Best Text Editors for C++

VSCode: A revolutionary approach to code editing. It's completely free, open-source, and compatible with all platforms. Experience more than just basic syntax highlighting and autocomplete; with IntelliSense, you gain intelligent suggestions that are based on the types of variables, definitions of functions, and imported modules. You can also debug your code directly within the editor, allowing you to launch or connect to your active applications while utilizing breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console for deeper insights. Collaborating with Git and other source control management (SCM) systems is simpler than ever; you can review differences, stage files, and commit changes right from within the editor itself. Easily push and pull changes from any hosted SCM service without hassle. Looking for additional capabilities? You can enhance your experience by installing extensions that introduce new languages, themes, debuggers, and connections to various services. These extensions operate in their own processes, ensuring they won't hinder your editor's performance. Discover the endless possibilities with extensions. Furthermore, with Microsoft Azure, you can efficiently deploy and host a variety of sites built with React, Angular, Vue, Node, Python, and more, while also being able to store and query both relational and document-based data, and scale effortlessly using serverless computing solutions. This powerful integration streamlines your development workflow and enhances productivity.

A highly advanced text editor designed for coding, markup, and writing. With the Goto Anything feature, you can quickly access files using minimal keystrokes and effortlessly navigate to symbols, lines, or specific words. This editor allows you to make multiple edits simultaneously rather than repeating one change multiple times. Thanks to multiple selections, you can efficiently modify numerous lines at once, easily rename variables, and handle files more rapidly than you ever thought possible. The Command Palette provides access to less frequently used features, such as sorting, syntax adjustments, and indentation modifications. By entering just a few keystrokes, you can search for exactly what you need without the hassle of navigating through menus or remembering complex key commands. Additionally, Sublime Text boasts a robust Python API that enables the development of plugins to enhance its existing capabilities. With the ability to install Package Control through the command palette, you gain straightforward access to a wealth of community-created packages that can extend the editor's functionality even further. This makes it an invaluable tool for anyone looking to streamline their coding or writing process.

Notepad++ serves as a free alternative to traditional Notepad and is designed for editing source code across various programming languages. Functioning within the Microsoft Windows ecosystem, it operates under the terms of the GNU General Public License. The editor is built on the robust Scintilla editing framework and is developed using C++, making use of the pure Win32 API and Standard Template Library (STL) to achieve enhanced execution speed and a compact file size. By optimizing numerous processes while maintaining user-friendliness, Notepad++ aims to contribute to the reduction of global carbon dioxide emissions. The software’s efficiency allows computers to use less CPU power, enabling them to operate at lower energy levels, which in turn leads to reduced power consumption and a more sustainable environment. This approach exemplifies how software development can align with eco-friendly initiatives.

Apache NetBeans is a dynamic, open-source Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that supports the development of applications in various programming languages, such as Java, JavaScript, PHP, HTML5, and C/C++. Renowned for its modular framework, NetBeans equips developers with a comprehensive suite of tools and features tailored for creating desktop, mobile, and web applications. It boasts advanced code editing, debugging, and profiling functionalities, as well as an integrated visual GUI builder for crafting user interfaces in Java. Additionally, NetBeans provides support for multiple version control systems like Git, SVN, and Mercurial, enhancing collaborative efforts among teams. As a project under the Apache Software Foundation, NetBeans is continually refined by a vibrant community dedicated to expanding its capabilities, ensuring it remains a dependable and adaptable option for developers in numerous fields. Furthermore, its extensive documentation and tutorials make it accessible for both novice and experienced programmers alike.

Atom is a modern text editor tailored for the 21st century, developed on the Electron framework, and inspired by the features that we cherish in our preferred editing tools. It has been crafted to offer extensive customization options while remaining user-friendly with its default settings. As a vital component of a developer's toolkit, a text editor often collaborates with other tools rather than functioning in isolation. With the integrated GitHub package, you can seamlessly manage your Git and GitHub workflows directly in Atom—creating branches, staging and committing changes, pushing and pulling updates, resolving merge conflicts, and reviewing pull requests, all from within the editor. This package comes pre-installed with Atom, meaning you can start right away! Atom is compatible with various operating systems, including OS X, Windows, and Linux, ensuring a wide accessibility. You can easily search for and install new packages or even develop your own straight from the editor. Additionally, Atom enhances your coding efficiency with its intelligent and adaptable autocomplete feature, and it allows you to conveniently browse and open individual files, entire projects, or multiple projects simultaneously within a single window, making it a versatile choice for developers. Overall, Atom is designed to make coding smoother and more efficient, catering to both novice and experienced developers alike.

