JetBrains Mono: A free and open-source typeface for developers (jetbrains.com)

Article summary

JetBrains Mono is a free and open-source typeface designed for developers, offering a range of features such as increased letter height, code-specific ligatures, and support for 148 languages. The font is available for download and can be installed in various IDEs, including JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, and VS Code. The font's design aims to improve reading experience and reduce eye strain. JetBrains Mono is licensed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, allowing for free use in commercial and non-commercial purposes.

Main themes

• programming fonts
• ligatures
• code readability
• font design
• compatibility
• personal preference
• Unicode and character sets

What commenters say

• Some developers appreciate ligatures in programming fonts, finding them aesthetically pleasing and helpful for quickly scanning code.
• Others disagree, feeling that ligatures can make code harder to read and parse, especially for those unfamiliar with the font's ligature system.
• A few commenters suggest that languages should take advantage of characters outside of ASCII, such as ⇒, to improve code readability.
• Some argue that using non-ASCII characters in source code could lead to compatibility issues and should be a matter of presentation, not actual source code.
• The use of ligatures is seen as a matter of personal preference, with some enjoying the visual feedback they provide, while others find them distracting.
• There is a concern that relying on specific fonts or editors that support ligatures could limit the portability of code.
• The benefits of using a wider character set, such as Unicode, are debated, with some seeing it as a way to improve precision and expressiveness, while others are skeptical of its practicality.