List of editors you can use with Git Bash and how to open them

Git Bash on Windows typically includes several text editors, either as built-in options or through external installations.

Below is a list of editors you can use with Git Bash and how to open them:

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1. Nano (Default Editor)

• Description: A simple terminal-based text editor that's often the default in Git Bash.
• Command to Open:

  nano filename

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2. Vim

• Description: A powerful and widely-used terminal-based editor.
• Command to Open:

  vim filename

  If vim is not installed by default, install it via a package manager like Chocolatey:

  choco install vim

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3. Vi

• Description: The predecessor to Vim and a simpler terminal editor.
• Command to Open:

  vi filename

  Note: vi might redirect to vim in some systems.

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4. Emacs

• Description: A versatile editor often used by developers.
• Command to Open:

  emacs filename

  Note: Emacs is not included by default in Git Bash but can be installed.

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5. Notepad

• Description: The built-in Windows Notepad editor.
• Command to Open:

  notepad filename

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6. Notepad++

• Description: A lightweight yet powerful text editor with syntax highlighting and other features.
• Command to Open:

  notepad++ filename

  Note: You need to install Notepad++ separately and ensure it’s added to your system PATH.

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7. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

• Description: A modern, feature-rich editor widely used for coding.
• Command to Open:

  code filename

  Note: Ensure VS Code is installed and the code command is added to your PATH.

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8. Sublime Text

• Description: A popular lightweight editor with many plugins.
• Command to Open:

  subl filename

  Note: Sublime Text must be installed, and subl should be added to your PATH.

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9. Atom

• Description: A text editor developed by GitHub.
• Command to Open:

  atom filename

  Note: Install Atom and ensure its CLI tools are added to your PATH.

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10. External Editors (e.g., IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc.)

You can open files in other external editors if they are installed and added to your PATH:

• Example Command for IntelliJ:

  idea filename

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Checking and Changing the Default Editor in Git Bash

Git uses a default editor for commit messages or other tasks. You can check and change it:

1. Check Current Default Editor:

   git config --global core.editor

2. Set Default Editor:

   git config --global core.editor "nano"      # Set Nano as default
   git config --global core.editor "vim"       # Set Vim as default
   git config --global core.editor "code --wait" # Set VS Code as default
   

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Which Editors Are Available in Your Setup?

To check which editors are available in your Git Bash, you can run:

where editor_name

For example:

where nano
where vim
where code

If an editor is not found, you'll need to install it or verify its PATH configuration.