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1826

General Software Discussion / Re: Return of the Son of the best *free* Windows Text Editor

« Last post by rjbull on February 14, 2010, 02:05 PM »

When setting up a new computer for a client, I need a good text editor that can be installed and left on the box. The editor must be free for commercial use.

-widgewunner (February 11, 2010, 08:14 PM)

I used to use Crimson Editor a bit at work, though not as a coder.  Someone in the Crimson Editor forums told me he used it for just the purpose you state.

The free version of EditPad is pretty good but is missing some essentials: Regex search/replace and spell check.

I think the current free version of EditPad Lite is only free for personal use, but you probably know that.  If you want regexp, you have to have one of the newer versions of Crimson Editor, which I haven't tried.

Other requirements are small footprint, fast startup and non-obtrusive invasion of the system registry and file system. Syntax highlighting would be nice but is not essential. Also, it must adhere to the standard Windows keystroke shortcuts (i.e. CTRL+TAB=previous file, CTRL+LEFT=word left, CTRL+RIGHT=word right, CTRL+UP=scroll up, F1=help, CTRL+PGUP=... etc.)

I think Crimson Editor has all those except fast startup.  Also, when I last looked, the Help file was HTML.

So PSPad or Notepad++?

I dabbled with both.  PSPad crashed on me once or twice when I was using its clipboard accumulation feature.  I probably forced the error, but I was too wary to persevere with it.  Also, there seemed very few keys available to bind macros to.  Frankly, it's getting hard to recommend anything other than Notepad++ for your sort of requirement.

1827

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 14, 2010, 11:18 AM »

I am sorry that you felt the urge to be offensive but we entertain a comparatively vivid forum. We love our users and love to exchange thoughts, carefully listen to user input and help where we can.

-BartelsMedia (February 13, 2010, 04:57 PM)

If you are going to be sharp with users, expect criticism.  If we don't criticise you, how are you going to improve?  You should probably change the word "forum" because, as you have indicated, it isn't what we normally think of as a forum.  One of the meanings of "forum" is "a meeting to discuss topics of mutual concern" (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary).  It doesn't mean a church to receive the tablets from the mountain.

By the way, it would help if you would have added your license key to your forum signature to identify yourself as a supporting customer. Of course, supporting users do get extended and preferred customer support.

You ask for quite a lot of information:

Please always include the following information:

    * Your PhraseExpress installation's version number!
    * Operating system (Windows XP, Vista, 7, 32 or 64-Bit, etc.)
    * Which operating system language and keyboard layout language is configured?
    * The target application where you try to paste into (Outlook 2003? Word 2007?)
    * How you do paste a phrase (using a hotkey, autotext or the pop-up menu)?
    * Would the problem also appear if you close all other programs and background tasks?
    * Would the problem also happen if you try Notepad as the target application?
    * We recommend to add your system information in your posting signature. Example: AMD 3GHZ, 4GB RAM, Win 7, 32-Bit

I see why you might need that, so may I suggest that you make PhraseExpress itself collect as much of that information as it can, so it can be pasted into a "forum" post with one click, rather than have users running about all over their computers trying to gather it together and probably relying on faulty memory instead?

1828

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 14, 2010, 11:06 AM »

PhraseExpress only adds new words if they have been entered a configurable number of times and automatically removes junk (such as misspellings or words that are used only very rarely)

That's neat.  I had a different problem, though: having to simultaneously use US and UK dictionaries, plus lots of industry-specific technical jargon in some files - but not in others.  Making an expander adapt per file (i.e. matching a window) is probably too far out.

1829

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 04:13 PM »

TypingAssistant forgot to add some sort of "garbage collection" and quickly spill over with unwanted junk you accidentally entered.

-BartelsMedia (February 13, 2010, 03:27 PM)

How would a phrase expander know what's junk and what isn't?

As you apparently do not like PhraseExpress

Read my OP.  Quoting myself: "PhraseExpress seems a good product."  But you're getting me more and more annoyed, so however good it is, I'm not prepared to continue with it.

