MacRabbit Espresso: Easy Coding

As a web developer and designer, I am constantly looking for better options when it comes to applications for coding my designs. A few months ago I discovered Espresso, from the developers of CSS edit. At the time I was using Coda and, while I liked it, there were many features missing that Espresso had. So today I present to you a full review of this fantastic application.

When first launching Espresso, you’re greeted with a sleek project window that displays a folder containing your website. The organization is simple and easy to use, making your web project easy to code and contain. That, however, is not why I really like Espresso, as Coda works in a similar way. What I do really like is the applications editing capabilities. The code collapsing and intuitive navigator makes viewing and sorting code very easy. I use this daily and, even if you don’t think you’re going to use it, I guarantee you will, as I once thought the same.

A particular notable in Espresso, is the ability to add more to the program using plugins (Espresso calls them sugars, good name eh?). This allows the applications to support more languages, provide more functionality, and give the user an even better experience.

However, the application does have it’s downfalls. Although the application does offer FTP ability, it’s not nearly as good as what Coda offers. If you’re looking for an application that will allow you to edit online files, Coda is probably a better choice. Or, like me, you could write your files in Espresso and then use Coda to manage your website after it’s uploaded.

Espresso provides a really simple and easy to use interface that is uncluttered, and can be tucked away when you don’t need it. I think that’s probably what makes a great code editor stand out; when you’re working on a very large CSS file, for example, an uncluttered interface allows you to focus your eyes on that task at hand, instead of having to fight through strands of code. In the end, the application is rather simple and less complex than others on the market, but sometimes simplicity is best and this is no exception.

Espresso can be purchased for 59.95 euros from MacRabbit. I highly suggest trying this application out today.