Time Saving Tuesday
We have talked about text editors a lot on CyberNet before because they can help you be a lot more productive. Up until a few weeks ago I was using Notepad++ on a regular basis, but then I came across PSPad that seemed a little nicer. I do quite a bit of website programming, and that got me thinking whether there was anything better than PSPad out there.
I scrounged up a slightly older article from DonationCoder.com, a site that I have a lot of respect for, which threw down the gauntlet on the various text editors available (both free and paid). The one that came out on top was a program called UltraEdit that has been around since 1994.
It’s not a free program like some of the others you might be accustomed to, but it is packed with a crazy amount of features that makes it a programmer’s dream come true. We have three licenses to give away to our readers, and you’ll find instructions for the giveaway located at the end of this article.
So lets go ahead and jump right in on the features UltraEdit has to offer.
–File Explorer–
One of the first things that you’ll notice when running UltraEdit is the sidebar. It is an important part of the text editor that lets you manage several different aspects of the program, including:
- Projects - lets you group files together for fast access
- Opened files – shows a list of all the files you currently have open
- Explorer – browse and open files from your computer or from an FTP server
- Favorites List – create a list of your favorite files (like a to-do list)
Here’s a side-by-side view of the different tabs in UltraEdit:
–Direct FTP/SFTP Access–
One of the things that is nice to have in a text editor is some sort of FTP Explorer. That way you can remotely connect to a site, edit a file, and save it without ever needing to use an additional application.
PSPad and UltraEdit are among the elite few who have these capabilities out-of-the-box. The one in UltraEdit is a bit more polished though, and one of the reasons I like it better is that you can actually have multiple FTP’s open at the same time. With PSPad you have to disconnect from one FTP before you can connect to another.
The “Save All” command also works with all the files that you have open from an FTP, and I know some other text editors have problems with the Save All command when the files are located on an FTP. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that you can change a file’s permissions from within UltraEdit. 
I took two screenshots of the FTP access in UltraEdit. The one on the left is from the Account Manager, and the one on the right is what it looks like when you’re browsing the FTP for files.
–Function List–
Anyone that has programmed something with thousands of lines of code and dozens of functions knows the heartache that can be caused by trying to scroll around looking for a specific function. In UltraEdit you just have to hit the F8 key and a sidebar will magically appear with a listing of all the functions in the file that you’re viewing:
You can also setup the Function List to show all of the functions from the current project, which means you can list out functions from several different files at the same time.
–Advanced Syntax Highlighting–
UltraEdit is heavily designed with programmers in mind, and one of the most notorious features that text editors like this have is syntax highlighting. Notepad++ does a really good job of this, but I have found PSPad to have some problems in this area.
UltraEdit’s syntax highlighting has been perfect all throughout my tests. One of the features that I really like is it being able to have it intelligently recognize when a switch in syntax is needed. I do a lot of web programming as you can imagine, and I therefore intermingle multiple languages such as HTML, PHP, and JavaScript all in a single file. This screenshot shows that UltraEdit correctly highlights the syntax of two different languages despite being in the same file:
Don’t worry if you don’t like what colors it assigns to the syntax because you can customize it all. For instance, one thing that I changed was that it makes comments green, but I prefer to have comments be a light-gray. In just a few clicks of the settings I was able to change the color.
–Code Folding–
Code folding is essentially a fancy term for being able to expand and collapse functions. Notepad++ and UltraEdit are almost the only text editors that support a feature like this, and it’s one of those things that you grow accustomed to as a programmer. When I program, I collapse functions after I believe I’m done with, and it makes it easier for me to see what I still need to work on.
Here’s a screenshot that shows the first two functions being “folded”, and the last one left untouched:
–SSH/Telnet Console–
The built-in SSH/Telnet client is one of UltraEdit’s most unique and best features. It’s essentially a complete replacement to having to use Putty, and it seems like every time that I need to SSH into a computer, I also have the text editor open. So it almost seems like a natural combination to have an SSH console built-in to UltraEdit.
