[Wylug-discuss] FLOSS Cross-platform Web-oriented Text Editor For Newbies

[Dave Fisher]

Hi All,

Old lags will recognise this question (I ask it every year or two): 

  Can anyone recommend a fairly simple to learn and use, but featureful,
  cross-platform text editor (or IDE)?

As a minimum, it should provide:

  1. (Correct) Syntax highlighting for HTML, CSS and XHTML
  
  2. Templates for strict versions of HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.0
  
  3. Validation for strict HTML 4.01, XHTML 1.0 and CSS 2.1

Ideally, it would also:

  4. Be capable of autoindenting an entire XHTML/HTML/CSS file,
     providing its contents are syntactically correct
  
  5. Prompt/autocomplete with valid code, obeying strict DTDs/Schemas

  6. Support all the popular web programming languages, including
     (but not limited to): JavaScript, Perl, PHP,Python, Ruby.

  7. Support web development 'frameworks' like AJAX and Ruby on Rails.

Here's some of the editors that I have *not* instantly dismissed at
first glance:

  * Eclipse
  * Aptana
  * jEdit
  * Nedit
  * SciTE
  * Cream (Vim)
  * Komodo
  * Nvu
  * KompoZer
  * Amaya

I really like the idea and feel of Cream (especially, the option of
moving up to proper vim), but I can't find any clues about how to
install it on MacOS X. It looks good on Linux and MS-Windows, though.

Eclipse is the only one that seems to come close in terms of mark-up
language support, valid code generation, auto-correction, etc.
Unfortunately, it's a dog to install/configure and I suspect that it is
too featureful for the average beginner (not to mention the download
size!).

KomopoZer makes a valiant attempt to clean up the excrable code
generated by Nvu, but it is forced to use Nvu's ridiculous CSS editor
dialogue box. No autoindentation ... it even removes manual indents!

Komodo HTML templates suggest complete cluelessness.

jEdit, Nedit, and SciTE, a bit to crufty ... I can't find whole-file
indentation in any of them.

Amaya looks much better than older versions, but I still struggle with
the source code editor (esp. block indentation).

I'd appreciate your thoughts and recommendations, but please remember
the minimum (non-negotiable) requirements.[1]  

I'd be happy to consider HTML/CSS-only editors, but cross-platform is an
essential.

Dave

[1] It still amazes me that the vast majority of editors I've looked
at have HTML templates which actively encourage users to produce tag
soup.