Adobe’s open source code editor Brackets has been updated to Sprint 36 with some significant new features.

Smart file watchers mean the editor and Project tree now recognise when files are modified outside of Brackets, and update automatically. You’re always looking at the latest state of your project, no manual refresh required.

A new caching layer can significantly improve performance, particularly with disk-intensive functions such as “Find in Files”.

A new step timing function editor helps you visualise a transition.

An extended preferences system allows you to override existing settings on a per-folder basis. Just place the settings you need in a .brackets.json file, save them in a folder, and they’ll automatically be applied whenever you open that folder. (The wiki has more details.)

If you’ve ever had problems with a Brackets extension then you’ll appreciate the new Debug > Reload Without Extensions option, a quick and easy way to help diagnose any technical issues.

Elsewhere, LESS files have gained CSS code hints and Quick Docs-based access to CSS property documentation. CSS animation steps() timing functions have a new visual editor, and there are a host of smaller localisation updates, interface tweaks and bug fixes.