Below are two screenshots of the SSH/Telnet feature in UltraEdit. The one on the left shows the Account Manager, and the one on the right is what the console actually looks like. The console can be arranged so that it occupies an area within the UltraEdit program, such as a sidebar.
Click to Enlarge
–HTML Features–
UltraEdit has a strong focus on web programming, in particular HTML editing. Here are some of the things web designers will be able to enjoy when using UltraEdit:
- You can preview what an HTML file would look like in your browser. It renders the HTML, but you can’t edit it so it’s not a WYSIWYG editor.
- HTML Tidy can be used for validating HTML documents
- Color selector for figuring out what a specific color is on the screen
- There are buttons on the bottom toolbar for inserting common HTML code (for things like forms, images, and lists)
- Convert text to HTML elements
- Encode/decode for converting text to/from HEX
- The CSS style builder is nice for people who don’t know how to code CSS
–Settings–
If there is something that you don’t like about the program you should head on over the settings. There are literally hundreds of different things that you can configure, and the first thing I did when downloading UltraEdit was spend about 15 minutes going through them all. It almost felt like a new application by the time I got everything configured to my liking.
–And More–
- Inline spell checking – It can check the spelling of text as you type and underline any mistakes.
- Column mode – An alternative way to select text:
- Clipboard history – There is a nice sidebar option located under View -> Views/Lists -> Clipboard History that will show you a list of past items that have been copied to the clipboard.
- Macros – You can create all of the macros that you want, and even assign hotkeys to them! There is a nice utility included with UltraEdit for recording the macros.
- Context menu - After installation UltraEdit will always have a link in the operating system’s right-click context menu for files, and clicking on it will open the specified file in the text editor. This is a pretty standard feature for text editors, but it is something that I would hate not to have.
–Improving UltraEdit–
UltraEdit can do a lot of stuff, but there are still some things that I would like to see implemented before I can deem it perfect:
- There’s no need for a popup window every time you save or open a file on the FTP. Why not replace that with something more condensed like a progress bar in the Status Bar.
- I would like to see the FTP navigation act more like navigating on your PC, where it continues to show the tree structure as you move into folders. With UltraEdit it only shows the contents of the folder you’re currently in. UPDATE: Looks like there was a “hidden” feature I missed. Just right-click on the FTP site in the sidebar and uncheck the option “Show Current Directory Only”.
- A portable version would be nice to have for those of us who hop around from computer to computer each day. There’s a U3 Smart Drive version available, but I don’t own one of those drives.
–The Giveaway–
Does UltraEdit sound like a program for you? If so we’ve got three UltraEdit licenses that we are going to be giving away, each of which is valued at almost $50! We’re not going to make you jump through hoops to enter in the contest, but we do want to hear about why this program will be useful to you. These are just some ideas as to what you could include in your comment:
- What languages do you program in?
- Do you have a lot of projects you’ll be using it for?
- Do you use Notepad (or some other text editor) often?
- What’s your favorite feature that UltraEdit has?
The contest ends Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 12:00PM Central Time.
Besides that, you just need to make sure you enter in a valid email address and name. We’ll send both the name and email address off to UltraEdit when the contest ends so that they can give out the licenses to the randomly drawn winners.
Wow! I want to enroll in the contest
. I use Notepad++ and HTML-Kit (depend on the taks I need to solve) for working with HTML, PHP and ASP pages, since I develop and mantain a lot of websites. From the above review the program sound interesting, and I’ve heard a lot about it. Especially the FTP facilities made me to add myself to the contest.
1) Delphi, Java, HTML
2) Yes im currently working at creating my own site so this would be of great help
3) I use Notepad every now and again if i dont feel like opening the application just to view the code
Such as Delphi
4) After reading the review, it seems like the Code Folding feature of this program is awesome!! Would love to give it a shot.
Thanks for the great review! Good luck to all the contestants!
