We have evaluated over 20 free HTML editors for Macintosh against over 40 different criteria relevant to professional web designers and developers. The following applications are the best free HTML editors for Macintosh, both WYSIWYG and text editors, rated from best to worst. Each editor listed will have a score, percentage, and a link to more information.
- Best Text Editor For Javascript Mac
- Mac Text Editor For Coding
- Good Text Editor For Html
- Good Text Editor For Python
- Best Text Editor For Mac Java
- Mac Text Editor
Best Value: Komodo Edit
Carbon Emacs Package is a Mac-friendly distribution of the GNU Emacs text editor. It’s simple, extensible, and good for technically minded users who value the advanced features it offers. Not the most user friendly app, but worth bearing in mind. TinyEdit Text Editor is a free text editor, a ideal tool as a good Notepad replacement, have many powerful features for Web page developers and programmers, supports syntax highlighting more than 26 languages source code, include Java, C/C++, HTML.
What We Like
- Lots of add-ons available.
- Built-in FTP client.
- Auto-complete and syntax checking features.
What We Don't Like
- Slow to load.
- Feels cluttered.
- Difficult to install color schemes.
Komodo Edit is hands down the best free XML editor available. It includes a lot of great features for HTML and CSS development. Plus, if that isn't enough, you can get extensions for it to add on languages or other helpful features (like special characters).
Komodo Edit is not the best HTML editor out there, but it is great for the price, especially if you build in XML. I use Komodo Edit every day for my work in XML, and I use it a lot for basic HTML editing as well. This is one editor I'd be lost without.
There are two versions of Komodo: Komodo Edit and Komodo IDE.
Best for JavaScript Developers: Aptana Studio
What We Like
- Integrated debugger.
- Build-in Code Assist feature for tags.
- Built-in terminal emulator.
What We Don't Like
- No longer in development.
- Minimal support for PHP.
- Some dependencies.
Aptana Studio offers an interesting take on website development. Instead of focusing on HTML, Aptana focuses on the JavaScript and other elements that allow you to create rich internet applications.
One thing I really like is the outline view that makes it really easy to visualize the document object model (DOM). This makes for easier CSS and JavaScript development.
If you are a developer creating web applications, Aptana Studio is a good choice.
Best Text Editor For Javascript Mac
A Full Featured Java IDE: NetBeans
What We Like
- Version 9.0 released by Apache after acquisition.
- Supports the Jigsaw Module system.
- Supports Java Shell, new in JDK 9.
What We Don't Like
- Needs high-memory computer to run quickly.
- Not many plug-ins.
- Auto-completion is buggy.
NetBeans IDE is a Java IDE that can help you build robust web applications. Like most IDEs, it has a steep learning curve because they don’t often work in the same way that web editors do. But once you get used to it you’ll be hooked.
One nice feature is the version control included in the IDE which is really useful for people working in large development environments. If you write Java and web pages this is a great tool.
Best for LAMP Developers: Bluefish
What We Like
- Auto-completion and auto-tag closing.
- Powerful search and replace.
- Quick to start and load files.
What We Don't Like
- Not for novice programmers.
- User interface looks intimidating.
- Too many tabs and toolbars.
Bluefish is a full-featured web editor for Linux. There are also native executables for Windows and Macintosh. There is code-sensitive spell check, autocomplete of many different languages (HTML, PHP, CSS, etc.), snippets, project management, and auto-save.
It is primarily a code editor, not specifically a web editor. This means that it has a lot of flexibility for web developers writing in more than just HTML, but if you’re a designer by nature you might not like it as much.
A Powerful Multi-Language IDE: Eclipse
What We Like
- Robust debugging and profiling profile.
- Code-completion feature.
- Fast deployment and implementation.
What We Don't Like
- Slow when working with large files.
- Not recommended for large businesses.
- Steep learning curve for novice programmers.
Eclipse is a complex, Open Source development environment that is perfect for people who do a lot of coding on a variety of platforms and with different languages.
Eclipse is structured as plug-ins, so if you need to edit something just find the appropriate plug-in and go.
If you are creating complex web applications, Eclipse has a lot of features to help make your application easier to build. There are Java, JavaScript, and PHP plugins, as well as a plugin for mobile developers.
A Swiss Army Knife IDE from Mozilla: SeaMonkey
What We Like
Mac Text Editor For Coding
- Tabs for WISIWYG editing, HTML tags, HTML code, and browser views.