1830

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 04:03 PM »

@rjbull: We invest several thousand Euros every month to drive traffic to our website. I kindly ask for your understanding that we have no interest to have third party products mentioned in our forums and give competitors free advertising. If you want to discuss other products, you are welcome and free to do it everywhere else (e.g. here) but please do not do it in our support forum that is solely dedicated for technical issues with PhraseExpress

-BartelsMedia (February 13, 2010, 03:11 PM)

When I made that post I genuinely believed that IntelliComplete had been withdrawn from sale, other than the Server edition which comes with some editors (in fact, now I check, it is back on FlashPeak's site).  What I wanted to know was whether PhraseExpress worked, or could be made to work, the same way that IntelliComplete or Comfort Keys do.  I don't think asking is unreasonable.  It's a convenient way of describing what I mean.  We've all looked at other products.  Merely mentioning them is not to be automatically construed as advertising, even if I like them at some level.  Pretending they do not exist is futile.  If one is not allowed to make comparisons, it is hard to see how users can make suggestions for improvement. 

Please read http://support.phraseexpress.com to learn more why we use a support forum rather than email based support.

We do not know everything - Enthusiastic users can step in and share their knowledge.

Your behaviour is hardly calculated to encourage "enthusiastic users."

Your actual support request was quite general in nature and it would require a 30 minute training to configure PhraseExpress for your specific task if we would have to start from "zero". That is why we recommended you to start with the manual that explains the general concept with many step-by-step video tutorials.

In an ideal world, everyone would read the manual.  In practice, nobody does.  Nobody has time.  You answered my other query about sorting; if you didn't answer this one, my natural assumption was that PhraseExpress could not do as I wanted.

it makes it easier if you made some first steps with PhraseExpress first before engaging with advanced configuration. I am sorry that I have not made this clear in my first reply to you.

There are things I need it to do that may not be at what you consider beginner's level.  I rarely have time to wade through exercises, and rarely do I need to.  If I do, there's probably something wrong with the software.

my Breevy related postings have been censored/deleted here and I have been banned from this forum (so much about “1984”).

It was I that mentioned 1984, not J-Mac.  Even in societies that approve of free speech, there are limits to what you can say, such as libel, or incitement to hatred.  DC may be a discussion forum, but the moderators still have to keep the peace.

we have no financial benefit if you use PhraseExpress as it is free-of-charge (as in "we worked 8 man year for you and you can take advantage of this work without pulling your credit card") for personal use and we granted DonationCoders an exclusive 70% discount.

Which I took up.  And upgraded to the more recent and more expensive Pro version, which didn't have a further DC discount.  So it's not as if you hadn't received any monies from me.

1831

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 02:41 PM »

@All:  Sorry to stir up this miserable can of worms    I was pretty incensed at the time.

1832

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 02:39 PM »

I was using DA, then switched to MacroExpress Pro, but it's a bit too heavy for launching applications (though good for a lot of other things)

-wraith808 (February 13, 2010, 10:15 AM)

ShortKeys

-rjbull (February 13, 2010, 02:15 PM)

Thanks, but that doesn't launch apps, which is really what I use DA for.

-wraith808 (February 13, 2010, 02:28 PM)

Two suggestions: if you want a text expander that launches, try Typing Assistant, which does.  It's payware.  If you just want a launcher that works from shorthand/keywords, have you written off SlickRun, freeware?

1833

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 02:15 PM »

I was using DA, then switched to MacroExpress Pro, but it's a bit too heavy for launching applications (though good for a lot of other things)

-wraith808 (February 13, 2010, 10:15 AM)

You might like to know that Insight Software, makers of Macro Express, also offer ShortKeys, which seems to be specifically an expander, and presumably a subset of Macro Express itself.

1834

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 09:37 AM »

I'm now using Breevy.

-J-Mac (February 12, 2010, 11:45 PM)

For which I too have a license    It isn't portable, though, and portability would be a big plus for me at the moment.  That's why the next one I intend to look at is Typing Assistant.

1835

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 13, 2010, 09:24 AM »

i think it's simply unfair to have a post complaining about someone or their company, and then have them banned so they can't reply.is.

-mouser (February 13, 2010, 05:40 AM)

As I recall it, Bartels mounted a sustained attack in an aggressive tone.  I also seem to remember they themselves said they would no longer post here.

1836

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 11, 2010, 02:38 PM »

I wrote them off a bit ago when they were on DC.  The tete a tete with DirectAccess was more than enough to put me off their product. 

