... glad you spotted the dry humor as it was intended...
For me, the auto complete and colors are very distracting. I watch what I'm typing and if something jumps ahead it throws off my typing rythmn. The colors just mess me up as well, 2 colors is just my speed...lol
Not sure how others code, but I first make a mockup in graphics ed (I prefer PSP to PS but that's just my pref). I then break down in my head what the best way (shortest/fastest rendering) to go about getting a browser to render that page.
Where can I used bgcolors or background images in cells or tables to create layer effects, where should I chop things to get beveled edges, what areas can be tiled so only need to be few pixels wide, how should I bust the tables up for slower connections to render adverts prior to content (or vice versa is that is needed)... you get the idea...
Once I do that I might actually type one or two basic table elements but from there on it's much more cutting/pasting and tweaking than it is actually typing out brand new html. My left-hand pinkie knows right where that ctrl key is for the fast z,x,c and v combos and that's much quicker than a shift+, or shift+.
Using a modular type building method like this combined with a standardize formating (none of that tab spacing crap) will make syntax similar across sites, help with 'reading' code and go long way in helping maximize search/replace tweaking down the road when you want to use one site as springboard for building another.
Much of this isn't based on what editor one uses, but rather just practicing good work/coding habits IMO. Can still hear my HS basic teacher admonishing "That's poor programing class, poor programing" when someone buggered code on those 'trash80s'... lol
Threaded Mode