Programming is an activity prone to frustration and difficulty, even when done as a hobby. Building a web, mobile, or desktop app is a big task, and good note-taking skills are key to staying organized and not succumbing to stress, despair, and burnout. Burnout Programming:How to Regain Your Lost Motivation Burnout Programming:How to Regain Your Lost Motivation Writing all those lines of code can be physically and emotionally draining. All you need to back it up is the awareness that motivation can be regained. Read more.
But most note-taking apps aren't designed with programmers in mind. , and they can be so frustrating to use that they lead you to give up notes altogether. That's why we've gone ahead and rounded up the best note-taking tools for programmers. Look at these love them!
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Boostnote is the best example of a note taking app for coders. It doesn't have all the features of a modern note-taking app (for example, it has Markdown formatting and folder-based organization but lacks customizable keyboard shortcuts), but it does have what all programmers love:
You can embed code blocks directly within regular notes, and you can create separate code snippet type notes that are specifically for collecting and grouping multiple code blocks into a single note. It also supports checkbox-based lists for task management.
The best thing about Boostnote is that it's open source and open source open source:What's the difference and why does it matter? Open Source vs. Free Software:What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter? Many assume that "open source" and "free software" mean the same thing, but that is not true. You want to know what the differences are. Read more . Combined with its features, Boostnote is perfect for students in programming courses.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
MedleyText it's very similar to Boostnote, with fewer features but a greater focus on the features it does have:rich text formatting, embedded code blocks within normal notes, and customizable keyboard shortcuts. It's great for highly productive coders with large projects.
When you embed formatted code directly into notes, the app will automatically highlight the syntax. Or you can manually select which syntax highlighting language to apply to any given block of code. It supports more than 40 programming languages as of the writing of this article.
MedleyText is completely free, with no restrictions, when taking local notes. A premium service called MedleyText + S will launch in late 2017, allowing you to sync notes to cloud storage, access a web version of the app, and share notes with others.
Platform: Mac
Quiver It's another app like the previous two:you can mix and match text (in Markdown and LaTeX formats) with embedded code inside notes. However, Quiver does have a dedicated code editor right inside the app that is cleaner and more responsive than its competitors.
As for syntax highlighting, this app supports more than 120 programming languages. Cloud storage sync is available for Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud and more. And because notes are stored as JSON, you can safely use version control to track changes. Shared notebooks even allow teammates to collaborate on large projects.
So if Quiver is so good, why is it in third place? Because it's only available on Mac. While the Mac operating system is A wonderful programming environment, most coders are still on Windows or Linux. We consider this a huge negative mark.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web
A note It's arguably the best period for taking notes, but until recently it lacked syntax highlighting abilities, making it unsuitable for programmers. Thankfully, thanks to a free plugin posted by a GitHub user, OneNote can now do syntax highlighting for code that every OneNote-using programmer needs this plugin ASAP. programmer tired of ugly code formatting in OneNote, you need to download this tool. It makes it easy to add code to OneNote books and sets up in seconds. Read more.
Admittedly, the plugin is a bit clunky, but it's nice to know you can finally use OneNote to store code notes. Since OneNote is one of the best ways to take notes as a student, this is particularly good news for students in programming and engineering curriculums.
OneNote is also great for collaborative projects 8 of the Best Free Collaboration Tools for Developers 8 of the Best Free Collaboration Tools for Developers If you're a developer and you're not already sharing or collaborating, you're behind the curve. Get the benefits of collaboration with the right web applications. Read more due to share note. And the best of all? It is completely free and available on almost all major platforms, both desktop and mobile. (Except Linux, sorry!)
Platform: Windows
Cherry Tree it's different from most note-taking apps in that it's more of a personal wiki. However, since the pages can be nested below each other in a hierarchy, it is more than enough for taking notes. What makes a wiki? You can insert links to any other page throughout the notebook.
There are other applications like CherryTree, including wikidPad and Zim, but CherryTree supports a special page type specifically for code. Use regular notes for ideas and tasks, use code notes for snippets. Regarding the page hierarchy, both types work exactly the same way.
CherryTree is very fast, making it one of the best lightweight note-taking apps. 7 Lightweight OneNote and Evernote Alternatives. 7 Lightweight OneNote and Evernote Alternatives. Although we love them, both Evernote and OneNote can be slow and bloated. If you've been looking for an alternative, here are some lightweight note-taking apps you should consider. Read more.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
As a programmer, you probably know Sublime Text Already. It's true that it's a text editor and not a note-taking app, but it can certainly be used for note-taking:each note as a text file and each code snippet in a separate file appropriate for each language.
Sublime Text's native features are great for increasing overall productivity. 11 Sublime Text Tips for Productivity and Faster Workflow 11 Sublime Text Tips for Productivity and Faster Workflow Sublime Text is a versatile text editor and a gold standard for many programmers. Our tips focus on efficient coding, but general users will appreciate the keyboard shortcuts. Read More But for note-taking and organization, you can get even better with a few free plugins.
SideBarEnhancements is a required installation for every Sublime text user. Adds a number of improvements to the sidebar, primarily the menu when you right-click on files. PlainTasks embeds a task-style task list within the editor. And MarkdownEditing is nifty if you want your notes to go down in Markdown.
Sublime Text technically costs $70, but the free trial period never ends. As long as you can deal with the occasional popup reminding you to buy the full version, you can use Sublime Text for free indefinitely.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web
TickTick is a to-do list app that is quite similar to other apps of its kind, but it has a subtle feature that makes it good for taking notes:each item on the list has a “description” field that is basically an entire notepad .
As a programmer, you can use TickTick to keep track of all your tasks as individual list items and store the notes you need for each task. However, there's no syntax highlighting or rich text formatting, so it's better for managing ideas than storing code snippets.
Plus, you get all the benefits of a full-fledged to-do list app:folder organization, subtasks, recurring tasks, reminders, priorities, etc. TickTick has a free plan with a limited number of lists and a paid plan for $28 per year.
If you're going through this list of note-taking tools to help the programmer in your life, some may be available for you to give away. And for more gift ideas for programmers Best Geek Gifts for Programmers:20 Ideas for Coders and Nerds Best Geek Gifts for Programmers:20 Ideas for Coders and Nerds Looking for a gift for a programmer? Here are the best geek gifts, ranging from mechanical keyboards to standing desks and more. Read More
If all else fails, you can always paste notes within your code as comments. It's not the best approach to managing projects at an abstract level, and it requires clean coding habits. 10 Tips for Writing Cleaner and Better Code 10 Tips for Writing Cleaner and Better Code Writing clean code sounds easier than it really is, but the benefits are worth it. Here's how you can start writing cleaner code today. Read More
Either way, keep going and keep getting better. Programming is hard, so check out these tips to learn to code without the stress How to learn to code without all the stress How to learn to code without all the stress just as a hobby. Cool! But maybe you're starting to feel overwhelmed. No good. Here's help to make your journey easier. Read more . Plus, learn how daily meditation can improve your code. How daily meditation can make you a better programmer. How daily meditation can make you a better programmer. When you face mental roadblocks while programming, calming your mind can help. Give meditation a try with these meditation apps to get you through a tough day of coding. Read more . And if you ever feel stuck, here are ways to get past programmer's block. 5 ways to beat programmer's block right now. 5 ways to beat programmer's block right now. These emotions can have a profound impact on progress, even causing some to give up entirely. Read more.
How do you take notes as a programmer? Did any of these stand out? Do you know of any others worth adding to the list? Share with us in the comments below!
