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Introduction to Bluefish Editor
Are you a developer looking for a lightweight, fast, and powerful code editor? Bluefish Editor might be just what you need. It’s an open-source, cross-platform code editor designed to handle a variety of programming languages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and more.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, Bluefish offers essential features that make coding easier and more efficient, such as syntax highlighting, code autocompletion, project management, and multi-file editing. The best part? It’s completely free to use!
Why Choose Bluefish Editor?
Some of the standout features of Bluefish Editor include:
- Syntax Highlighting for over 20 languages
- Multi-Document Interface for easy editing of multiple files
- Code Folding and Autocomplete to speed up development
- Remote File Editing via FTP/SFTP
- Project Management tools to keep your files organized
- Fast and Lightweight, even on low-resource machines
As an open-source tool, Bluefish is continually improved by a community of developers. It’s available on Linux, Windows, and macOS, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking for a free and open-source editor.
Installing Bluefish Editor
While Bluefish can be downloaded and installed manually, it’s also possible to set it up using containerization technologies like Docker or Podman. Here’s a simple way to get Bluefish up and running on your machine.
Option 1: Install Bluefish via Package Manager (for Linux Users)
For users on Linux-based systems, the easiest way to install Bluefish is via your package manager.
For Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install bluefishFor Fedora:
sudo dnf install bluefishFor Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S bluefishOption 2: Download Bluefish for Windows or macOS
If you are using Windows or macOS, you can download the latest release of Bluefish from the official website:
After downloading the installer, simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Screenshots & Video Guide
For a live walkthrough of the installation and basic setup, check out the video below:
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
Test Tools
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel(R) i7 2600 @ 3.40GHz. |
| Memory | 16GB DDR3. |
| Operating System | Fedora Linux Workstation 42. |
| Desktop Environment | Gnome 48. |
| Name | Description |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Large File | 1GB human-readable text. |
| Regex File | Text with word “Bluefish Editor” repeated. |
| Syntax File | PHP file containing HTML, CSS & JavaScript. |
| Media File | Smiley face or Tux Linux JPEG file. |
| Java Version | OpenJDK 21.0.7. |
| PHP Version | PHP 8.4.8. |
| Python Version | Python 3.13.3. |
| Bluefish Editor Version | 2.2.17. |
| Name | Description |
Test Scoring
- Each feature has two parts.
- Score of zero indicates a missing feature.
- 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, Bluefish Editor was downloaded from the developers website and it did not require additional plugins.
Features
- The theme can be native for the editor in terms of the background. Bluefish Editor dark and light themes can be created or downloaded. The score for the theme was a perfect 1.0.
- Dragging and dropping a text file into the editor opens a new tab. 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.
- Opening a very large text file crashed Bluefish Editor. A “Bluefish Editor” Warning window is shown with an option to continue. It does not remember the last session and it was not possible to edit the large file. The score for opening a large file was 0.0.
- Multiple documents can opened in multiple tabs. Tear-off tabs still do not work and Bluefish Editor does not have 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.
- Multiple editors can be opened as new tabs with drag options. The window view can not be split either vertically or horizontally. The score for multiple editor view was 1.0.
- Creating non-project files is possible by using the built-in file explorer into the workspace. Non-project files cannot be opened by the drag and drop operation. The score for creating non-project files was a perfect 0.5.
- Soft word wrap can be enabled in the editor settings. Automatic soft wrap for documents is available for Bluefish Editor. The score for word wrap was a perfect 1.0.
- Spell check works as words are typed. Spelling errors are shown in opened documents. The score for spell check was a perfect 1.0.
- Word count is available for Bluefish Editor via the Tools menu. Selection word count is available as part of word count. The score for word count was 1.0.
- Go to line
CTRL/CMD-Lcan jump to a specified line. It is possible to jump to either the first or last line. The score for go to line was a perfect 1.0. - Indentation can default to user-defined tab stops. Children are automatically indented. The score for indentation was a perfect 1.0
- Fonts can be dynamically scaled. 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.
- Find and replace
CTRL/CMD-For project-wide 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 1.0. - Multiple language syntax highlighting in one file is enabled if the language plug-ins are installed. Each language has code-sensitive syntax colors which can be modified. The score for multiple language syntax highlighting was a perfect 1.0.
- Code folding works for markup languages such as HTML. Code folding also works for programming languages such as Java and PHP. The score for code folding was 1.0.
- Selecting rectangular block per column does not work. Rectangular block selections does not work with word wrap enabled. The score for selecting rectangular block was a 0.0.
- Multiple selection is not available for Bluefish Editor. Search multiple selection is not available. The score for multiple selection was 0.0.
- Distraction-free mode to hide panes works. Line numbers can be toggled in the settings to improve distraction-free mode. The score for distraction-free was a perfect 1.0.
- The file manager can create and delete folders. Media files can be dragged and dropped into the file manager pane. The score for file manager was 1.0.
- Terminal is not integrated into Bluefish Editor, and cannot be enabled as a plugin. The terminal can not follow folder as it does not exist. Terminal can not execute system commands. The score for terminal was 0.0.
Results
Bluefish Editor is a very powerful IDE. By default, the Bluefish Editor editor worked without tweaks, and any missing required features can not be installed by using plugins. For my required features, the Bluefish Editor editor scored 72.50% or 7.25 out of 10.
Need Help with Bluefish?
If you need help with Bluefish Editor or have specific questions about installation, customization, or migration, feel free to reach out! I offer one-on-one programming tutorials and can help with custom installations, updates, and migrations.
You can contact me for personalized assistance by visiting my contact page here.
Conclusion
Bluefish Editor is a fantastic tool for developers looking for an open-source, fast, and feature-packed code editor. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been coding for years, Bluefish can help you write code more efficiently with its easy-to-use interface and powerful features.
I hope this guide helps you get started with Bluefish! Feel free to reach out for more tutorials, or if you need help getting Bluefish set up or customized for your development workflow. Happy coding!
Edward is a software engineer, web developer, and author dedicated to helping people achieve their personal and professional goals through actionable advice and real-world tools.