Since Aptana, the slick IDE/Eclipse plugin came on the scene in 2006, it has been making steady progress, adding new features on an almost weekly basis. Now they have finally released 1.0. What’s new in 1.0?
- CSS Preview
- HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Formatting
- Code drag and drop
- Visual ScriptDoc Explorer
- Enhanced Dynamic Help System
Two of the major changes? First, they have changed the name to Aptana Studio. Second, they have done that all too familiar split between "Community" and "Professional" editions. Right now it looks like your $99 intro price ($199 later) buys you a few more things beyond the free community edition:
- JSON Editor
- Internet Explorer Debugging
- Remote Project Creation
- FTPS and SFTP Support
- Reporting Engine
You also get priority support and access to prerelease and nightly builds. These dual edition splits have worked in the past, as long as the "free" edition was not too far behind the "pro" one. It is a delicate balance, making the pro edition tempting enough without giving the free edition’s users the feeling that they are getting screwed.
