Text editors
How to set up and use text editors for writing markdown
Before you start writing Markdown documentation, you will need to choose a text editor. Although you can use any text editor to edit Markdown, including one bundled with your operating system (e.g., Windows Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on MacOS), you will mostly likely want to use a text editor specially designed for editing source code. Such editors normally come with extra features, including syntax highlighting, integration with Git, and the ability to preview your document as formatted text. Here, we have compiled a list of popular text editors which you can use to edit Markdown.
Visual Studio Code
The most popular text editor in the World is Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code also known as VSCode. VSCode has built-in markdown support. However, VSCode’s main strength is its enormous plugin ecosystem – with a single click, you can a plugin for almost any language which will provide features such as syntax highlighting, code autocompletion, and even running and debugging code. This makes VSCode a versatile, beginner-friendly tool, which you can use for all your programming needs. VSCode is also mostly open source, although some elements are proprietary. If you like VSCode but would prefer to use an entirely open-source editor check out VSCodium.
Vim/Neovim
Vim (Vi improved) is another popular free and open-source text editor, available for Linux, Windows and MacOS. Vim has a long history – it was first released in 1991, and was based on the even older Vi editor. Unlike VSCode, which employs a graphical user interface, Vim is typically used via a text-based/terminal-based user interface. Vim is designed to be used entirely via the keyboard, and employs an editing paradigm known as modal editing. This means that it has a much steeper learning curve than most other text editors. Vim is also highly configurable, using the built-in Vimscript.
Neovim is a popular fork of Vim created in 2014, with the aim of improving usability and extensibility. Notably, Neovim can be configured with the popular Lua programming language.
Sublime Text
Sublime is my favourite text editor. Python, Bash, Markdown, C++, html… you name it. It can even handle Matlab!
Why I love Sublime
What I particularly love about Sublime is that I can switch between different languages very comfortably), and it takes care of everything the same way, no matter what you are writing. It handles the colours, the spacing, the formatting/syntax, linting, the keyboard shortcuts, autocompletions, commenting, spell checking, searching / find+replace across multiple files, all the important stuff! You can also use the companion software “Sublime Merge” to use Sublime with Git.
You must think “WOW, this is incredible! And is it Open Source?”
Well, no it is not.
Now you must wonder why I am advertising for Sublime on a website which advocate for open source. Well since Atom has been discontinued, we must find alternatives that have comparable options.
This is why, on this page I will list text editors that are, for me, good alternatives to Atom.
Please contact us if you know other great alternatives :)
Why you should use a text editor
To host your documentation on Gitlab pages, you’re going to be writing across multiple documents, and potentially in more than one language. Best are text editors which also have a directory tree that enables you to navigate around your project file easily.
Good text editors also provide a graphical point-and-click way of committing changes to your GitHub repo. This can be useful if you’re not familiar with the process, but for these tutorials we’re going to stick to command line and the terminal for GitHub, because you get more informative error reports.
Other good text editors
Same can be said about Geany which bear the same characteristics! And several git plugins for Geany exists as well!!!
You can also use Microsoft Visual Studio (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOH - sorry, I went through terrible nights trying to make a C#/C++ software work).
The most important is that you must feel confortable using a text editor. Try several of them and do not be afraid to change, most of them have the same qualities!