Sublime Text for Windows

Code more easily with this free minimalist editor

Sublime Text is a free text editor with a minimalist, simplified UI. Created by Sublime HQ, it’s a top-quality development and IT program with an emphasis on maintaining a clean, focused view of your code. The editor removes distractions with its pared-back presentation and supports a variety of programming languages. 

Sublime Text is similar to other Text Editors such as Atom or Notepad++, but benefits from its added functions help it stand out from the growing competition. One such feature is that it can work with multiple documents at once, each in its own separate tab.

Lightweight, feature-packed, and compatible

Sublime Text can write code in JavaScript, HTML, Java, CSS, Python, SQL, and PHP. The program is compatible with multiple operating systems like Windows, Linux, and Mac. The Mac version now includes native support for Apple Silicon processors. 

Sublime Text’s main selling point is its lightweight size and minimal style. Split editing allows for editing files and coding with auto-completion. Error messages and color coding elements also make it a great tool for beginners and veteran coders alike. Both tools help to catch mistakes and assist in troubleshooting. 

The syntax highlighting engine has been improved with the ability to handle multi-line constructs, non-deterministic grammars, lazy embeds, and full-on syntax inheritance. The system uses less memory, which helps to quicken load times.

These helpful features go hand in hand with Sublime Text’s integrated development environment; they serve to streamline and simplify the coding process, keeping you focused and letting you spend time problem-solving rather than fighting the software. Sublime Text is also helpful for keeping organized since it lets you store projects in folders directly within the editor itself.

To not clutter the UI, additional features can be tacked onto Sublime Text via plugins and extensions. Beginners may have a hard time knowing which to look for, which is where the technical support forums come in handy. Fortunately, these are frequently moderated with useful advice and topics. The frequent questions asked by novice coders have thoroughly been answered by the community.

For more advanced coders, Sublime Text is also a good choice. The program thrives on working with large scripts and projects since it can open and edit multiple files simultaneously with its multi-tab select function. There’s also a 'Go To Anything' navigation tool that enables easy access to any element in your code. You can also zoom out and view your code as one complete page rather than endlessly scrolling through individual lines.

The ‘Go To Anything’ and autocomplete features have been improved and refined over numerous builds since Sublime Text first launched in 2008, and now code navigation is easier and more intuitive than ever before. Sublime HQ rewrote the autocomplete engine so that it now provides smarter completions based on existing code in a project, saving further time and preventing typos. The suggested drop-down has also been enhanced with links to definitions.

Another improvement of Sublime Text is that it can now use GPU on Mac, Windows, and Linux when it renders the interface. The rendering draws less power than previous builds and makes for a fluid UI all the way up to 8K resolution. Packages built through Sublime Text 3 and Sublime Text API still maintain backward compatibility. It has been updated to Python 3.8, however, significantly expanding and evolving the API. Added features that allow for plugins like LSP, function better and the documentation has been updated accordingly.

The adaptive themes for Linux and Windows have custom title bars, and both themes and color schemes support automatic context-sensitive switching to dark mode. The Tab Multi-Select functionality is a simple performing action modifier that splits the interface to show all active tabs at once. Both Sublime Text’s default and adaptive themes have since been refreshed with the new tab styles and inactive pane dimming.

Is Sublime Text free?

While the continuous use of Sublime Text requires a license, the binary file is free to download and evaluate. The personal license is for individual use and is a one-time purchase with updates of three years. Newer upgrades to the default program (such as Package Control) require further updates. 

The business license is available as a separate pricing tier. Suited for larger organizations, this subscription is annual, and the cost depends on how many users you’ll need.

Sublime Text vs Notepad++

No matter your skill or experience with coding, Sublime Text is an excellent choice for a straightforward text editor that can be outfitted to serve any needs. As mentioned before, Notepad++ is a similarly strong coding tool and is another IDE that allows coders to write and edit code. Notepad++ also utilizes plug-ins and grants access to automatic debugging tools. 

When comparing Notepad++ vs Sublime Text, the determining factors between these softwares will be based on the power of your computer and your budget. Notepad++ is even lighter on your PC than Sublime Text and works more consistently on older Windows computers. While you’ll eventually need a license for Sublime Text, Notepad++ is completely free. This makes it the recommended option if you’re new to coding as you won’t benefit early on from the sophisticated tools offered in Sublime Text.

Another difference is that Notepad++ was designed specifically for Windows. Sublime, by contrast, is a multi-platform tool that can even operate on a Macbook. Notepad++ is also an older program and doesn’t barrage its users with lengthy shortcut commands or messy plug-ins. It lacks the versatility of Sublime Text, for this reason, falls short when it comes to larger projects.

Organize and clarify coding projects

While there are other comparable text editors on the market, Sublime Text is one of the better choices. Fast, smooth, and built for complex scripts and large-scale projects, it supports all programming languages on multiple platforms. It’s intuitive to navigate while simplifying and shortens the coding process by keeping it more visually organized. 

As with anything involving programming, there’s always a learning curve. Luckily for new coders, Sublime Text takes most of that curve away allowing users to focus on troubleshooting code rather than fighting with the software.