I program without syntax highlighting

4 months ago

The author prefers not using syntax highlighting in their editor, Acme, and argues there are advantages to this approach.
Syntax highlighting can help spot syntax errors quickly, but the author uses active methods like double-clicking markers in Acme to check for matching parentheses, quotes, and comments.
Without syntax highlighting, the author finds code readability improves, making them more sensitive to code organization and beauty, avoiding anti-patterns like long lines or commented-out code.
Working without syntax highlighting removes the dependency on language-specific highlighters, beneficial for languages like Agda with limited editor support.
Editors with fewer configurations, like no syntax highlighting, reduce distractions and future-proof the tool against language changes and new syntax additions.
The distinction between editing and parsing code is clearer when the editor doesn't attempt syntax highlighting, avoiding maintenance issues with language updates.
Some languages, like Agda, have syntax features like comment nesting that complicate traditional syntax highlighting.

Hasty Briefsbeta