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Filed under: Text, Windows, Commercial

Sublime Text brings Mac-like text editing to Windows

Sublime TextMac users that have been spoiled by text editors like TextMate often find themselves frustrated when moving to a Windows machine. While there are lots of text editors for the Windows platform, it's hard to find one with the clean design sensibilities that TextMate offers.

Well, there's a new editor in town, and its name is Sublime Text. I don't mean to equate it too much to TextMate since they are very definitely different products; it's more the feel of using the products that drives the comparison.

Sublime Text prioritizes a slick user interface and features under the hood that make it a power-user's tool. For example, it sports the ability to give you a Minimap, which for developers gives you a 10,000 foot view of your code.

The best text editing tools seem to be powerful enough for programmers to use, yet incredibly useful for writers of prose. Sublime Text is no exception.

Unfortunately, Sublime Text is a commercial app - you have to pay for the quality, and it doesn't come cheap. A single user license will run you $59US. An evaluation version is also available.

Filed under: Developer, Utilities, Macintosh, Productivity

Snippet: quickly save and reuse bits of code on your Mac

Snippet is an OS X app that gives you quick access to snippets of code you want to reuse in your projects. it sits in your menubar, and its most important functions are accessible without using a mouse. You can add new snippets and search your saved ones using hotkeys, so you don't break up your workflow. Once you grab a snippet, it'll send the focus back to the window you were coding in, no clicking necessary.

You can keep track of your snippets by tagging them with keywords for better searching, and labeling each one with the appropriate language. Snippet also syncs over MobileMe, so you can access your code on multiple Macs (which is great if you have separate work and home machines). The downside to Snippet is the $12.95 pricetag, but it's the kind of app you'll use for work every day if you end up liking it, so the price is definitely not unreasonable.

Filed under: Developer, Web services, Open Source

BitLoot helps turn ideas into Open Source software


I've written about plenty of great software, but I'll probably never create any on my own. I'm no programmer, unless you count the projects I used to cobble together on our Commodore 64 and Apple IIe when I was in middle school.

That's why I like the idea of bitloot. It's a simple concept. Submit your idea for an application and it's added to bitloot's listings. Once some financial contributions are made, a developer is selected and creates the code.

Developers that think they've got a cool idea and would like a way to gather some donations can submit an idea and select "me" as the developer.

It's a terrific idea. You get a custom-made program, the developer gets a little compensation for his or her efforts, and the community gets both a new application and open source code to play with.

Bitloot is still fairly new, so why not help get things rolling? Visit the site and submit some ideas, or donate a few bucks to a worthy project!

Filed under: Design, Developer, Features, Linux, Open Source

Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 5 - Readers love editing

Komodo EditSeriously guys, we love you. Okay, fine, maybe not in the way your mom loves you, or your dog loves you, or your significant other loves you. But we definitely love you in that totally uncomfortable, care-free, "Hey, let us buy you a Red Bull and Pop Rocks next time we're at the convenience store" sort of way.

We don't just love you for your looks, or your superior intelligence, or because you can totally creep out little kids with that thing you do with your left eye. We will even go so far as to say the fact that you use Linux doesn't play into it one bit.

We love you because your suggestions rock. We scour the web ourselves daily, but you know, it's a big place, and we just can't know every single bit of software or tech goodness out there. We think it's way cool when we get suggestions from readers about applications for Linux (or Windows, or Mac, or Palm...) because you aren't only cluing us in on applications we may not be familiar with, but a lot of you are avid users, and can vouch that the application you are suggesting really works for every day use.

This week, we think it's only appropriate to wrap up the editors section of our Linux web tools discussion with a couple of reader suggested gems. So a big thanks to Tim for suggesting we look at Komodo Edit and kingkool68 for pointing us towards Aptana.

Read more →

Filed under: Developer, Fun, Internet, Text, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux

Real-time HTML editor helps coding and learning

Real-time HTML editorAnyone who has hand-coded HTML (I know, oldskool) has wished for a tool like this real-time HTML editor, though regrettably the days of hardcore hand-coding HTML are pretty much over. I still code HTML in my free time just for the tactile feel of simple code beneath my fingers and remembering the old day before things got easy. Real-time HTML Editor puts your code into practice as soon as (and somewhat before) you type it. Through the power of AJAX, HTML is now more fun. This tool is obviously not for serious coding, but it can help a noob learn the basics or help you text a small script, such as a MySpace layout or something nonsensical like that. I checked it out for the nostalgic value more than anything, so if that is your brand of suck tape, give it a whirl.

Filed under: Developer, Internet, Text, Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Web services, Microsoft, Freeware, Browser Tips

Aptana offers a nice web IDE

AptanaAptana is a slick looking JavaScript IDE that rivals larger IDE's like Visual Studio. Aptana includes support for AJAX, and has an easy to use interface to help with your web design tasks. Included is an outline view, file and project tabs for quick browsing of your file system. There is a decent help system that helps you get setup in Aptana coding the way that works best for you. The splash or home screen does a good job of explaining many aspects of the system and how to use it right off the bat. My favorite feature is the integrated JavaScript reference to help you learn more as you code, or simply make looking up the name of a function or other syntax very easy.

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The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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