http://www.sublimetext.com/

it's free at the moment and it's lightweight

What exactly do you mean by "editing my sites"?

i think he meant editing the php (etc) files

Juho Jaakkola@ what i mean by that is edit my php files and to be able to see how the site function and looks before upload to the web

oh yeah nevermind, you're using windows lol. i would use any editor really. if you like the pretty color coded IDEs then there's aptana studio, eclipse, etc.

google "php IDE"

Cin@ actually i'm using Mac OS

'i keep have to install it'..
we are unclear on what you are repeatedly installing.. is that installing 'elgg' or 'xampp'?

the way i code locally (using gnu/linux) is to run nginx webserver and other apps locally and then edit the source using aptana studio 3. if the caches in elgg are disabled then the changes will be shown immediately in your browser when viewing the local version of your site.

@Mr Achiever

Use Komodo Edit IDE, that's what I use on Mac OS and it is the best. Or use DreamWeaver and connect it with your site.

Rodolfo Hernandez

Arvixe/Elgg Community Liaison

ura soul@ i keep having to reinstall XAMPP

i have not used xampp and haven't used a mac for many years. however, the principles are universal.

you will need to have a webserver that is running that is independant of the editor, so that you are able to browse your website locally.. and also an editor to edit the source. i imagine most/all of the editors mentioned in this thread are effective for editing.

so the main issue is configuring a webserver so that it is reliable on your machine there. more details are needed to know why your webserver has 'issues'.