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Atom vs TextMate: What are the differences?
Introduction
When it comes to choosing a text editor for coding, both Atom and TextMate are popular choices among developers. However, there are key differences between the two that can influence which one is the right fit for your needs.
Compatibility with Operating Systems: Atom is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a versatile choice for developers using different systems. On the other hand, TextMate is exclusively available for macOS, limiting its usability for developers working on Windows or Linux machines.
Customizability and Extensions: Atom boasts a wide range of customizable features and extensions that allow users to tailor the editor to their specific needs. TextMate, while still highly customizable, may have a more limited selection of extensions compared to Atom.
Community Support and Updates: Atom is an open-source project with a large community of developers contributing to its updates and improvements regularly. This means that Atom users can benefit from a more frequent update cycle and a wealth of community-created packages. TextMate, being a proprietary software, may have less frequent updates and a smaller community of contributors.
Price and Licensing: Atom is free to use and open-source, making it an accessible option for developers of all levels. TextMate, on the other hand, requires a one-time purchase for a license, which may deter some users who prefer free software options.
User Interface and Design: Atom is known for its sleek and modern interface design, with a wide range of themes and color schemes to choose from. TextMate, while still user-friendly, may have a more simplistic design compared to Atom.
Performance and Speed: In terms of performance, some users have reported that Atom can be slower and more resource-intensive compared to TextMate, which may impact the overall experience for those working on larger projects or with slower machines.
In Summary, while both Atom and TextMate are solid choices for text editing, developers should consider key factors such as compatibility, customizability, licensing, community support, user interface, and performance when deciding which editor to use for their coding projects.
Since communication with Github is not necessary, the Atom is less convenient in working with text and code. Sublim's support and understanding of projects is best for us. Notepad for us is a completely outdated solution with an unacceptable interface. We use a good theme for Sublim ayu-dark
I use Visual Studio Code every day, it was very refreshing coming from Atom to get a lightweight, all i need setup right out of the box.
After working with Atom for around 2 years I switch to VSCode.
Here is why:
- Color display of variables in code. This may now sound much, but it improve the display of scss variables and its a core feature.
- Out of the box features.
- Automation! VSCode suggests usefull things to you.
- Integraded console. I love the console in VSCode. It is faster than my 'default' cmd on Windows. For Atom you would have to install a package, that doesn't work so well on Windows.
- Output logging per Plugin.
- Setup time. In VSCode I can set up my workspace in under 5 minutes. For Atom I need
- Plugins work perfect out of the box. This is a mayor one for me. For example: In order to set up Editorconfig you have to adjust mutliple values and plugins to get it work. Plugin creators of Editorconfig for Atom are not to blame: They include a linter, that verifies whether the settings are correct or not.
- Git implementation. VSCode ships with Git and even if the git packet of vscode doesn't look like much, theres a lot to it. For example you can watch changes inline.
- Minimap and vertical scrollbar. This feature is much better implementet in VSCode and you don't need an extra plugin.
- Auto completion. Sass mixins example:
@includeand you press CTRL+SPACE and VSCode shows you every Sass mixin. - Copy paths from open file tab. In VSCode you can copy the path of an file directly when you have it open. In atom you need to select 'show in tree view' and than copy the path or relative path.
- Tree view. The tree view VSCode automaticly brings you to the current open file by default. This helps when working with components.
- File search. The file search supports the asterisk so you can search for eg
molecule-*.ts. - Tasks support. Tasks are integrated in VSCode so eg. for Typescript you can
CTRL + SHIFT + Band selecttsc: watch - tsconfig.ts. - Short waiting time. For example when deleting files or beautifying 20.000 lines of json (Atom hangs up).
- More releases. Faster feature implementation. Active community.