I use Notepad++ on a regular basis and I am always on the lookout for a better text editor. I use it to edit msbuild files, xml documents, html, web.configs, bat files, etc… Using VS 2005 to edit files is sometimes a burden when you want to do something quick. I love the macros, code folding, and syntax highlighting. Sign me up for the contest
1) VB, Java, C#
2) Yeah, multiple independent contracts which are mostly web apps.
3) I use Textpad like crazy, but I also always need to have FileZilla open for FTP
4) Definitely the built-in FTP client (see #3)
First, the column selection mode is nifty, but unnecessary. I thank Lifehacker several times a week for tipping me off to the fact that holding the Alt key allows vertical (column) text selection in many programs, including most text editors, MS Word, OpenOffice.org, and even Foxit Reader.
I’d enter the contest, but I’m probably not the recipient you envision. I’ve done a little bit of HTML coding and scripting in AutoHotKey for myself, and I don’t currently have coding projects to work on. I’m interested in delving further into programming, but right now I’m focused on my Master’s thesis.
I’ve used PSPad and several no-frills Notepad-replacements, but Notepad++ is my usual editor-of-choice. I’m drooling over several features of UltraEdit – the full-featured FTP integration, the SSH integration, and the file explorer and project functions.
I’ll tell you what, Ryan – I’ll leave it up to you. If you get plenty of entries from heavy-duty coders, leave me out of the contest.
I mostly program in HTML and PHP, but sometimes I venture in to other languages like C++. I’ve been a long time users of Notepad++, but it doesn’t have many features that UltraEdit has to offer. I’ll keep my fingers crossed because that FTP access looks great.
I spend a lot of time editing C#, HTML, PHP, & CSS in Notepad++ right now. It looks like UltraEdit has a lot of great features to make editing these files a lot easier. I really like the idea of built in FTP support as well as a lot of the other features to assist developers!
What languages do you program in?
).
PHP, HTML, a bit of CSS and XML.
Do you have a lot of projects you’ll be using it for?
Yes, for sure. I work for a NGO so I pretty much work for free. I am the webmaster of their site and I am continuously adding new features to the site and their phpBB boards.
Do you use Notepad (or some other text editor) often?
Right now I am a fan of notepad++ (both for the features and the price
What’s your favorite feature that UltraEdit has?
There are several, first the built-in FTP client, the far more powerful search & replace features that notepad++ lacks, spelling and syntax corrector, etc…
This has been a tool I have been looking to get for a very long time, however considering our needs and resources being so limited, I just cant afford to pay the license right now. (We are located in Mexico, btw).
What languages do you program in?
C, COBOL, Korn Shell scripts, SQL, SQR, HTML, PHP, C#, ASP, XML, XSLT, and Java
Do you have a lot of projects you’ll be using it for?
I develop for a Unix system that incorporates many different technologies (C, COBOL, JCL, Korn shell scripts, SQL, SQR) as well as other one-off projects utilizing C#, ASP, & Java. I don’t edit XML and XSLT, but do have the occasional need to tweak these types of files. I work in HTML & PHP mainly on my own time, since these are not part of my work assignments. In addition, I constantly have the need to manipulate large text files that are used for input into the applications I support, so the ability to quickly alter these files on a large scale is a necessity.
Do you use Notepad (or some other text editor) often?
I am a HUGE fan of PSPad, since none of the other editors I’ve tried seem to have such a wide spectrum of capabilities. I use it so often it’s usually open on my workstation whenever I’m logged in. I use it for text file manipulation as well as for quick edits of Unix scripts/programs and quick views of C# and Java code.
What’s your favorite feature that UltraEdit has?
The reliable syntax highlighting is a feature I’d really like to stress test, since I code in such a wide range of languages, as well as the code folding, which is a feature PSPad does not currently support. Finally, the quick access function list sounds intriguing and it like to see how well it works on a wide range of languages in practice.
I’ve tried nearly every text editor out there and am always looking for the king of the hill. I’ve found the best balance of features to be in PSPad (which is surpisingly, FREE), but I’d love to see if UltraEdit can dethrone it.
