Ethan Marcotte now blogs at Unstoppable Robot Ninja.


Weblog entry:

BBBallyhooed

Hi, my name’s Ethan. SWM ISO a CETDS.

BBEdit, a text editor for the Mac

Once I switched to the Mac, it didn’t take me much time to get settled — suffice it to say that it’s fan-goddamn-tabulous doing anything on OS X. The geek in me was overjoyed to find Server LogisticsMySQL, Apache, and PHP binaries. And with resources like Brad Choate’s OS X software inventory and Version Tracker, and the recommendations of friends that have switched before me, it was easy enough to find the applications I needed to settle into the new PowerBook (hereafter referred to as “my sweet baby-baby”). So when several close Mac-minded friends spoke frequently about this fantastical program “BBEdit”, I heeded their hushed, fervent whispers. Purchased a license without a second thought. Fired it up, and awaited to bask in the bare-bones glory of it all.

My reaction was, and still remains, something along the lines of, “Huh.”

Don’t get me wrong — it’s pretty obvious that the application packs more punch than Russell Crowe after a poetry reading. However, I can’t help feeling a bit lost in the application, not unlike the first time I fired up Photoshop: surrounded by tools and palettes that are probably quite helpful, but I have absolutely no damn idea what half of them do. I suppose that’s not entirely fair; I’ve been using BBEdit diligently for the past few months, and have finally figured out a few things (don’t ask me how long it took me to set up my default XHTML template). But despite it all, I can’t help looking back at my dear TopStyle Pro. And I’d kill for some way to mimic my trusty HomeSite’s “Select Full Tag” functionality…but I digress.

So my question to you, fearless Mac-enabled readers, is this: what is so damned special about this application? Why do you love it so? Where could I learn more about it, so that I may suck less when getting my BBEdit on?

That is, of course, three questions. You get a cookie for your ninja-like math skills.

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