WordPress Development Editor

Recently, the question came up about a good editor for WordPress development.

The Editor You Know is the Best Editor

WordPress development does not require any specific editor. If you already have an editor you know and like, I suggest sticking with it. If your editor is extensible through plugins or configuration, I would look around for extensions that make working with WordPress easier.

Some Popular Choices

While the editor you know is the best editor, sometimes you want to explore some of the other options out there. Here are some of the more popular editors I’ve seen people using for WordPress development.

PhpStorm

This is a popular choice with the strongest PHP/WordPress developers I know. The code inspection, refactoring tools, and version control integration are all features I hear them rave about. This is the most expensive option I list here but those who use PhpStorm describe it as a great investment. If I ever leave my current editor, this will be the first alternative I investigate.

Cost: 30 day free trial, then $89.00 per year

Atom

Atom is one of the newer editors. It is brought to use by the GitHub team, which I consider a strong indicator of quality. It is built using web technologies. I’ve experimented with Atom briefly and one of my favorite features is the Atom Editor Markdown Preview.

Cost: Free

Sublime Text

I know a lot of people who use Sublime Text. At one time, I would describe it as the go to editor for those working in WordPress. With other editors gaining popularity (like Atom and PhpStorm) I no longer see this as the dominant editor but it still remains quite popular.

Cost: Free trial then $70 one time fee

Vim

I include Vim because it is my editor of choice, not because it is a popular editor for WordPress developers. I love the power and extensibility of Vim but the initial learning curve is steep. After using Vim for years, I finally purchased Practical Vim: Edit Text at the Speed of Thought by Drew Neil (the author behind Vimcasts) and I regret not buying it sooner.

I have my Vim configuration online though with Vim it is usually best to cherry pick from the Vim configurations of others, rather than copy them whole sale.

Cost: Free / Charityware

Sal Ferrarello (@salcode)

Sal is a PHP developer with a focus on the WordPress platform. He is a conference speaker with a background including Piano Player, Radio DJ, Magician/Juggler, Beach Photographer, and High School Math Teacher. Sal can be found professionally at WebDevStudios, where he works as a senior backend engineer.