I spend most of my time right now programming in C/C++, I also use Matlab, PHP and a little bit of Python.
A powerful text editor such as this would really help me for my thesis work, where I am programming lots of different functions spread around different files. I currently use ConTEXT and PSPad.
The most interesting feature I’d like from UltraEdit is the code folding and function list. It really is quite a hassle to find the right function I need to edit among the enormous list I have.
I’ve tried tons of free editors, but I just haven’t found the one that really does it all. UltraEdit sounds like there’s nothing it can’t/doesn’t do!!! I’ve always heard that UltraEdit is THE editor to have, but I just haven’t had the funds to really go for it. I’d really love to win a copy to see what all the fuss is about.
Thanks for the opportunity!
I use Quanta plus in Linux and HTML Kit in Windows or my development efforts which range from HTML, CSS, Java, PHP, etc. My current project is something to do with stopping extra terrestrials from attacking us!
I have test several editor in the last time included an trial of UE.
to use it for longer.
An editor is my most used tool of the day. I use it for taking notes
and also for manipulation plain text in several ways. The column mode of UE
is very handy here, also the script function. I also do some coding in VBS and HTML,
a little JS and PHP too. I had enjoy the using of UltraEdit and it would be cool if i would
get a free license
Thank you for the offer.
Stefan
Well UltraEdit is pretty cool, I used it when I first started college. But since then I have moved over to Notepad++, then over to GEdit on my Ubuntu Linux machine. But I do still use Notepad++ on occasion and keep it up-to-date.
I find Notepad++ and GEdit work well for me, I use it for HTML, PHP, C++, Java, JavaScript, CSS, and MySQL. If everything goes well and I get off my lazy behind I can add Rails to that list.
Lately I have been dabbing into Eclipse ([eclipse.org]) which supports C++, Java, and PHP, and has many features in it. All in all UltraEdit is pretty cool, and it does have some very cool features.
Thanks to CyberNet and UltraEdit for the give away! I mostly program in php, html, and autoit. I like using freeware PSPad for php and html. I use Scite for AutoIT. I am most interested in the advanced syntax highlighting and code folding. Thanks again!
The most useful features for me would be the built-in FTP and code folding. I do a ton of programming in over a dozen languages, and none of the text editors have both of those features. UltraEdit is kind of the all-in-one solution, and after playing with the trial today I may end up buying it if I don’t win.
What languages do you program in?
HTML (Interested in more.)
Do you have a lot of projects you’ll be using it for?
Mostly just building sites for the challenge and experience. Would like to be able to get a career in the field.
Do you use Notepad (or some other text editor) often?
Just notepad, nano, and gedit.
What’s your favorite feature that UltraEdit has?
Making my HTML better.
I pretty much program only in web-based languages such as PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL, and stuff like that. The CSS editor and HTML color picker can probably save me a ton of time because I can never remember all of the syntax for that. So count me in!
1) C++ and Java.
2) I currently have projects in several different classes, so this would be extremely useful.
3) Normally I use Notepad++, but sometimes the classic Notepad fits the job.
4) The project management is what I’m looking forward to the most. It should make working with a lot of files much easier.
i used UltraEdit for several years and then switched to UEStudio (also developed by IDM).
they’re both fantastic.
I use PHPedit, if your a PHP developer, it rocks, and thanks to a little tip from a friend, I got it for $0! Love it, like it better then UltraEdit.
I haven’t sprung for the new version of UltraEdit yet, but it sure looks nice. I’ve still been using one of their older versions and it has done wonders for me. It will definitely be my lucky day if I win this one!
1) Mostly just HTML and JavaScript
2) I manage some websites for charitable organizations
3) Regular old Notepad for me
4) The advanced HTML capabilities will make some of my tasks a lot less tedious. That HTML toolbar really looks sweet.
I do all my writing and coding in a texteditor and I still use an old version of UltraEdit which simply kicks the competitors behinds. I do a lot of HTML, XML and PHP-coding. At work I use Notepad++ (have no licence for UE here). I love the FTP-feature. This has been my favorite tool since 1997. I would be so glad to win this!
