Top 3 Code Editors For the iPad | Hacker News Reader

Top 3 Code Editors For the iPad

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30 pointsAnon8430 comments

Having used the iPad quite a bit, I don't think code editors are the problem when it comes to coding. After all, you can do that in pretty much anything.

The biggest disadvantage would be the keyboard. Especially how it handles "weird" characters that the average coder needs to be first-level rather than hidden somewhere deep.

Here's a good idea on how the keyboard could be greatly improved -> http://rosscarter.com/2010/320.html

A fixed layout of a virtual keyboard is a silly problem created by Apple — keyboard customization is a private API.

Hopefully the restriction will be relaxed in future versions of iOS.

I wouldn't call enforcing consistency in a primary interaction mode "silly." There would be a considerable increase in cognitive load if a user had to parse what they're seeing every time a keyboard appears. You'd benefit the tail (e.g., people who want to code on an iPad) but reduce utility for the majority of users. Like most things, it's a trade-off, and Apple usually (almost always?) lands on the side of simplicity in that trade-off.

They did it successfully for Numbers.app.

All applications are curated, so they could add "Confusing keyboard" to long list of rejections.

FTP is a relevant feature while SSH and source control support aren't?

I may be daft, but what is the point of coding on an iPad when you cannot compile or execute the code on it? (Except for Javascript I suppose.)

If you take a bus/train to/from work, it would allow you to hack out an idea on the go and test it when you arrive. Of course, that assumes you don't already have a laptop that you could use.

I'm actually one of those minority of people who have completely stopped taking my laptop anywhere (and when the time comes to upgrade to a new machine, will absolutely be getting a desktop).

I used to write code "on the go" in a computation notebook (actually I do that even when I'm not on the go), and only after getting it working the way I want do I actually enter it into a computer.

Typing in code on a portable device has pretty much replaced my notebook, and I'm more than happy with the tradeoffs entailed in using that type of device.

I should caveat everything by saying that I'm not a professional software developer (I make my living breaking software, not making it), so my use case for development might not match up with most people's.

In some of our projects we've already quit doing local compiling. Just commit your stuff and a Opensuse Build Service installation will provide you installable binaries in a moment. Done right, this is actually faster than compiling things yourself.

Is anybody using their iPad with org-mode? I've installed MobileOrg, but I don't really care to subscribe to the whole workflow they've gone for (with push and pull commands on the emacs side, and staging directories). I'd really just like to find a text editor with support for Dropbox and a basic understanding of org files. Bonus points if the editor can manipulate outlines and provide a quick asterisk button.

Forget code editors for the ipad. What about code editors for the mac? Your options are jedit (hideous) or smultron (buggy abandonware), or pay through the nose for textmate (also abandonware)...

You seem to forget the venerable classics: vim and emacs. In particular, I've seen a fair number of "Why I've given up TextMate for vim" articles here on HN in the last few months. I've been using MacVim quite happily for the last year or so.

BBedit (for anything), Xcode (for non-web & iDevices), Coda (for web & collaborative), NetBeans (for anything), Komodo (for javascript?). And others I'm probably forgetting.

And yes, most on that list cost money. But nothing a couple hours or so of work couldn't cover.

Espresso for web development.

TextWrangler (http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/) is freeware and performs admirably for what I need. Coda (http://www.panic.com/coda/) is commercial, but apparently also quite good.

There is nothing better for code editing on the mac than Aquamacs.

It's emacs, so there's a bunch of cool stuff, and it's so awesomely hacked and configured that it looks&feels just like a normal mac app.

Hell, because of it I've started using emacs everywhere.

MacVim.

I've been using emacs for years. It's definitely worth the learning curve. Plus, it's available on all the major desktop operating systems, so you don't have to relearn a new editor for every environment.

And packaged binaries for OS X can be found at http://emacsformacosx.com/. I prefer standard GNU Emacs to Aquamacs.

PyCharm is good for a 'heavyweight' IDE, and you can get it free if you're involved with education or open-source.

TextWrangler looks like the best free option to me, for those of us who lack the patience to learn emacs and vim.

For java, there's a nice lightweight IDE called jGrasp, that's free.

My favourites are Coda and TextMate though, because they've got the proper Mac sensibility going on. Ie. they're pretty, the menus/panels aren't overcrowded, but there's a lot of power tucked away if you care to become a power-user.

If there was a code editor with tight Git integration and easy connection to a build service, I might not actually need a laptop. But I guess that is still some ways off.

Come on, you'd have to be soft in the head to do that. The novelty would quickly give way to frustration.

Maybe, yes. But, small machine, ten hours of battery life might still be enough to keep me there.

I can second a recommendation for Textastic. Specifically, it uses Fraise's syntax definition files, so it has support for a crapload of languages: (http://www.textasticapp.com/manual/lessons/Which_file_types_...)

I see people complaining that you'd have to be an idiot to write code on a touchscreen device, but I honestly don't have any issue with it.

Ironically, I think the one language it doesn't support is Objective-C.

edit: sorry, correction, I must have been thinking of the other one, Code2Go, which also features a lot of languages and also lets you run them on a web-bound service, but doesn't do Objective-C (ironically)

Textastic is a very neat program. Especially useful if you just want to review code. Very nice highlighting/search feature. Looks like they're going to add Dropbox support too.

Actually, it does support Objective C (at least according to their web page, I've never edited an Objective C file in it).

When I absolutley must code on my ipad I use Mides. It's quite good as far as ipad code editors go- but coding on an ipad is still a terrible experience.

I would be very concerned if any of my development team announced they were going to use their iPads for developing code. The iPad is a device that is best used for CONSUMING information, not creating it. Developers need large screens, efficient processing and multi tasking. Perhaps some small work could be done (like reviewing), but not serious development.

Brett Miller http://www.customsoftwarebypreston.com/android-iphone-ipad

I keep seeing comments like this posted in this article, and maybe I'm just being defensive; but I kind of think that's a dangerously dismissive point of view.

I think developers have been creating applications long before they had "large screens, efficient processing and multi tasking". I won't argue that these things make development easier, but they are certainly not a requirement.

Every day I hear about people using these devices for creating content, and every day the trope about them only being for "consuming information" seems more and more absurd.

Why is this getting up voted?

> On-Topic: Anything that good hackers would find interesting.

I don't think any hacker would seriously consider coding on a touch based interface.

> If the original title begins with a number or number + gratuitous adjective, we'd appreciate it if you'd crop it.

See title.

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