Limitations of Editors in Browsers

#1

This is not really part of our discussion but I studied brackets running in a web page and I thought it would be interesting to discuss Atom features versus web-based editors. There are four or five programming editors you can run in a web page like brackets.

These are limitations Brackets in a web page has compared to Atom.

  • not supported by brackets project team
  • you have to set up your own server
  • Files must be on the one server
  • There is no file-based authentication. Anyone who can access you web page can read/write all your files.
  • extensions are not protected. any extension can steal your files
  • extensions using node can’t run
  • loading files is slow and has race conditions
  • no quick view or image viewing
  • code hints are too slow to use
  • you cannot use Ctrl+W, Ctrl+T, Ctrl+N, Ctrl+Tab (or any of those +Shift)
  • no way to install updates from editor page

This makes me think there will always be significant advantages of a local-based programming editor like Atom. Brackets was also designed to edit locally.

Atom on chromebook (was: Let's talk ChromeOS) [RESOLVED]
#2

If you find yourself thinking that something isn’t part of the current discussion, you can always use the “Reply as linked Topic” feature:

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#3

Ok. I never remember that. I always think the only choice is to continue or start a totally new thread.

#4

In the history of everything, new developments never replaced what has come before. If the original had value, it will continue to exist alongside the new.

For specific use cases web based editor are awesome. I use codepen all the time and love how I can just go in and edit my tumblr theme. On the other hand Sublime still starts fastest and that makes a lot of sense for much of my work.

This is also where I find fault with the entire concept of ChromeOS (without Crouton). Sure, I can do a lot of what I do in a browser, but it doesn’t make sense to use a browser where browsers don’t excel. It makes much more sense to use a browser in a system that also has all the other stuff, cause that stuff is super handy too.

#5

Mostly. I can think of slide-rules and typewriters, to name two that went away. Both replaced by computers.

You and many others. I have used nothing but chromebooks for several years except when developing. Being able to shut the lid at any time and reopen any time and getting back to work immediately is worth the price of admission. Also never getting a virus or seeing an update are killer features. And the $199 price tag for my first one was a big motivator. YMMV

When the iPhone made apps popular again I went nuts and was fanatical about moving everything to the web. Program editors were the only thing holding me back. I tried each web-based editor as it came out. Now I’m using Atom so I’m going to be stuck using an app for some time.

My current setup is pretty close to being web-based. I was able last week to power down my last windows machine forever. I was euphoric.