-wraith808 (February 11, 2010, 01:50 PM)

Yes, I saw bits of that, I just didn't expect it would ever happen to me.  Shame, because the product is good.  Not as good as Instant Text, but that's $189.

1837

General Software Discussion / Re: Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 11, 2010, 02:33 PM »

You realize that AutoHotkey stole all their ideas from PhraseExpress, don't you?

-mwb1100 (February 11, 2010, 12:18 PM)

erm, is that ironic?  I thought AHK was developed from AutoIt, and imagine both pre-date PhraseExpress.  Besides, before any of those, there were various programs that did much the same even in DOS.

1838

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable word processor, please?

« Last post by rjbull on February 11, 2010, 08:54 AM »

@Target: thanks...  how would you rate Angel Writer against the alternatives?

1839

General Software Discussion / Bartels Media paranoia

« Last post by rjbull on February 11, 2010, 08:52 AM »

I recently started using a registered copy of PhraseExpress Pro.  I knew it was capable of being portable, which could be useful to me, but it didn't seem to work like Intellicomplete or Comfort Keys do, at the word level.  That is you can define your own words and short forms, but it doesn't seem to have a ready-made dictionary built in.  So I put a message in their forum:

Please excuse my ignorance, new user query...  I'm already using my own multi-word phrases plus some words I've defined.  But to make PhraseExpress behave like Intellicomplete/Comfort Keyboard etc. which come pre-loaded to give you pop-up lists of words at the cursor, do I need to import a dictionary into PhraseExpress, or something like that?

I'd have thought that was pretty innocent.  After all, we've all looked at other softwares, and nothing is developed in complete isolation.  I got an e-mail from Bartels Media of which the operative part reads:

Thank you for taking the time to write us about PhraseExpress.

Please note that the PhraseExpress forum is not about other programs.

For a start, we recommend to study http://manual.phraseexpress.com first to
learn more about how to use PhraseExpress.

How tetchy can you get?  PhraseExpress seems a good product, but they want us to believe and act as if nothing else exists?  Don't they have any confidence their product is good enough to beat the opposition?  You can't even mention any other program as an example, to explain what you mean?  When I entered my post, their forum changed "Intellicomplete" to "another software!"  They since deleted the post.

I've read Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, and I used to work for a big company with a Stalinist culture, so I've had my fill of paranoid megalomania.  I deleted my registration key and uninstalled PhraseExpress.  So, until the Instant Text people come up with a version that runs on Vista with UAC = yoU Aren't Computing On, I suppose I'll have to use AutoHotkey, just like everybody else.  I'd still be interested in alternative portable apps, though.

1840

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable word processor, please?

« Last post by rjbull on February 10, 2010, 03:41 PM »

Angel writer (this ones been mentioned here before)

-Target (February 09, 2010, 09:19 PM)

I'd noticed mention of it  here on DC, but their Web site doesn't (as far as I can see) mention that it's portable, something I'd have expected them to say if it was.

1841

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable word processor, please?

« Last post by rjbull on February 10, 2010, 03:38 PM »

Did you manage to pick up a free copy of Softmaker office [edit: 2008]

-tomos (February 09, 2010, 04:31 PM)

Turns out it was a good thing I did.  My AV, F-Prot, is flagging the 2006 installer:

File(s) found
F-PROT Antivirus has stopped the following viruses, please review the list and take
the appropriate action by checking an infected item.

Description                                                                           Filename
            Found password stealer: W32/Pws.BQZG (exact)      Softmaker_ofw06freefull.

It doesn't flag 2008.  I reported to F-Prot, who asked me to send them a copy of the file zipped up and password-protected to stop it getting deleted on the way.  Vista Home Premium would not let me "open" the file, not to zip it, copy it or even MD5 it, not even in Safe Mode.  I've put a message in Softmaker's forum for them to contact F-Prot themselves.

1842

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable word processor, please?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2010, 04:34 PM »

Did you manage to pick up a free copy of Softmaker office [edit: 2008] when they were going around?
You can 'export' the install to a usb stick

-tomos (February 09, 2010, 04:31 PM)

I certainly did!  Very generous offer.  I didn't realise you could make it portable.  Thanks! 

