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SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Hackable
Due to its modular design almost any aspect of the editor can be changed. Even seemingly core packages like the one's taking care of search and replace functionality can be forked on GitHub, changed and replaced in the editor.
The Documentation for creating new plugins is also great and thus it's easier for developers ti jump in and create plugins for Atom.
Pro Lots of packages
Atom has a built-in package manager and an extensive list of packages. Packages are written in CoffeeScript.
Pro Embedded Git control
Will highlight folders, files and lines that have any uncommitted edits made. It also integrates really well with GitHub.
Pro Multi-line select and edit
Multiple cursors & column selection allow versatile ways of editing.
ctrl + d will select the current word and each time the command is repeated add the next occurence of the word to the selection.
ctrl + click or middle-mouse click will place another cursor in the place that's clicked. Cursors can then be controlled together. This also allows selecting vertically.
Pro Command Palette
The Command Palette allows fuzzy searching all available functions, settings, snippets, etc.
Pro Built in package management
Atom was built from the ground up with the community in mind, and package management is a first class feature.
Pro Command line integration out of the box
Installing Atom adds two command line commands - atom and apm. The first one runs the application itself and the second one is the Atom Package Manager that's used to add and remove various components from the package listing. While these features can be set up with other editors as well, Atom takes care of them out of the box.
Pro Node.js integration
The editor is built on top of Node. As such anything that can be done in Node can be done in the editor.
Pro Free and open source
Atom is free, open source, and written in C++, LESS, and CoffeeScript.
Pro Instant file switching
Ctrl or Command + T and using fuzzy search you can look for a file in your project.
Pro Beginner friendly
One of the goals of Atom is to be a text editor for both experienced and beginner programmers. You can add keyboard shortcuts, change themes, install plugins, and change core settings by clicking through a GUI, or by manually editing config files the old-fashioned way. It has the added advantage of being built using the same engine that powers Google Chrome, so actions like opening and closing tabs feel familiar, even to new or non-programmers.
Cons
Con Slow
Atom is not a native application. As such performance is subpar and the lag is especially noticeable on larger projects. It also opens a surprising amount of sub-processes and leaks a considerable amount of memory.
Con Slow to open large files
It's almost impossible to open large files with Atom. It has a 2MB limit and even files smaller than the limit but still considerably large take forever to load.
Con Has difficulty with large text files
Tends to crash or hang with large >(10MB) text files, making it less useful as a general text editor.
Con High memory usage
Atom has a relatively high memory usage, especially when compared to some other text editors not based on Electron. For those who develop on the go, this also tends to mean shorter battery life.
Con Very slow startup time
Atom is very slow to startup, which is a big disadvantage if you are accustomed to using it to make quick changes on your files.
Con Not suitable for older computers
Atom requires a lot of system resources to run, so it will most probably be painfully slow on an older machine.
Con Javascript/electron app
It is just a web app that runs in a modified chromium whith node.js.
Con Does not work in the terminal
Because it does not work in the terminal, it can't be used via ssh. When working with Virtual Machines for example, you need to use a terminal-based editor.
Con Missing polish
As Atom is still relatively new, it's missing nice little touches that other text editors have implemented over the years. From simple ease of use things like middle-mouse button multi-cursor select to the ways pasted information from a spreadsheet is interpreted in multi-select situations.
Con Bloated - too many packages, too little productivity
Unable to use package to even convert a C file to PDF.
Con Doesn't handle RTL (right-to-left text) well
Text can't be highlighted and manipulated properly, cursor isn't displayed visually according to where it is logically (you have to type to find out), and similar issues.
Con Not known when a new window will open
It's not really clear why and when a new window is opened when you open a file out of the tree view.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Pro Command Palette support
The Command Palette permits fuzzy searching all available functions, settings, snippets, etc.
Pro Extensive list of packages
Atom has a built-in package manager and an extensive list of packages. Packages are written in CoffeeScript.
