Goodbye Textmate, I’m just testing Sublimetext 2: what I like, what I don’t

I’ve passed so many years coding with Textmate on Osx. I’m tired, no updates, no announcements, nothing, never ever. Few weeks ago I tried Textmate2… is it a joke? Are they kidding us? ok, goodbye Textmate… but, where to go?

Vim could be the final solution but I’m always scared to go ahead with it (already tried in 2007). So many hours spent learning how to copy and paste lines, words ecc. It’s great, I’m sure it is! Maybe I’m too old or maybe I’m just a front end designer… I need something easier!!!

So, today I’ve spent a couple of hours testing SublimeText at its new beta released and I’ve to say it: I like it sooooo much!

Here my “first look” notes:

What I liked in Sublime Text 2

• cross platform, osx, linux, windows
• split windows, a must have feature
• micro map preview to quickly scroll the whole document
• light vertical lines to show indentation level
• quick interactive preview of a file (you can select and copy text) without open it
• has a great package manager @ http://wbond.net/sublime_packages/package_control/installation
• has a SCSS bundle https://github.com/kuroir/SCSS.tmbundle/tree/SublimeText2
• zen coding ready @ https://bitbucket.org/sublimator/sublime-2-zencoding
• has and active community and support
• lorem ipsum ready
• can easily drag file within tabs, split windows and new window
• no distraction mode
• it shows hidden files visible in project draw
• project draw easily re-sizable
• reveal file in project draw
• has a subl command line (as mate for textmate) @ http://wesbos.com/sublime-text-2-tips/

What I disliked in Sublimetext 2

• it’s not Free Software or Open source
• snippets doesn’t seems to be so immediate then textmate
• autocomplete is good but not quick
• preferences’ file is a text file, scintilla style… nice but “anche no” as we say in italian!
• project are not “boxed”; you can edit files in the same window even if thay are not part of the project. this can be confusing
• trial version alert appears too often… I’ll buy it as soon you’ll convince me with a good software, not trying to force me!

Well, give me a whole week to test this piece of software… “Se son rose, fioriranno”