WordPad serves as a straightforward text-editing application that allows users to create and modify documents, incorporating text with various fonts and colors, as well as the ability to insert images and links to other files. This versatile tool enables the opening and saving of multiple file formats including text files (.txt), rich text files (.rtf), Word documents (.docx), and OpenDocument text files (.odt). It is important to note that files in unsupported formats will open as plain text and may not display as intended. Certain functionalities, such as headers, footers, and annotations, are not compatible with WordPad, meaning any file containing these elements will lose that content upon saving. To avoid losing original content when modifying such a file, it is advisable to select the "Save as" option and save it under a different filename, thus allowing you to edit a duplicate while preserving the original. For those seeking clarification on the functions of various buttons, simply press and hold a button for a brief description, or hover over it with a mouse for additional guidance. By utilizing these features effectively, users can maximize their experience with WordPad.

EditPlus is a Windows-based text editor that includes integrated support for FTP, FTPS, and SFTP functionalities. Beyond being a suitable alternative to Notepad, it provides a variety of robust features tailored for web developers and programmers, enhancing their coding experience significantly. This versatility makes it a valuable tool for anyone involved in web development or software programming.

The premier HTML and text editor designed specifically for Mac users, equipped with advanced features that enhance the editing, searching, and text manipulation experience. This tool stands out for its efficiency and user-friendly interface, making it a top choice for professionals in the field.

Many people consider NoteTab to be the premier replacement for traditional Notepad. For webmasters, it serves as the quickest HTML editor available. Others find it to be the most adaptable text editing tool. For those who are more experienced, it functions as a powerful text-processing machine. What will it become for you? Soon, we will share the ten key features that have contributed to NoteTab’s reputation as one of the most celebrated text editors in history. But before that, here's a fascinating tidbit for those unfamiliar with NoteTab: the tab bar. This beloved feature allows users to open multiple files simultaneously, each represented by its own tab, and provides the flexibility to rearrange these tabs within the handy tab bar to suit personal preferences. With such versatility, it’s no wonder NoteTab continues to be a favorite among many.

EmEditor is a quick, lightweight, and highly customizable text editor designed for Windows, offering user-friendly features. It comes in both native 64-bit and 32-bit versions, with the 64-bit variant additionally providing distinct builds optimized for SSE2 (128-bit), AVX-2 (256-bit), and AVX-512 (512-bit) instruction sets, catering to a wide range of user needs. This versatility makes it a popular choice among various coding and editing professionals.

Enhance your coding speed using the integrated development environment tailored for modern web programming languages such as Python, PHP, Perl, Golang, Ruby, and several others. This powerful tool can significantly streamline your development process, making it easier to tackle complex projects efficiently.

Embarcadero Dev C++ is a new and improved fork sponsored by Embarcadero. It's a combination of Orwell Dev C++ and Bloodshed Dev C++. It is a fully-featured Integrated Development Environment, (IDE), and code editor for C/C++ programming languages. It uses Mingw port GCC (GNU Compiler Collection), as its compiler. Embarcadero DevC++ can be used with Cygwin and any other GCC-based compiler. Embarcadero DevC++ is built with the latest Embarcadero Delphi. Embarcadero DevC++ is native Windows and has a small memory footprint. It does not use Electron. Optimized to parallel compile on modern multi-core processors.

Bluefish is a robust text editor designed specifically for programmers and web developers, offering a wide array of tools for creating websites, scripts, and various coding languages. It accommodates numerous programming and markup languages, making it versatile for different coding needs. For a detailed look at its features, users can explore the overview, browse through screenshots, or download the editor directly. As an open-source project, Bluefish is distributed under the GNU GPL license, promoting free use and distribution. This multi-platform application is compatible with a variety of desktop operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS-X, Windows, OpenBSD, and Solaris. The latest version, Bluefish 2.2.12, is a minor maintenance update that introduces some new features, including a crucial fix for a crash that occurred during simple searches. Enhancements have also been made in Python 3 compatibility, and the detection of encoding in Python files has seen improvements. Additionally, the triple-click function now allows users to select entire lines easily, and on Mac OSX, Bluefish has been optimized to better handle new permission features. Furthermore, issues with displaying the correct language in the Bluefish user interface for certain languages on OSX have been resolved. With these updates, users can expect a smoother and more efficient coding experience.

TextMate is a robust and highly customizable text editor that supports a vast array of programming languages and is developed under an open-source license. The editor simplifies the process of making multiple edits simultaneously by allowing users to easily add several insertion points for quick code alterations. Users can specify their search criteria, and TextMate efficiently displays results, enabling quick navigation between matches, extraction of relevant text, or previewing intended replacements. It also features a file browser that highlights changes, an editor view that marks modified lines, and the ability to generate diffs for the current file's alterations, all while seamlessly integrating with major version control systems. Whether you're dealing with files that incorporate multiple languages, projects that utilize various build systems, or third-party code with different formatting styles, TextMate adeptly manages it all by linking comprehensive scope selectors to keyboard shortcuts and customized settings. Additionally, this flexibility ensures that developers can maintain their preferred workflows while efficiently navigating complex coding environments.

