Pro JavaScript - IDEs

JavaScript has found a rise in popularity in the past five years, from nearly dying a departure from incompatible browser variants. Instead, modern web developers possess an excellent arsenal of programs to assist them to create quality JavaScript for each web application.

IDEs

Server-side programmers have long enjoyed an excellent pair of tools, which kept getting better every year. JavaScript developers had traditionally been anticipated to code by hand, or maybe (if they were lucky) have syntax highlighting (which frequently did not function right). That is changed in the last few years using many high-quality Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) catering to or at least supporting JavaScript.

Aptana

Maybe the primary necessary IDE specially written to focus on JavaScript programmers, Aptana is now a necessary with several programmers of stripes. Aptana's JavaScript support goes beyond syntax coloring and contains bundled support to get a dozen or so of the very best JavaScript frameworks (including Dojo, jQuery, YUI, MochiKit and several more). Aptana was among the sooner IDEs to support "code completion" for the JavaScript libraries. By typing the only portion of a JavaScript procedure, and hitting a key, the IDE will highlight various choices on the best way to complete the code (saving typing and possibly hours of debugging because of one wrong keystroke!)

Eclipse

Long only for the Java platform, Eclipse was expanded to support multiple major languages, including JavaScript, through customization and plugins. Aptana is itself a highly customized and concentrated variation of Eclipse, but nevertheless Eclipse all the same.

NetBeans

(Note - Aptana and Eclipse additionally offer support for multiple server side languages, although just Aptana and NetBeans supplies great 'from the box' encounters for anything beyond Java). NetBeans isn't centered on Eclipse but is its application. For people who do not enjoy the visual stylings of Eclipse may discover NetBeans a welcome change.

Microsoft Visual Studio

Microsoft previously declared that it would bundle and support jQuery in its Visual Studio lines. While not offering extensive support for other languages like PHP yet, those developers that already are working in an MS environment would do well to look into enabling jQuery support in Visual Studio to get code completion and inline documentation help while developing.