When comparing MT Andale Mono vs Envy Code R, the Slant community recommends Envy Code R for most people. In the question“What are the best programming fonts?” Envy Code R is ranked 23rd while MT Andale Mono is ranked 32nd. The most important reason people chose Envy Code R is:
This font offers very distinct programming characters that help differentiate the following clashing pairs: {} vs. (), "0" vs. "O", and "1" vs. "l".
Specs
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Pros
Pro Excellent legibility
It's easy to distinguish "0" from "O", "a" from "o", and "I" from "l" from "1".
Pro Good font variants
Boldface variant is not too heavy while italic face is not too spindly. Andale Mono contrasts with Source Code Pro, which is very similar in the regular font face.
Pro Clashing characters are easily distinguishable
This font offers very distinct programming characters that help differentiate the following clashing pairs: {} vs. (), "0" vs. "O", and "1" vs. "l".
Pro Easy on user's eyes
Envy Code R is quite narrow (like Anonymous Pro) but at the same time squarish. The letters are easy to read and offer a pleasant reading experience.
Pro Fills out the space well
Envy Code R also fits more into a given width when compared to Source Code Pro.
Pro Bold font is the same width as the regular weight font
The bold version has the same width as the normal version which is useful for syntax highlighting.
Cons
Con Not pure mono
Bold and italic are too wide, so it's not pure mono in combination with regular font.
Con No Cyrillic glyphs
There are no Cyrillic glyphs in Envy Code R which may be an issue for Russian users.
Con Lowercase "w" is distracting
The lowercase "w" is a bit distinct looking due to the narrow nature of the font. This could cause a distraction to some users.