Geany stands out as a robust, efficient, and lightweight text editor designed specifically for programmers, offering a wealth of features that enhance productivity without slowing down the user experience. It is compatible with Linux, Windows, and MacOS, supports over 40 languages, and accommodates more than 50 programming languages natively. One of the main motivations behind creating Geany was the demand for a versatile, user-friendly, and cross-platform IDE/editor that combines flexibility with power. While various editors fulfill some of these criteria, many fail to adequately address others. Geany is distributed under the GPL v2 license, ensuring that users have the freedom to modify and improve the software, while also allowing the entire community to benefit from those enhancements. Its highly customizable components, such as color themes (known as Geany Themes) and the ability to add new file types, cater to diverse user preferences. Additionally, Geany is equipped with numerous settings that allow for extensive personalization, ensuring it meets the unique needs of its users, including support for popular programming languages like C, Java, PHP, HTML, and JavaScript. Ultimately, Geany appeals to developers looking for a reliable tool that combines simplicity with comprehensive functionality.

Kate is a feature-rich editor designed to simplify the process of viewing and modifying all your text files effectively. It allows users to manage numerous files simultaneously, offering both tabbed and split view options, while also providing a diverse range of plugins such as an integrated terminal for executing console commands directly, robust search and replace tools, and a preview function to visualize your MD, HTML, and SVG content. Supporting syntax highlighting for over 300 programming languages, Kate enhances code readability across virtually all coding languages. The editor is also adept at understanding bracket structures, assisting users in navigating complex code block hierarchies seamlessly. Additionally, it includes on-the-fly spellchecking to help ensure your text is polished before it goes live. With the capability to work on multiple files concurrently through split views, you can also utilize the project sidebar for easy navigation of your directory structure, along with Kate's intelligent tabs to swiftly access recently opened documents, all of which contribute to a more efficient workflow. This makes Kate not just a tool, but a comprehensive environment for developers and writers alike.

QuickEdit is a robust and efficient text editor designed specifically for Android devices, ensuring optimal performance on both phones and tablets. This advanced notepad comes equipped with a variety of enhancements, including a code editor that supports syntax highlighting for over 40 programming languages. It delivers exceptional performance and provides real-time feedback, even when handling large text files exceeding 10,000 lines. Users can easily undo and redo changes without any restrictions, manage line indents effortlessly, and enjoy smooth scrolling in both vertical and horizontal directions. The app allows users to jump directly to a specified line number and automatically detects character encoding for convenience. Additionally, it offers a preview feature for HTML and Markdown files, the ability to edit system files on rooted devices, and quick access to recently opened or added files. Furthermore, QuickEdit supports both light and dark themes, making it a versatile choice for various user preferences. With its extensive features, QuickEdit proves to be an indispensable tool for anyone needing a comprehensive text editing solution on their Android device.

UltraEdit has been the preferred text editor for over 2 million users and many Fortune 100/500/1000 customers for almost three decades. UltraEdit is a powerful and fast data processor that can handle large files. It also supports almost any syntax or source language. UltraEdit is often referred to as the "Swiss Army knife" of text editors. It's a powerful tool that can be used by users across many industries and responsibilities. UltraEdit is able to solve almost any problem in text editing, including project management and programming. It can also handle large file manipulations, remote (FTP/SFTP), data sorting, column/block editing, advanced file searching, and text data reformatting. UltraEdit is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is supported by a professional team of developers and customer service personnel located in the USA.

Zed is an advanced code editor crafted for seamless collaboration between humans and AI, emphasizing high performance. Developed entirely in Rust to maximize the efficiency of multiple CPU cores and GPU resources, it allows for the integration of emerging LLMs into your coding workflow for tasks such as code generation, transformation, and analysis. The platform facilitates real-time communication with team members, enabling collaborative note-taking, screen sharing, and project management. With its multibuffer system, users can edit selected excerpts from the entire codebase on a single interface. It also supports inline code evaluation through Jupyter runtimes, allowing for joint notebook editing. Zed is compatible with numerous programming languages, thanks to Tree-sitter, WebAssembly, and the Language Server Protocol. Its quick native terminal is integrated with Zed's language-aware task runner and AI features, enhancing productivity. The editor offers first-class modal editing through Vim bindings, incorporating functionalities such as text objects and marks for efficient navigation. Built by a diverse global community of thousands of developers, Zed encourages users to enhance their experience with a wide array of extensions that expand language capabilities, provide various themes, and more. Furthermore, its user-friendly design aims to streamline development workflows, making it an ideal choice for programmers looking to elevate their coding efficiency.