1. Perl, PHP, html and also use text editor for some XML-editing.
2. Several projects on daily basis at work.
3. Notepad++
4. Possibility to open files from remote server using SSH.
1) PHP, JavaScript, HTML, etc…
2) I use these for casual programming and also for managing more simple things, like a todo list
3) PSPad
4) The built-in SSH will keep me from having to open Putty all of the time
I program in a lot of different languages at my university, and it would be nice to have something that’s not so bloated to do some of my programming. This looks like it is the perfect solution!
VS.Net is my workhorse editor, but it takes forever to start up, and its most recent version has real stability problems. For lighter off-the-cuff work I’ve been using a collection of other programs (Notepad++, xvi, etc.) but it would be nice to have a text editor that combines all of these features into a single app that opens fast and is stable.
There are a variety of reasons that this would be useful to me. The FTP browser looks really nice, and the SSH is really awesome since all of my web servers are hosted on Linux.
I program mostly in C++ because it is fast and to the point. I FTP into my server a lot to edit my code, and so the built-in FTP explorer would be really nice.
I would use this program for (X)HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. I do a lot of web work, creating and/or maintaining sites for both myself and others. I use Notepad2, Notepad++, and PSPad quite often (I use them on different occasions for different purposes). I don’t have a favorite feature per se, but I like how UltraEdit has both code folding and FTP Access, whereas PSPad and Notepad++ only have one or the other.
Me too, me too!
I program in Java and (X)HTML/CSS. I am also learning Javascript better and trying to learn C#. It is close, but not close enough to Java for me to pick it up quickly. Maybe it is too close, as I keep trying Java code instead. Oh well.
Most of my code has been written in TextPad 4.x as it is readily available and was what I learned in school, though at home I have moved to NotePad++ due in no small part to the cost/benefit difference. While I don’t “NEED” UltraEdit, it sure would be nice to integrate all that capability in one package.
I work in HTML, Perl, PHP, C, all the way to Verilog and VHDL. This editor would make a great addition to my toolset. The editing over FTP would be really useful for the web design work that I do. I’ve used Notepad2 but UltraEdit looks like a big improvement feature-wise.
Wish me luck!
I do all my writing and coding in a texteditor such as notepad++ and I still use an old version of UltraEdit. It help me to program in web-based languages such as Javascript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL, and stuff like that…
UltraEdit certainly has a ton of features. What’s not to like about it other than the price. I have however been quite pleased with all the freeware and open source editors out there too. However I won’t pass up a chance for a free license. Thanks.
I program in HTML, PHP, Perl, Python and JavaScript. UltraEdit seems to be one of the most featureful text editors out there. The reason I like it more than other text editors is the easy of use despite it being a mature product.
1) PHP, Javascript, VB.net
2) 6
3) Notepad and Komodo Edit
4) Built in FTP
Use it in my company for web development and cannot find a replacement for it. Excellent hot key templates, php lookup reference, code foldings, search using regular expression (better support than other editor) and better in handling unicoded files.
Count me in for the drawing. Knowledge representation tools, frequent text snippets. Currently using EditPad Lite.
I use Dreamweaver for most of my coding, but it’s a lot of overkill. I like that UltraEdit seems to be a lot less of a resource hog, not bloated with things I don’t need, and looks nice and clean. I’d like to have this program!
sweet
I stick with (X)HTML and JavaScript for my web development work. Looks like I snuck in just in time!
1) PHP; HTML; CSS (I work with WordPress themes a lot)
2) Not so much projects, just a lot of editing here and there
3) Notepad++
4) FTP and SSH access
How do I participate in this draw? One minute left!!
What languages do you program in?
Java, PLSQL, HTML
Do you have a lot of projects you’ll be using it for?
Yes, I am working on a couple of web based apps.
Do you use Notepad (or some other text editor) often?
Notepad++
What’s your favorite feature that UltraEdit has?
The Project MGMT, FTP & HTML tool bar.