- Suitable for building simple, basic websites.
What We Don't Like
- Composer element no longer being maintained.
- Generates HTML 4.01 Transitional code.
SeaMonkey is the Mozilla project all-in-one internet application suite. It includes a web browser, email and newsgroup client, IRC chat client, and Composer, the web page editor.
One of the nice things about using SeaMonkey is that the browser is built-in, so testing is a breeze. Plus it's a free WYSIWYG editor with an embedded FTP client to publish your web pages.
A Basic HTML Writer: Amaya
What We Like
- Useful for up to HTML 4.01.
- Supports SVG and MathML.
What We Don't Like
- Last updated in 2012.
- https://yellowrap682.weebly.com/text-editor-for-mac-html-colors.html. No longer in development.
Amaya is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) web editor and web browser. It validates the HTML as you build your page and displays your Web documents in a tree structure, which is useful for learning to understand the DOM.
Amaya has a lot of features that most web designers won’t ever use, but if you want to be certain that your pages follow the W3C standards, this is a great editor to use.
Straightforward and Stable: BBEdit 12
What We Like
- Supports HTML5.
- Opens large files.
- Great customer support.
- Rock-solid software.
What We Don't Like
- Advanced features require paid version after 30-day free trial.
- Must search menus for features and options.
BBEdit is a paid program that has a set of free capabilities (the same capabilities that the now-defunct TextWranger had. While Bare Bones Software, the makers of BBEdit do offer a paid version, you may find the free version does everything you need. You can review a feature comparison here.
Note
If you're using TextWrangler, it is not compatible with macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). However, the free (and paid) version of BBEdit is.
Set up Java
To set up the Java platform on your computer, you need to download the developer kit, then set up whatever development environment you plan on using. You can also do this in one step by downloading the JDK that comes bundled with the NetBeans IDE.
Step 1: Download the JDK
- Download the development kit for Windows , Linux, Solaris, or Mac users.
Once you've installed the JDK download on your computer, set up should be complete. You may, however, want to set the classpath as an environment variable. See the installation notes for directions on how to do that for your operating system.
If you want to develop web applications, you need to use either the NetBeans IDE , Sun Java Studio Creator IDE, or Sun Java Studio Enterprise in addition to the JDK, as these environments provide a web server that's necessary for creating and testing servlets, JavaServer Pages, and database connections.
See Getting Started with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) if you're unsure which IDE would best suit your development needs.
Step 2: Set Up a Development Environment
If you downloaded the JDK with the NetBeans IDE, start NetBeans, and begin programming.
You can also program using a simple text editor, and compile and run from the command line. Many text editors now come with the ability to run and compile Java files, but you may need to tell the program where
javac.exe
and java.exe
reside on your computer. Use the Windows Find command, if you are unsure where these files were installed. Once, your IDE or text editor is set up, you can begin programming.Next, copy and paste the following programs, and invoke the compiler and interpreter either at the command line or within the IDE you're using.
The following three examples use the
javac
and java
commands and illustrate how to compile and run an application, applet, and servlet.When compiling and running from the command line, be sure to
cd
into the directory where you saved your .java
file.Application
Compile the
ExampleProgram.java
application with the javac
command and run it with the java command.Compile and then run with the following commands:
javac ExampleProgram.java
java ExampleProgram
Applet
Copy the
SimpleApplet.java
applet code, and compile with the javac
command:Compile:
javac SimpleApplet.java
You can run the applet in appletviewer (a Java platform tool for running applets independently of the browser) or in the browser. Either way you need an HTML file for the applet.
Here is the HTML file:
Good Text Editor For Html
To run the applet in the browser, you load the HTML file. To run the applet in appletviewer with an HTML file named
simple.html
, type this in an MS-DOS window on Windows, or in a terminal window on Solaris:Good Text Editor For Python
appletviewer simple.html
Servlet
As mentioned above, to compile and run a servlet, you need to use either NetBeans or Sun Java Studio Creator. Then compile with the
javac
command.Best Text Editor For Mac Java
To compile:
javac ExampServlet.java
Servlets can be called directly by typing their uniform resource locator (URL) into a browser's location window after you've started the server.
Servlets can also be invoked from an HTML form by specifying their URL in the definition for a
Submit
button, for example.Mac Text Editor
Servlets can be called by any program that can open an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.