8 replies to this topic

[cebugdev]

Hi all,

Its my first year making games using HTML5/javascript and it is for Windows 8 (Metro) appstore, therefore I am using VIsual Studio 2012 on top of Windows 8 for developing Metro games using javascript/HTML5.

Now I have another client that wants their game to be in HTML5/javascript but not a METRO app.
what are the choices of IDE(for javascript/HTML5) that is best to use that has features similar to VS2012
like debug/steptrace javascript codes, with autofill/autocomplete/intellesense, etc.

I have searched thru the web and they have many suggestions, I am asking here to get answers from those who develop games not just web applications.

Thanks,

Edited by cebugdev, 20 August 2012 - 06:25 PM.

[jbadams]

I normally use Komodo IDE, which i had already licensed for Python development and also offers a reasonable level of support for JavaScript.

Aptana seems to be pretty popular, but last time I tried it -- quite some time ago -- it was pretty sluggish, and the code-completion didn't always work.

I've heard good things about WebStorm, but I haven't tried it myself -- anyone here tried it and able to offer some feedback on the experience?

[Serapth]

I absolutely swear by WebStorm and I come from a Visual Studio background.

The biggest reason is the autocomplete is easily the best of the IDEs I used. Plus Node integration is a big deal to me

As to debugging, check this guide for an idea

http://www.gamefromscratch.com/post/2012/08/17/Debugging-with-JavaScript-with-WebStorm.aspx

[EsmsFan]

I use Notepad++, however it does not have the autocomplete/intellisense feature that you may be after.
Netbeans also has an ide that you could try.

[Paratron]

I can really recommend you to use WebStorm/PHPStorm from JetBrains. The IDE is just awesome.
I switched to it coming from a big bunch of other IDEs/Editors before (including Eclipse, Aptana and what not all) and finally stuck on PHPStorm. I simply never found anything superior. And the price is really affordable.

If you look for something un-IDE-ish, I would give SublimeText 2 a try - its not specifically a HTML5/web editor but capable of doing anything. See it as a pretty and modern vim.

Edited by Paratron, 12 September 2012 - 03:33 PM.

[jbadams]

I tried Webstorm after the recommendation in this topic and decided to licence it once the trial was up -- it's been an absolute joy to work with; it's fast and responsive, and all the features work as advertised.

If you're happy to spend some money I'd highly recommend it.

[Serapth]

I tried Webstorm after the recommendation in this topic and decided to licence it once the trial was up -- it's been an absolute joy to work with; it's fast and responsive, and all the features work as advertised.

If you're happy to spend some money I'd highly recommend it.

Glad to hear you liked it. Its one of those products I spent my own money on, and haven't regretted in the least.

My only real beefs are its a big ugly, and eventually you stop noticing that. Its amazing how responsive it is considering it was written in Java. They also make a (free) sibling product IntelliJ that I ammunition currently using for Lua editing. Be sure to check that out if you ever find yourself working with Lua or even Java.

[Serapth]

.. OK, phone autocompletion pretty much mangled that post.

[Serapth]

In a somewhat related note, I just posted a tutorial on creating a game in Javascript using Moscrif.

Moscrif is a relative newcomer to the game dev space, but it allows you to create cross platform mobile games using JavaScript, but with native performance. It's "somewhat related", because Moscrif ships with a complete IDE and simulator, so if you are looking to use JavaScript for game dev, it's a good place to start.