Online?

Coding without an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) or a code editor can be a real mess. It may lead to many edits that tend to hamper productivity. Getting the right IDE and code editor is vital for a Magento developer that helps in refining the code and to develop an error-free eCommerce store.

Before we move forward to list down the best IDE’s and code editors for Magento let’s first peek into the differences between the two tools.

An integrated development environment or IDE helps to develop the production, arrangement, and troubleshooting of code in a centralized place. A code editor on the other hand is a text editor that lets developers write and modify the code. It only helps to write codes and does not function to assist these codes further. Code editors could be in the form of an individual application or they could be incorporated in the IDE or relevant browser.

Here are some of the top code editors and IDEs that help the Magento developer to facilitate the code for software or a website.

PHPStorm is the most popular IDE for Magento. It comes equipped to configure the code editing in Magento. Core features of this tool include:

PHPStorm is compatible with Magento’s content management system.

PHP IDE lets developers debug, test, check for errors, control versions, and more within the software so they do not need several apps for every task. Its interface is user-friendly, clean, and lightweight.

Key features of PHP Storm

PHPStorm is for those who do not wish to configure their IDE till the last detail. IDE can be installed and developers can start working on it immediately. It incurs an annual fee but one can try out the free trial period and choose from monthly or yearly subscriptions as per the requirement. Incredible power, ease of use, and speed are among numerous other things that make PHPStorm one of the most sought-after IDEs in the Magento developers’ fraternity.

Netbeans is another top-rated IDE, backed by the Oracle Corporation. This open-source IDE has tools that Magento developers would demand to develop any-sized eCommerce store or applications. NetBeans supports not just PHP but other computer languages like Ruby, Groovy, C, and C++. It supports various languages like Portuguese, English, Chinese, Brazilian, and Japanese as well. Moreover, it runs on MAC and Windows without raising any issues of compatibility.

The Eclipse IDE is multilingual and open-source which is free for any developer to use. It’s free to download Eclipse and developers can completely study the development kit. Its slow configuration may want Magento developers to try out some other tool. But if Eclipse is being operated on a laptop with a good system specification then Eclipse is capable of processing the queries at great speed.

Features offered by Eclipse are not limited to PHP debugging. Code assist, syntax highlighting, code formatting, refactoring code templates, code navigation, and Eclipse’s friendly ecosystem are other core features offered by this IDE.

Notepad++ is a popular code editor which runs on Windows operating systems.

The main feature of this code editor include:

The end-user also finds the tool helpful because of its search and replace option.

Magento developers can run this tool on their computer devices that are powered by Windows. Notepad++ is lightweight and offers an amazingly fast programming experience. The open-source platform is for free and is compatible with the majority of the coding languages.

Sublime Text is a fine code editor which is light to run and use. It supports operating systems like Microsoft, Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. Its insurmountable support to all programming languages can be considered as its core feature. One needs to pay a license fee to use Sublime Text but it is value for money when it comes to functional features and user-friendly interface. Code creation and editing are hassle-free on this platform and it offers an amazing user experience.

Key features of this code editor include:

TextMate offers an amazing feature of programmers generating codes to improve productivity. It’s a simple and delicate application that works well on Mac applications.

Some of the major attributes of TextMate include:

Writing a code is tiring as it needs a lot of mental labor. Developers have to focus on special modules, generate codes, and judge the script while they write it to ensure the codes are error-free.

Magento web engineers make use of varied IDEs and code editors which eases the process of code creation.