Wordpad, yep yep, I love PHP coding. I know, Word Pad is very bad quality but it works doesn't it? I can still make websites faster than most people I know.
I also recommend NotePad++ for HTML/CSS and small tasks, and Eclipse for larger projects. daveson, why?
Is it free Eclipse? I have been using Zend for a while for PHP but I realised that sometimes until it will get opened I am no longer in a mood for programming... Not to mention it crashs all the time
It really depends on what I am doing. If it is something somewhat involved and I don't feel like writing a bunch of code, then I will use Visual Studio or something that I can use to switch to whatever code syntax I want like HTML vs XML, etc. However, I sometimes tend to be a control freak and like writing my own code. I haven't used Notepad++ but had a former boss who did a lot of PHP coding and loved it. I like Visual Studio because I can switch languages with a few clicks and have it highlight key words and automatically paste in the corresponding closing tag. Less typing is better for me... I only type about 40 wpm. I have heard that using a GUI editor like Frontpage can insert extra lines of code that makes the WYSIWYG stuff work, and can make your web app operate slower. I don't know if that is the case or not, but that is what I have heard. On another side of it I like using the editors for stuff I don't know how to do... just to figure out how to do it.
Am I the only one confused as to how this thread came from two years old back to the front page? Anyhow, i'm a handcoder. I like to use dreamweaver mainly because it helps you avoid the simple errors of not closing out tags and stuff. But I don't use any form of drag and drop system for my coding.
I'm a bit confused about that too PHPGator. I'm a hand coder, I enjoy making sites XHTML strict (or transitional if they have to be), don't ask why.
I started out in notepad 12 years ago I still use it sometimes because you are sure to not have the WYSIWYG add unwanted code which has messed me up for a few hours more then once.
Bumpity Bump Bump - at least nobody is attacking the bumper unlike some forums I could mention - or attacking a nube for NOT searching existing topics to post in on those same forums I could mention. As to hand code vs. retard, notice my signature - nuff said. Even if you hand code I still say pitch all that stupid overhead and bloated crap in the trash.
Programmers Notepad here - Just find it easier to go in and type the code myself - means I know exactly what codes going in there and I can make sure its all lean, clean, tabbed and looking pretty. Can't stand untidy code.
I only hand code. Any other type of coding is a WASTE OF TIME and produces crap code. You should see some of the code glorious dreamweaver and other WYSIWYG editors "create". Total. Trash.
That was my bad. I simply tried to answer both the original question posted and the most recent post all in the same post. I didn't even pay attention to when the orignal post was created.
I use Gridinsoft Notepad for all coding, I find it does a great job with syntax highlighting and bracket matching. Link: http://notepad.gridinsoft.com/ Its also very easy to have it highlight a file in a language that doesn't match the extension - i.e. getting it to highlight CakePHP's .thtml files as PHP. Dreamweaver can do this but you have to hack it a little. Beyond that, its just a very well written piece of software that does everything I want and little of what I don't. I do miss the parameter hinting that DW has, but having such a lightweight editor is well worth looking up some things on php.net time to time. I handcode because I am extremely anal about the way my sites look and I hate bloated code. With all the IE bugs and such, I want to know everything about my code so I don't have to count on DW to know how to fix the double float margin bug, or similar problems. If I'm throwing up a site to just get a bunch of pages into Google's index, I obviously care a lot less, but if its a site for a client I want it perfect to the pixel and cross browser compliant. Also, I'm an elitist, what can I say?
I code everything by hand using Coda including html, php, asp, Everything!!! I can code faster than I can use one of those editors... so there's really no reason for me to switch. I also enjoy it and it helps me type faster for my college papers!!