Lapce is an innovative, open-source code editor designed to provide a swift and responsive experience, especially beneficial for developers tackling extensive projects or intricate codebases. Developed using Rust, Lapce takes advantage of native development's performance benefits to ensure a seamless editing experience that minimizes delays. The editor boasts a sleek, contemporary interface alongside advanced features like multi-caret editing, split views, and integrated terminal capabilities. By incorporating support for the Language Server Protocol (LSP), Lapce delivers accurate autocompletion, syntax highlighting, and efficient code navigation for a variety of programming languages, ultimately boosting developer productivity. Its high degree of extensibility, comprehensive plugin support, and emphasis on performance position Lapce as an optimal choice for developers seeking a lightweight yet robust editor that effectively combines simplicity with functionality, making it appealing to both novices and experienced coders alike. Furthermore, Lapce's commitment to community-driven development ensures that it continues to evolve, addressing the needs of users and keeping pace with the ever-changing landscape of software development.

Predator CNC Editor is one of the most popular CNC editor on the market. It has hundreds of features that will improve the productivity of CNC operators, programmers, and machine tool operators. Yet, it is very easy to use. The Predator CNC Editor is a great choice for small shops or large manufacturers.

Experience a versatile, cross-platform code editor that accommodates more than 60 programming languages across 9 different platforms. You can build or compile your projects seamlessly, and by simply double-clicking on an error message in the Build window, you can swiftly navigate to the relevant line of code. Each error and warning is clearly indicated with an icon located in the left margin for easy identification. Additionally, the overview bar next to the vertical scrollbar provides a visual representation of errors and warnings in relation to your current scroll position within the document. For a more efficient workflow, you can either drag the scrollbar slider to a marked location or click directly on the mark to bring it into view. SlickEdit also features an integrated debugging tool that serves as a user-friendly interface for a variety of debuggers. You can set breakpoints, step through code, inspect the stack, and examine variables and members, offering all the essential functionalities you would anticipate from a debugging tool. Furthermore, SlickEdit facilitates debugging for numerous languages, including GNU C/C++, Java, WinDbg, Clang C/C++ LLDB, Google Go, Python, Perl, Ruby, PHP, XCode, Scala, C# with Mono, Visual Basic with Mono, and Android JVM/NDK, making it a comprehensive solution for diverse development needs. This extensive support makes SlickEdit an invaluable tool for developers working in multiple environments.

Textastic for Mac serves as an ideal desktop counterpart to the widely used iOS code editor. Featuring compatibility with over 80 source code and markup languages, it seamlessly extends the robust syntax highlighting capabilities of its iOS version to the Mac platform. Users can easily integrate their own syntax definitions that are compatible with TextMate and Sublime Text. The Mac version is derived from the same code editor that powers the iOS application, ensuring a consistent experience. It utilizes native macOS APIs like Core Text, which enhances performance and speed. The app simplifies your workflow with features such as code completion, file navigation through a symbol list, and support for contemporary Mac functionalities like Auto Save and Versions. Additionally, with iCloud Drive integration, syncing files between macOS and iOS devices becomes a hassle-free process. This application not only supports a vast array of coding languages but also includes features such as iCloud auto-save and macOS Versions, making it a comprehensive tool for developers. Furthermore, it allows for the importation of syntax definitions, themes, and templates from TextMate, enhancing its customization options.

When completing tasks efficiently is your primary focus, the last thing you want is to spend valuable time mastering yet another software program. Your familiarity with previous tools should easily translate to new applications, allowing you to quickly utilize them without a steep learning curve. This is precisely why TextPad enjoys such popularity among users. Whether you're seeking a robust alternative to Notepad, a reliable editor for your web content, or even a programming IDE, TextPad delivers functionality in a way that's intuitive and expected. You can try it out on our website before making a purchase, so don’t hesitate to download your trial version today and discover how much more efficient you can be. Notably, TextPad is engineered to meet the most rigorous text editing needs, handling files as large as virtual memory permits. It is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, and Server editions from 2008 to 2019, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of users. With its extensive features and ease of use, TextPad is poised to become an indispensable tool in your productivity arsenal.

When you have to apply identical modifications across multiple files simultaneously, WildEdit proves to be a significant time-saver. This interactive application allows users to modify various plain text files organized in a folder structure, utilizing wildcard filters for precise targeting. It works exceptionally well for tasks such as updating web pages, altering software source code, or reformatting documents like log files and newsletters. However, it's important to note that it does not cater to files with proprietary binary formats, including Microsoft Word documents. The process involves entering the text to search for—potentially employing a regular expression—along with the desired replacement text and a wildcard filter, after which you can simply let the tool execute the changes. You can repeat this action as many times as needed, with the added benefit of being able to undo and redo the last ten modifications if necessary. Before committing to a purchase, you can try out WildEdit with its trial version, encouraging you to download it now and discover how much more efficient your editing tasks can become. With its capabilities, you can effectively edit any files that contain plain text.