CodeLite 18.1.0 Advanced Editor Review

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CodeLite – Lightweight Open Source IDE for C, C++, PHP and More

CodeLite is a powerful, free, and open source IDE (Integrated Development Environment) designed primarily for C, C++, PHP, and JavaScript (including Node.js). For developers who prefer a lightweight tool that works across platforms and doesn’t lock them into a proprietary ecosystem, CodeLite is an excellent choice.

In this post, we will look at what makes CodeLite a great option for beginners, how to install it (with a focus on Fedora Linux), and how you can get started quickly.

Open Source and License

CodeLite is open source and released under the GPLv2 license, which means you are free to use, modify, and share the software. You can find the source code and contribute on their GitHub page.

Platform Support

CodeLite is available on:

• Linux (Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch, etc.)
• Windows
• macOS

Installing CodeLite on Fedora Linux

Fedora users can install CodeLite directly from the official Fedora repositories.

Steps to Install:

1. Open Terminal
2. Run the following command:

sudo dnf install codelite

For Fedora 42

sudo rpm --import https://repos.codelite.org/CodeLite.asc
sudo dnf install https://repos.codelite.org/rpms-18.1/fedora/41/codelite-18.1.0-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm

3. Once installed, launch it from your Applications menu or via terminal:

codelite

Optional (for latest version):

To get the latest release, you can build it from source by following the instructions on the CodeLite GitHub page.

Installing CodeLite on Other Platforms

Windows:

• Download the installer from: https://codelite.org/downloads/
• Follow the setup wizard

macOS:

• Download the .dmg file from the same page above
• Drag and drop to Applications folder

Screenshots and Screencast

👉 Screencast showing a beginner session in CodeLite—editing, saving files, and navigating buffers.

Requirements For Programming Text Editor

Glossary:

Code Editor

Designed for writing and editing source code.

IDE

Integrated Development Environment combines various tools need for software development.

Plugin

Software component that adds specific functionality.

Theme

Preset package containing graphical appearance to customize look and feel.

Open source

Freely available for possible modification and redistribution.

SCM

Source code management use to manage and track modifications to a source code repository.

LMB

Left Mouse Button (LMB) or left click

MMB

Middle Mouse Button (MMB) or scroll wheel

Test Tools

Test System

Name	Description
CPU	Ryzen 5 5600GT @ 3.60GHz.
Memory	32GB DDR4.
Operating System	Fedora Linux Workstation 42.
Desktop Environment	Gnome 48.
Name	Description

Test Suite

Name	Description
Large File	1GB human-readable text.
Regex File	Text with word “CodeLite” repeated.
Syntax File	PHP file containing HTML, CSS & JavaScript.
Media File	Smiley face or Tux Linux JPEG file.
Java Version	OpenJDK 21.0.8.
PHP Version	PHP 8.4.11.
Python Version	Python 3.13.7.
CodeLite Version	18.1.0.
Name	Description

Test Scoring

1. Each feature has two parts.
2. Score of zero indicates a missing feature.
3. A part of a feature is work a score of 0.5.

Three bias elimination steps were utilized. The editor was used for at least three years on different platforms. Attempts were made to get stable plug-ins for missing features. The same editor was compared between the one in the repository, the developers website, and the compiled version if applicable.

Selecting Editor Version

For this review, CodeLite was installed using the instructions from the developers website and it did not require additional plugins.

Features

1. The theme can be native for the editor in terms of the background. CodeLite dark and light themes can be created or downloaded and changed. The score for the theme was a perfect 1.0.
2. Dragging and dropping a text file into the editor opens a new tab or buffer. It is not possible to specify the tab location during the drag and drop operation. The score for drag and drop into editor was 0.5.
3. Opening a very large text file did not crash CodeLite. CodeLite was able to edit the large file. The score for opening a large file was 1.0.
4. Multiple documents can opened in multiple tabs or buffers. Tear-off tabs do not work but CodeLite has a feature to open in new window as a new instance which is handy for multiple monitors. The score for multiple documents was 0.5.
5. Multiple editors can be opened as new tabs without drag options. Each tab window view can not be split either vertically or horizontally as a multiple editor view in Wayland display server protocol. The score for multiple editor view was 0.5.
6. Creating non-project files is possible. Non-project files can be opened on the command line. The score for creating non-project files was a perfect 1.0.
7. Soft word wrap can be enabled on all documents as line wrapping. Automatic soft wrap for documents is available from the CodeLite View menu. The score for word wrap was a perfect 1.0.
8. Spell check does not work as words are typed until Continuous is activated for the plugin. Spelling errors are shown in opened documents. The score for spell check was 1.0.
9. Word count is not available for CodeLite. Word count for the current buffer or file is not enabled. Selection word count is not available as part of word count. The score for word count was 0.0.
10. Go to line can jump to a specified line using CTRL-G and entering the line number. It is possible to jump to either the first or last line. The score for go to line is a perfect 1.0.
11. Indentation can default to user-defined tab stops. Children are automatically indented. The score for indentation was a perfect 1.0.
12. Fonts can be dynamically scaled with custom keyboard shortcuts or the mouse CTRL-MMB. The system font can be bypassed and a new editor font and size can be set. The score for fonts was a perfect 1.0.
13. Find and replace using regular expressions can be utilized for all open documents in the current session. Find and replace will work for the current document or a selection in the current document. The score for find and replacing using regular expressions was a perfect 1.0.
14. Multiple language syntax highlighting in one file is enabled. Each language has code-sensitive syntax colours. The score for multiple language syntax highlighting was a perfect 1.0.
15. Code folding does work by toggling it in Settings -> Preferences for markup languages such as HTML. Code folding also works for programming languages such as Java. The score for code folding was 1.0.
16. Selecting rectangular block per column works using the ALT/OPTION-SHIFT or CTRL-ALT-LMB. Rectangular block selection works with word wrap enabled. The score for selecting rectangular block was a perfect 1.0.
17. Multiple selection is available for CodeLite using the CTRL-E. Search multiple selection is not available. The score for multiple selection was 0.5.
18. Distraction-free mode to hide panes works. Line numbers can not be toggled to improve distraction-free mode. The score for distraction-free was a perfect 1.0.
19. The file manager can be enabled by default. Media files cannot be dragged and dropped into the file manager pane. The score for file manager was 0.5.
20. Terminal can be enabled. The terminal does follow folder. Terminal can execute system commands. The score for terminal was 1.0.

Results

CodeLite is a lightweight IDE. By default, the CodeLite editor is missing required features that can be enabled or implemented by plugins. For my required features, the CodeLite editor scored 80.0% or 8.00 out of 10.

Want to Learn More?

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CodeLite Installation or Migration Help

Need help installing CodeLite, setting it up for your environment, or migrating from another IDE?

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Conclusion

CodeLite is a solid open-source IDE that covers essential features for C, C++, PHP, and JavaScript development. It is especially ideal for those who want a no-nonsense, efficient environment without the overhead of heavier IDEs.

Try it out on your Fedora system and let me know your thoughts.