Have you considered using an editor like Komodo (auto completion, auto indentation, syntax highlighting of strings and variables within strings) or Notepad++?

Have you considered using an editor like Komodo (auto completion, auto indentation, syntax highlighting of strings and variables within strings) or Notepad++? You can certainly code in Notepad, and you can write code with "cat > filename" too. Most of us that have had even the slightest exposure to more powerful editors dismiss Notepad as "Not the Right Tool for Programming", in much the same way that a chef will dismiss a butter knife (or a spoon) as not a proper tool for slicing vegetables. Consider that there may be some merit in such an assessment, and that there may be ways in which other editors may serve you better. If you _seriously_ use Notepad regularly as a programming editor, I urge you to try Notepad++ or Komodo as an alternative for at least a WEEK, and see what you like better about Notepad. This will help you overcome the initial unfamiliarity enough to see the things that they offer which Notepad does not. In the other editors: - You can open more than one file easily. - They will re-open what you last had open, if you like (I do). - Komodo will recognize nearly every format you might be coding in, and color-code it in a way which helps reduce errors, because you can immediately see when the color coding is different from what you expected. - Some editors will flag syntax errors as you type. Give it a shot. Try another editor. Nearly any other editor. I personally enjoy using Komodo at home and at work. Sublime Text 2 is beautiful, though its keybinds do not agree with my muscle memory. Notepad++ is free and awesome.