BBEdit - Use it for Blogging?

Software
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I have been thinking about using BBEdit as my text editor of choice on the Mac as I hear it is a very nice and powerful application, but I am curious how I should use it for blogging. I write in Markdown and post with MarsEdit on my Mac to a WordPress website.

If anyone has anything they recommend to use or setup in BBEdit I would very much appreciate it!

Thanks,
Jeff Perry
RocketPanda.net

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I continue to use Byword for blogging. I have BBEdit, but it’s so powerful that I’ve spent a great deal of time messing with Properties. If you’re up for a challenge, go for it. Otherwise my understanding is that MarsEdit, a fine application for your needs, is all you need.

I got caught up in the ‘try every text editor’ craze when I already had the one that did the job I wanted it to do without drama.

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I believe Jason Snell does his article/blog writing in BBEdit. He was on MPU episode 310, but off the top of my head I don’t know how in depth they went on his blogging workflow:

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Be careful using BBEdit to write markdown if you have equations in the markdown. They are using a version of the markdown specs that doesn’t support equations so the syntax highlighting is all off. I sent them a note about six months ago and there has been several posts in their google groups about this. Their answer has been that the official markdown spec doesn’t consider equations. (Most editors I know of do the syntax highlighting just fine)

Personally I feel this holds BBEdit back from scientific writing if you are using markdown. LaTeX works just fine though.

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My ¢2 here. Use a tool that will make your life easier, not what others think of. By making your life easier, I mean plays well with your writing style and needs, also to integrate well within your workflow.

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You can setup MarsEdit to use BBEdit as your external editor.

https://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/testimonials20.php?id=14

Are a few places that talk about this.

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I understand this is a Mac thread.

But an alternate viewpoint…

If an app (blog editing) does not run on both iOS and Mac forget it.

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I’m still in byword on the Mac because it’s lightweight. I really only reach for BBEdit when I need to do something heavier than Markdown.

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Is there a reason you prefer ByWord over something like MarsEdit?

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I publish with MarsEdit. I just like writing in Byword for the markdown previews and the inability to accidently publish before I am done.

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I had Byword for Mac and iOS and it was my main writing app for maybe six months. Then I got bit by the IA Writer bug, then got seduced by Ulysses. I’m a promiscuous text writer.

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