1843

General Software Discussion / Re: Recommend portable word processor, please?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2010, 04:30 PM »

@Stephen66515: Jarte is based on WordPad, but with extra features, and they say it can be run from a USB stick.  The point about WordPad being bundled with Windows anyway is a good one, though.

@wraith808: I looked at AbiWord years ago, and wasn't impressed, but that was then and maybe now is better.  I hadn't thought to look at porteableapps.  Good idea, thanks.

1844

LaunchBar Commander / Re: Can I run two separate instances (local + USB)?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2010, 04:19 PM »

so you insert stick and up pops the launchbar from that stick.. remove it and it dissapears?

-mouser (February 09, 2010, 04:14 PM)

I hadn't thought that far ahead, as I usually plug in my USB sticks at home and leave them in place until I shut down, so I was thinking of LBC picking up only the  configuration files that were present when LBC itself was first started.  But, your extension sounds great and would be far better  

1845

General Software Discussion / Recommend portable word processor, please?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2010, 04:07 PM »

Other than Jarte, please an anyone recommend a portable = no-install, run-from-a-USB-stick word processor?  Not expecting anything like Word; indeed, I want something simpler.  Word is often too complicated.  Widely-used format like RTF (as used by Jarte) preferred, and also freeware, but the latter not absolutely vital.

Thanks...

1846

LaunchBar Commander / Re: Can I run two separate instances (local + USB)?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2010, 03:57 PM »

mouser, I haven't tried LBC, so I don't know what I'm talking about (don't tell me that isn't news, I already know...)  I have two USB sticks and another waiting to be set up.  Can LBC be set to automatically pick up configurations for whichever USB stick(s) are plugged in, without showing those that aren't?  If you see what I mean?  That's assuming each stick has been already configured, of course.

1847

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2010, 03:37 PM »

rjbull - what is generating that attack report - Firefox? I've never had any trouble visitng that page and have just done so with both IE8 and Opera 10.5 beta.

-Darwin (February 08, 2010, 05:20 PM)

Well, I run Online Armor firewall and thought it was prompted by that.  But I see that Armando, who knows a thing or two, thinks its Firefox itself.  I've heard enough good things about Archivarius here to think it's an attack, not likasoft, but it would be nice for the site to get a clean bill of health.

1848

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: Resolver One (BDJ 11 Feb for 60% Discount)

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2010, 04:12 PM »

I'm not really sure I'm up for $100 for a spreadsheet but $40 for a great spreadsheet with powerful programming abilities may be different... would I end up ditching Excel (at home)?

-Perry Mowbray (February 08, 2010, 06:01 AM)

I haven't tried it, but PlanMaker 2006 by Softmaker is free:

PlanMaker for Windows
The Microsoft Excel-compatible spreadsheet that opens all your Excel workbooks directly and gives you many time-saving features.
• Fast, powerful, reliable.
• Reads and writes your Excel files seamlessly (Microsoft Excel .xls 5.0 to 2007)
• More than 320 calculation functions
• Design your worksheets with colors, fonts, borders, pictures, drawings, AutoShapes, WordArt etc.
• Built-in Excel-compatible charting
• Conditional formatting, syntax highlighting, goal seeker, sheet and workbook protection – and much, much more

Softmaker's suite has been favourably mentioned on DC before.

1849

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2010, 03:57 PM »

Archivarius/likasoft Web site visited 2010-02-08, local time 21:56.  Oh-oh...

1850

General Software Discussion / Re: pastecopy.net

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2010, 03:49 PM »

rjbull im afraid i cant do it, i cant find "popup > Misc > Paste Selected Text (gives you a list you Ctrl-click to mark) or Paste All Text."

-ron101 (February 08, 2010, 10:11 AM)

You already have a hotkey to pop up the list of clips?  I use Shift-Control-Z.  When I hit it, I get a menu like the first image attached, where I've moved the cursor down to "Misc."  In this case, it's popped up over Notetab Pro editor.  Click "Misc" and you get a screen like the second image.  You then mark the lines you want with Control-Click as in the third image, after which you click the Paste button at top right, the one that's highlit.  This gives the set of clips pasted one after the other into the editor, as in the final image.  These were only one-line clips, but it should work for bigger ones too.