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Panic Nova to be released next week
- Thread starter noleli
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I guess if you like it, you like it, but personally I find this type of half-way editor not really ticking many boxes besides "it looks nice".
If I want to open a data file quickly (e.g. an SQL or JSON file), I'll use a really lightweight editor like SubEthaEdit or CotEditor. Their highlighting is enough to make finding what I want easier, and they handle quite large files really well.
If I want to actually write code, I'm going to use a proper IDE, with project-relative autocomplete, refactoring, code linting, and all manner of other tooling.
So I don't really see where this fits in. It's too heavy to be a really solid general text editor, and it's too light to be a proper IDE.
If I want to open a data file quickly (e.g. an SQL or JSON file), I'll use a really lightweight editor like SubEthaEdit or CotEditor. Their highlighting is enough to make finding what I want easier, and they handle quite large files really well.
If I want to actually write code, I'm going to use a proper IDE, with project-relative autocomplete, refactoring, code linting, and all manner of other tooling.
So I don't really see where this fits in. It's too heavy to be a really solid general text editor, and it's too light to be a proper IDE.
I've never used Coda (but I do use Transmit on a daily basis) and I stick to TextMate 2 these days, but Nova's got my attention.
For all of you beta testers out there, what's it like in general? What's the differentiating factor that would make me shell out $99 for it? What are some of its unique features that are worth paying for (in your opinion)?
I don't mind paying for high quality software (code editors especially) and supporting indie development companies, but the web site is still under construction and apart of a short clip on Twitter I don't really see what's it all about.
For all of you beta testers out there, what's it like in general? What's the differentiating factor that would make me shell out $99 for it? What are some of its unique features that are worth paying for (in your opinion)?
I don't mind paying for high quality software (code editors especially) and supporting indie development companies, but the web site is still under construction and apart of a short clip on Twitter I don't really see what's it all about.
Completely agree with this. I love Panic software but feel they may have missed the mark here.
I use PHPStorm which I do not like at all if I am being honest, it's slow and clunky (it runs in a Java VM) but JetBrains have absolutely nailed the important elements of coding and that is project-specific intelligence and linting. Their apps actually help me write better code so the tradeoff is worth it.
VSCode nailed the light side of coding (quick edits etc..) their editor is fast AF and supports most modern web languages while providing some code intelligence.
I'm dissapointed with Nova, it's a beautiful app but it just doesn't fit into my workflow and i'm struggling to realise who it's aimed at in the web dev space...
This is exactly it. We use these heavy Java IDE's in spite of them being heavy java apps because the tooling they provide is so good.
I have to echo a couple of the disparaging sentiments above. I've been a long longtime Coda user. It was a great tool back in the day, which became long in the tooth and really suffered with the later MacOS updates. Eventually, after dabbling in SublimeText and Atom, I moved to JetBrains IDE's, which were a revelation. Happy days.
The idea of a new reinvigorated Panic IDE is however very very appealing, so I was hoping for good things. It's just not there though. It's pretty as hell yes, but everything else is compromised. They've taken the Atom approach of leaving everything to plugins and have as a result left out some basics that are critical if they wanted to compete with other IDE's. This is world in which VS Code is free. And they don't seem to have realised that.
I know it's early days but the current extensions are not great. The linters available are terrible, native code completion is utterly random and the app itself is as buggy as hell. They've learnt nothing from the Coda experience and yet the website blurb makes it sound like they're breaking new ground. They're not in any way, shape or form. Nova is a huge disappointment and the pricing is hilarious.
Copy the pretty stylesheet into Atom add some plugins and there is nothing that Nova offers that a free editor like Atom can't do better. And if that's not enough then pay the same money for a JetBrains IDE that is light years ahead and there is no competition.
Really disappointed in what they've given us after such a long sabbatical. And I don't know how they expect to make a dent of any kind in the market. Rant over.
The idea of a new reinvigorated Panic IDE is however very very appealing, so I was hoping for good things. It's just not there though. It's pretty as hell yes, but everything else is compromised. They've taken the Atom approach of leaving everything to plugins and have as a result left out some basics that are critical if they wanted to compete with other IDE's. This is world in which VS Code is free. And they don't seem to have realised that.
I know it's early days but the current extensions are not great. The linters available are terrible, native code completion is utterly random and the app itself is as buggy as hell. They've learnt nothing from the Coda experience and yet the website blurb makes it sound like they're breaking new ground. They're not in any way, shape or form. Nova is a huge disappointment and the pricing is hilarious.
Copy the pretty stylesheet into Atom add some plugins and there is nothing that Nova offers that a free editor like Atom can't do better. And if that's not enough then pay the same money for a JetBrains IDE that is light years ahead and there is no competition.
Really disappointed in what they've given us after such a long sabbatical. And I don't know how they expect to make a dent of any kind in the market. Rant over.
Ok... I was a Coda user back in the days. Then Espresso got my money with the advance CSS3 tool and suddenly Coda was old for me.. now I’m still using Espresso and Nova is not there yet. I’m just a web developer not a programmer or any advanced coder out there and even to me it’s useless. I really was waiting for a big and revolutionary editor... I guess I was expecting something else.
I have a different experience. I have a transmit license, and have Coda on my iPad and Mac but rarely used any of them. After using VS Code and WebStorm, I decided I wanted a real Mac native app and looked at Nova.
I have used WebStorm and PyCharm, as well as VS Code. The first two were so bloated and slow that they were painful. I also hate the fact that they act as though one should use them exclusively (creating a WebStorm directory by default).
It is certainly lighter than WebStorm, but so is my almost every app ever written.
I still find that it does not feel Mac native.I have installed Emmet, ESLint, Prettier and Vue extensions and think they work reasonably well. I would like TailwindCSS suggestions, as well as Svelte, but overall I am enjoying it.
I have a different experience. I have a transmit license, and have Coda on my iPad and Mac but rarely used any of them. After using VS Code and WebStorm, I decided I wanted a real Mac native app and looked at Nova.
I have used WebStorm and PyCharm, as well as VS Code. The first two were so bloated and slow that they were painful. I also hate the fact that they act as though one should use them exclusively (creating a WebStorm directory by default).
It is certainly lighter than WebStorm, but so is my almost every app ever written.
I have installed Emmet, ESLint, Prettier and Vue extensions and think they work reasonably well. I would like TailwindCSS suggestions, as well as Svelte, but overall I am enjoying it.
Nova doesn't even feel native... It took 10+ minutes to index a Laravel app. The only props I can give is that it didn't lock up while indexing, where a PHPStorm become unusable.. but PHPStorm also indexes the project about 10x faster.
I've switched to Nova from Espresso purely from the insane folding bugs that were introduced by the latest developer. There's so much data loss now, you can't even fold code, select and copy it.
Curious what you mean by it “doesn’t even feel native”? To me it looks and feels like a Mac app.
How big is the Laravel app you were having it index? PHP Storm indexed it in a minute instead of 10?
I have not experienced this problem yet, as the projects with which I have been using it are all new and I can only write a limited about of code a day. 🙃
Plan to keep testing it, before I decide if I want to buy it.
I have looked at Espresso several times, but it does not support any of the systems I use (React, Svelte, TailwindCSS and/or Vue) and I have not really figured out how it works well enough to be comfortable with it.