Best Text Editors for Swift

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Typora offers a fluid experience for users, serving effectively as both a writing and reading tool. It eliminates the need for a preview window, mode switcher, or any markdown syntax symbols, thereby cutting out unnecessary distractions. Instead, it features a live preview option that allows you to focus solely on your content. The software also facilitates file management with an easily accessible file tree panel and an article list panel, enabling you to organize your files according to your preferences, including integration with sync services such as Dropbox or iCloud. You can effortlessly view the outline structure of your documents in the outline panel, making navigation throughout the document quick and intuitive, as you can jump to any section with just one click. Additionally, Typora allows you to export your work to PDF complete with bookmarks. You can further enhance your productivity by importing and exporting various other formats, such as docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki, and Epub. To top it off, you can track your document’s length in terms of words, characters, lines, or estimated reading time, providing you with valuable insights into your writing. This comprehensive functionality makes Typora a powerful tool for anyone involved in writing or content creation.

CodeRunner is an efficient, lightweight programming text editor and integrated development environment (IDE) tailored for macOS. This versatile application was crafted to accommodate a diverse array of popular programming languages and execute them without delay. By default, it can run code in 25 different languages, but users can easily configure it to support additional languages through their respective terminal commands. With a robust offering of over 200 syntax modes, an array of advanced editing capabilities, and thoughtful design elements, CodeRunner is sure to become your preferred editor for all types of text files. Its code completion functionality stands out as one of the finest available in any IDE, featuring intelligent text matching that goes beyond mere single-word suggestions. The extra-fuzzy search algorithm allows users to swiftly locate the right completion among thousands, supplemented by useful documentation snippets and a smart ranking system for results. Instead of cluttering your code with print statements for debugging, take advantage of CodeRunner's comprehensive built-in debugging tools, which allow you to set breakpoints and step through your code seamlessly. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, CodeRunner is ideal for both novice programmers and seasoned developers alike.

Spacemacs is a community-centric distribution of Emacs that revolutionizes the editing experience by integrating both Emacs and Vim's strengths. This innovative editor emphasizes ergonomic design, mnemonic organization, and consistency throughout its interface. Key bindings are thoughtfully categorized with mnemonic prefixes such as b for buffer, p for project, s for search, and h for help, making navigation intuitive. Users benefit from a unique real-time display that highlights available key bindings, enhancing usability. The platform also features a streamlined query system to effortlessly locate layers, packages, and more. With a standardized set of conventions, similar functionalities utilize the same key bindings across the board, promoting familiarity. Additionally, the community-driven configuration ensures that users have access to a curated selection of packages optimized by experienced users, while bugs are addressed promptly, fostering a reliable and efficient working environment. This makes Spacemacs not just an editor, but a vibrant community of users supporting one another in their coding journeys.

Buffer Editor is an innovative code and text editing tool designed for seamless software development, code viewing, or note-taking while on the move. Countless programmers rely on Buffer Editor for its swift, robust, and sophisticated coding capabilities on mobile platforms. It allows users to preview a variety of file types compatible with iOS, such as images, PDFs, videos, and documents. You can effortlessly toggle between your currently open files and even open several terminals in separate tabs. Additionally, you can preview content both on localhost and your own server, enhancing your workflow and productivity. With its user-friendly interface and extensive features, Buffer Editor truly stands out in the realm of mobile coding applications.

CotEditor is specifically designed for macOS and aligns perfectly with the expectations of macOS users. Its rapid launch time ensures that you can begin writing without delay whenever inspiration strikes. As an open-source project, CotEditor invites contributions from anyone interested in enhancing its capabilities. It supports syntax highlighting for over 50 popular programming languages, such as HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Markdown, while also allowing users to create personalized settings. The interface enables you to split the window into several panes, facilitating the simultaneous view of various sections of your document. You can easily inspect the Unicode character data of any selected character, which is displayed conveniently in a popover. There is no need for complicated configuration files requiring technical expertise; all your settings, including syntax definitions and themes, can be managed through a straightforward preferences window. With CotEditor, the worry of losing unsaved changes is eliminated, as it automatically backs up your work during editing sessions. Additionally, it provides a feature to identify and list characters in your document that cannot be converted to the desired encoding, ensuring a smooth writing experience. This combination of user-friendliness and powerful features makes CotEditor a valuable tool for writers and developers alike.