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Added vim, removed FlashDevelop as a serious recommendation.
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title: Choosing a Code Editor
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# Choosing a Code Editor

Once Lime or OpenFL has been installed, it is helpful to choose an integrated development environment (IDE) or code editor with good support for Haxe, Lime, and OpenFL development.

Although you can write code using even a simple text editor, a quality IDE can provide code completion (code hints), shortcuts to build and test your projects, and other tools to give you a great coding experience.
After installing Lime or OpenFL, selecting the right integrated development environment (IDE) or code editor can greatly enhance your coding experience. While you can technically write code with a basic text editor, a quality IDE provides features like code completion, build shortcuts, and debugging tools, which are invaluable for efficient development.

## Visual Studio Code

[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) is a flexible code editor with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it is recommended for most developers working with Lime and OpenFL. As a mature, open source editor, VSCode is surprisingly lightweight — especially considering the robust code intelligence features that it provides for a variety of programming languages. You will need to install the [Haxe extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=nadako.vshaxe) and our custom [Lime extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=openfl.lime-vscode-extension) to load Lime and OpenFL projects, enable code completion, and simplify building, running, and debugging projects.
[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) (VSCode) is a highly recommended code editor for Lime and OpenFL development. It's a flexible, open-source editor available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Despite its lightweight design, VSCode offers robust code intelligence for many programming languages.

Visual Studio Code does not require its own project files. Using the Lime extension, you can **Open Folder** for any Lime or OpenFL project in order to enable support for code completion and other features.
To set up VSCode for Lime and OpenFL:

## FlashDevelop
- Install the [Haxe extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=nadako.vshaxe).
- Add the [Lime extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=openfl.lime-vscode-extension).

[FlashDevelop](http://www.flashdevelop.org) is another excellent IDE that supports Haxe, Lime, and OpenFL development. It is primarily targeted at Windows, but there are options available to virtualize it on macOS and Linux, if you're comfortable setting up that sort of thing. Many developers prefer FlashDevelop over the alternatives.
These extensions will enable code completion, simplify project builds, and make debugging more accessible. VSCode does not require its own project files—just use the **Open Folder** option for any Lime or OpenFL project to get started.

Lime includes FlashDevelop project files when you use the "lime create" command, for convenience. FlashDevelop is free and open source.
## Vim

## Sublime Text
[vim](https://www.vim.org) is a highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing. It's especially popular among developers who prefer keyboard-centric workflows. While vim is minimalistic in its default form, it can be extended to support Lime and OpenFL development through plugins.

To set up vim for Haxe, Lime, and OpenFL:

[Sublime Text](http://www.sublimetext.com) is a very lightweight code editor, and it offers support for Haxe, Lime, and OpenFL using the [Haxe Sublime Bundle](https://github.com/clemos/haxe-sublime-bundle). Sublime Text is cross-platform — with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Install the [vim-haxe](https://github.com/jdonaldson/vim-haxe) plugin for Haxe syntax highlighting and autocompletion.
- Optionally, use [ALE](https://github.com/dense-analysis/ale) for asynchronous linting and completion.

Vim is cross-platform, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and is favored by those who appreciate a fast and customizable coding environment.

Unlike alternatives, Sublime Text may not always provide accurate code completion, nor does it support "projects" in the traditional IDE sense. However, Sublime Text is much stronger than a simple text editor, so it may be a good option if you find that the alternatives feel too heavy and cumbersome for your needs.
## Sublime Text

[Sublime Text](http://www.sublimetext.com) is a lightweight, cross-platform code editor that supports Lime and OpenFL through the [Haxe Sublime Bundle](https://github.com/clemos/haxe-sublime-bundle). Sublime Text works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Sublime Text is free-to-try, with reminders to purchase a license for continued use.
Although Sublime Text doesn’t always offer accurate code completion and lacks traditional project management features, it's more powerful than a simple text editor. If other editors feel too heavy for your needs, Sublime Text might be the right choice. It's free to try, with reminders to purchase a license for extended use.

## IntelliJ IDEA

[IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/) is primarily marketed as a Java IDE, but it has growing support within the Haxe community — including large teams, such as TiVo. The full edition, as well as the free community edition, both support the [Haxe plugin](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/6873?pr=idea). This plugin can be tricky to install, but once configurd, it provides a fully native IDE experience for developers on all platforms.
[IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/) is a robust IDE, primarily known for Java development but increasingly popular within the Haxe community, including use by large teams like TiVo. Both the full and free community editions support the [Haxe plugin](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/6873?pr=idea).

While the plugin setup can be tricky, IntelliJ IDEA offers a fully native IDE experience on all platforms once configured.

## Other Choices
## Other Options

There are other code editors to choose from, include vim and up-and-coming Haxe-based editors. You can read more at [http://haxe.org/documentation/introduction/editors-and-ides.html](http://haxe.org/documentation/introduction/editors-and-ides.html)
Other editors, such as up-and-coming Haxe-based editors, are also available. You can explore more options at the [Haxe documentation site](http://haxe.org/documentation/introduction/editors-and-ides.html).

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