Even in a world of advanced IDEs, Sublime Text holds its own due to its speed, simplicity, and extensibility. The author appreciates its snappy performance, distraction-free interface, and powerful customization options via plugins and keybindings. While acknowledging the benefits of more feature-rich alternatives like VS Code, they find Sublime Text's minimalist approach ideal for focused coding and quick edits, particularly for tasks involving multiple languages or remote servers where a lightweight editor shines. Its enduring popularity speaks to its effectiveness as a powerful yet uncluttered coding tool.
In a blog post titled "I Still Like Sublime Text," author Patrick O'Doyle elaborates on his continued preference for Sublime Text as his primary text editor, even in the face of newer, arguably more feature-rich alternatives prevalent in the hypothetical year 2025. He begins by acknowledging the compelling features of modern editors like Visual Studio Code, specifically mentioning its robust integrated debugging capabilities and extensive extension ecosystem. However, O'Doyle argues that Sublime Text's core strengths, namely its speed, lightweight nature, and minimalist design, continue to outweigh the advantages offered by its competitors for his particular workflow.
O'Doyle emphasizes the near-instantaneous startup time of Sublime Text, contrasting it with the perceived, albeit potentially negligible, delay he experiences with other editors. He values this responsiveness, particularly when needing to quickly edit configuration files or make minor code adjustments. This speed, coupled with Sublime Text's minimal resource consumption, contributes to a smoother, less disruptive coding experience. He appreciates the clean, uncluttered interface, finding it less visually distracting and conducive to focused work.
The author also highlights the effectiveness of Sublime Text's keyboard-centric navigation and editing features, allowing him to manipulate text efficiently without constantly reaching for the mouse. He specifically mentions the multiple cursors functionality, which enables simultaneous edits in multiple locations, as a significant productivity booster. While acknowledging that other editors offer similar functionalities, he suggests that the implementation in Sublime Text feels more intuitive and seamlessly integrated into his workflow.
Furthermore, O'Doyle expresses contentment with the level of extensibility offered by Sublime Text. While not as expansive as VS Code's marketplace, he finds the available plugins sufficient for his needs, enabling him to customize the editor to suit his preferences. He mentions using plugins for syntax highlighting, linting, and Git integration, demonstrating that despite its minimalist philosophy, Sublime Text can be readily adapted to support a variety of development tasks.
Finally, O'Doyle concludes by reiterating his personal preference for Sublime Text, emphasizing that the choice of a text editor is subjective and dependent on individual needs and workflows. While acknowledging the strengths of other editors and recognizing that Sublime Text may not be the ideal choice for everyone, he asserts that its speed, simplicity, and efficiency continue to make it the perfect tool for his own coding endeavors. He implies that the perceived trade-offs between features and performance are, in his view, balanced in favor of Sublime Text's streamlined approach.
Summary of Comments ( 478 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42862246
Hacker News users generally agreed with the author's preference for Sublime Text, praising its speed, simplicity, and extensibility. Several commenters highlighted its performance advantages, particularly for large files and complex projects, where other editors can become sluggish. The robust plugin ecosystem and keyboard-centric workflow were also frequently mentioned as key strengths. Some suggested that Sublime Text's appeal lies in its resistance to feature bloat and focus on core editing functionality, contrasting it with more resource-intensive IDEs. A few dissenting voices mentioned the lack of integrated debugging and other advanced features, but the overall sentiment was strongly positive towards Sublime Text's enduring relevance. The discussion also touched on the benefits of a perpetual license model and the value of mastering a single, powerful tool.
The Hacker News post "I still like Sublime Text" (linking to an article explaining why the author still prefers Sublime Text in 2025) generated a moderate number of comments, mostly focusing on editor preferences and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of Sublime Text compared to alternatives like VS Code, Vim, and Emacs.
Several commenters shared the author's appreciation for Sublime Text's speed and minimalist approach. They highlighted its responsiveness, low resource usage, and the absence of "bloat" often associated with larger IDEs. The ability to customize extensively through plugins was also mentioned as a key advantage, allowing users to tailor the editor to their exact needs without sacrificing performance. One commenter specifically praised Sublime Text's handling of large files, claiming it outperformed other editors in this area. Another appreciated its distraction-free mode for focused coding sessions.
However, other commenters expressed different preferences and questioned the long-term viability of Sublime Text. Some argued that while Sublime Text excels in speed and simplicity, it lacks the advanced features and robust plugin ecosystems offered by VS Code, especially for web development. The debugging capabilities and Git integration in VS Code were cited as significant advantages. Others defended Vim and Emacs, emphasizing their extensibility and powerful editing paradigms, though acknowledging the steeper learning curve associated with these editors.
A few comments centered on the licensing model of Sublime Text, with some expressing concern about the cost and others considering it reasonable for a powerful and well-maintained tool. The discussion also touched upon the importance of personal preference in editor choice, acknowledging that the "best" editor ultimately depends on individual workflows and priorities. One commenter aptly summarized this sentiment by stating that the ideal editor is subjective and evolves over time based on individual needs and experience.
While no single comment dominated the discussion, the overall sentiment reflected a respectful appreciation for Sublime Text's strengths, particularly its speed and minimalism, while also acknowledging the competitive landscape and the validity of alternative choices depending on individual requirements and preferences.