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Learn how to look for and install Atom Packages: extra features that can help you manage, write, and organize code!
Our favorite Atom packages:
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Most text editors including Atom provide
a feature for installing additional tools.
0:00
Atom calls these additional
features packages.
0:05
Packages offer all sorts of handy
functionality, like a linter, which is
0:08
a code hinting tool that lets you know if
you've properly formatted your code or
0:12
introduced any errors.
0:16
Other packages offer color coding for
different types of code,
0:18
hexadecimal color pickers, and a lot more.
0:22
To install a package, go to Atom,
0:24
choose Preferences, Or
you can choose Command comma.
0:27
This will bring up a Settings window.
0:34
Down at the bottom of this list,
choose Install.
0:36
This brings up a search bar where
we can look for different packages.
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One of my favorite
packages is called Emmet.
0:42
Emmet allows you to write HTML
lightening fast using a shorthand.
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If you click on the packages title, you'll
be taken to Atom's package directory,
0:50
where you can read a little
bit more about the package,
0:55
as well as view any documentation or
release notes.
0:57
When choosing a package,
its a good idea to look at these numbers.
1:02
This numbers tells you the number of
times the package has been downloaded.
1:06
This package has been downloaded over a
million times and has a couple of thousand
1:10
stars, so there's a good chance that
this will work as expected for us.
1:14
I'll go back to Atom and click Install.
1:18
Now that it's installed,
here's a quick look at what it can do.
1:22
Say you need HTML to create an unordered
list with a class of mylist that contains
1:27
three list items.
1:32
And each of those list items
needs to contain an image.
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That's a lot of typing.
1:37
But with the Emmet package installed,
you can type a shorthand like this.
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You do ul,
the class of my list inside that
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list item times three inside that image.
1:49
Plus tab, and
all the code appears like magic.
1:55
It's an amazing timesaver and
a lot of fun.
1:58
A simple Google search can help you
find dozens of fun Atom packages.
2:01
So definitely have a look around.
2:07
You can search packages by
visiting atom.io.packages.
2:13
And you'll find a list of our favorite
Atom packages in the teacher's
2:17
notes below.
2:20
Now that you're familiar with how to use a
text editor, go create something awesome.
2:23
Until next time, have fun,
and happy coding.
2:27
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