If you are a JavaScript professional developer, you know how simple and fast it makes working and deploying projects if you use a JavaScript IDE. If you are a web developer you should always consider using specific JavaScript IDE or JavaScript Editor for all JavaScript development.

There are some debates on internet about best JavaScript IDE available but personally its all depends on your need and features you want in your IDE. If you have a JavaScript code snippets and you want to run online, there are plenty of JavaScript online compiler available to choose from. Please take a look at this list “online JavaScript IDE“.

For quick reading let me put together some points to consider before installing IDE. IDE should be free of cost, cross platform, code completion, Hint when typing code (functions, variables, keywords, etc.), syntax highlighting, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Canvas, Debug, Watcher, BrakePoint, etc., work out of the box, supports FTP (recommended).

There are always some pros and cons while choosing one IDE on another. I have listed some best light weight JavaScript IDE to choose from.

JetBrains WebStorm is a tool for developing web sites and editing HTML, CSS, and javascript code. The solution provides faster navigation through files and generates alerts on emerging issues in code in real time. JetBrains WebStorm allows you to add HTML-documents or SQL items directly in javascript. JetBrains WebStorm deploying and synchronizing projects via the FTP protocol.

WebStorm provides debugging javascript code and provides a wide range of opportunities: finding a breakpoint in HTML and javascript, set breakpoints, code syntax testing in real time and so on Product platform supports JQuery, YUI, DoJo, MooTools, Prototype, Qooxdoo and Bindows. WebStorm provides an integrated checking text in tags, the code sequence, errors in spelling, etc. WebStorm allows you to edit files and automatically synchronize them on demand remote work or storage. The product supports versioning and preliminary versions of code and captures all the action and made the changes.

IDE for C++ Developers If you are a C++ developer and looking for IDE best for C++ environment. Best Ruby on Rails IDE Best Ruby on Rails IDE and some light weight editors.

This programming environment is a complete tool, allow you to create projects and you can see if you have errors in your code on the same interface of the editor. It also has a large community of users and many useful plugins.

Some basic features in Spket JavaScript IDE are:

Code assist is great for all types of data, taking into account the current scope.

Code formatting. Support for code templates. Supports and understands the JSDoc Including supports inline comments with data types Advanced JSDoc-constructions Supports modern frameworks: jQuery, Prototype, YUI, etc. Monitors the return result Understand contemporary patterns Has a separate editor for JSON.

It is the one I’m using lately, has a version stand-alone and one as add-on of Eclipse. An excellent IDE that runs on windows, linux and mac. Recommend it!, so far one of the best that I tried.

Actually, Aptana Studio is a Web development environment built on Eclipse. Almost all Eclipse plugins are compatible with Aptana. You can download Aptana studio binary file on your system. If you are a Linux user, you need not to compile the code in Java to get it working. Just download the binary file unpack, run, select the run folder-workspace and you are good to go.

Very good choice, has power of installing plugins and is very lightweight. It has a portable version that can be installed and run on pen drive. I would even say it is a good replacement of Notepad ++.

Cloud9 IDE is a cross-platform development environment with the Web interface. One of the functions of the Cloud9 for projects based on Node.js allows direct application deployment to Windows Azure. In addition, Cloud9 is integrated with GitHub and BitBucket repositories, making it easier to exchange projects with other developers.

By Cloud9, you can develop and deploy applications on Windows Azure from most modern browsers and operating systems, and installation of additional tools or SDK on your local computer. It also work with Google Chrome on a Mac

IxEdit is not actually an IDE, but its pretty well worked with DOM and jQuery (including jQueryUI). You can download free JavaScript WYSIWYG editor for web page. To make this thing work without installation, the project must run under Chrome folder from the download module, first inserting the html code in the Start-up module, and after the end of the html generation, change this code. See the video for more details.

NetBeans IDE has support for HTML/CSS/Javascript that works pretty well. In particular it supports AutoComplete, refactoring of code, version control etc. In NetBeans IDE 7.3 they have introduced a new type of project that supports HTML5 applications. HTML5 application usually combine HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create applications that run in the browser which supports varity of devices including smartphones, tablets and netbooks.

The IDE also lets you easily configure and run unit tests for the JavaScript files using the test server and Jasmine JS Test Driver. You can configure to run JS Test Driver for different modules for a variety of browsers and quickly identify libraries, scripts and JavaScript tests which must be loaded in the IDE when you run your tests. In the event of a test failure, you can use the debugger to find the error code.

This text editor is very lightweight and supports many programming languages, it highlighted the code from files html, css and javascript that we use, no doubt a good solution to start with the tutorials before jumping to advance JavaScript IDE.

Another HTML, CSS, and JavaScript editor shows real-time changes without refreshing the browser. It is new yong project by Adobe. However, there are a few reasons why you should pay attention to the still very green and young project by Adobe. Firstly it is supported by Adobe which is a large corporation. Secondly, it is Open Source, the level of transparency is very high. The project has been published on Github in early May 2012, despite the fact that it is still in its infancy. It is feature rich product.

One of the main ideas of the IDE is to reduce the switching between files within a project, it is achieved by so-called Inline-editing, which allows you to work with context-sensitive parts of other files, without leaving your current location in the project using hot keys

Very useful documentation, displays help on the CSS elements while working with the code (Ctrl + K for PC/Cmd + K for Mac OS).

When you press the Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-O pops up a nice quick transition to project files. Get to any file by just pressing the starting letters of the file.

The IDE has plug-ins to control the human interface, which developers are very proud of. Using plugins make the development really simple and fast. There are many more features provided in this IDE which makes it stand alone. I recommend this IDE. Thank you Marsup for pointing it out.