Author Topic: Plain text editor for writers (Read 57767 times)

PhilB66 · « **on:** January 19, 2008, 12:57 AM »

Found 2 incredibly cool full-screen text editors - Q10 & WriteMonkey.

Q10 Key Features:

* Full-screen.

* Word, page and character counts are updated live as you type.

* Programmable page count formula.

* Customizable look and paragraph format - Change the colors, line spacing, first line indent, paragraph spacing, font...

* Portable - A single self-contained executable file. That’s all. Easy to use with a pendrive, so you can carry your writing environment with you everywhere. Q10 will remember the last file you worked on, even if the drive letter assigned to your pendrive changes from computer to computer.

* Easy to use timer alarm.

* Spell checker.

* Notes - Any paragraph starting with ".." is considered a note. You can get a list of all notes in the current document and jump instantly to any of them.

* Target count - Displays completed percentage. You can choose units: words, pages, lines, paragraphs or characters. If NaNoWriMo is your thing, this is for you.

* Partial counts - Keep track of the extension of current chapter or see how much content you've produced in the current writing session. You're free to use partial counts as you like: up to four counters with customizable labels and units: words, pages, lines, paragraphs or characters.
Autocorrections and quick text.

* Unlimited autocorrection entries to fix on the fly those persistent typing errors. Unlimited quick texts list for frequently used words or phrases, like character names, places, etc.

* Standard and clean text format - You will be able to open your work with any text editor or word processor. Now and in the future.
Encoding and line endings agnostic.

Reads and writes ANSI and UTF-8 texts, and line endings formats are not a problem for Q10.

* Typing sound effects.

* Small, fast and stable.

* Autosaving - You can ask Q10 to save your work after some number of new paragraphs, or after some time has elapsed. If you're really paranoid, set Q10 to save every paragraph.

* Q10 is Free.

A few screenshots:

Plain text editor for writers

Plain text editor for writers

WriteMonkey is a similar program but also offers other interesting features, like repository mode, progress bar, toggle bookmarks etc.

Screenshots below:

Plain text editor for writers

ThalSwe · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2008, 10:06 AM »

Really like Q10 and used it in the past, if so limited amounts of time. Sometimes I have to put all my focus on the writing and making it harder to access internet or various chat programs or...(you get the idea

) certainly helps and this program does it well and I cant help that I simply love the way it looks.

Another piece of software I keep on my usb key for easy usage when I am away. One never know when the mood strikes and you want to be creative and write, without the distractions of modern living

app103 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2008, 07:00 AM »

I just tried Q10, and while it seems pretty cool, I had a really big problem:

F1 doesn't work, so I don't know how to do anything with it that requires a not-known-to-me keyboard shortcut.

Anybody got a full cheat sheet?

jgpaiva · « **Reply #3 on:** January 20, 2008, 07:05 AM »

Strange, app.

F1 should present you the first screenshot in Phill's post

Plasma Man · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2008, 08:07 AM »

I like Q10 a lot but there doesn't seem to be a separate page online that lists the shortcuts. I was expecting Esc to exit but it's Ctrl +Q instead. For first time use Ctrl + P = settings where you can adjust background colour, font, sounds etc. This is a very nice app for writing.

For F1 key issues check here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894513

Then you get to work on your 30 day novel ...
http://www.amazon.co...dos/ASIN/0811845052/

Carsto · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2008, 08:57 AM »

I thought AutoHotKey could be the answer, but it seems not to be. All I need to do is create diacritics for some vowels.
Installed AHK, left it for a few days (busy), clicked on the shortcut (everything is on a short\cut) and it opened the Notepad editor. So started working, came back to Notepad and it was gone (mine). Tried to re-open by click and got the "older version already running " dialog. For the rest nothing.

Ok, so tried the "Record" scriptwriter - takes editing and saving, but for the rest doesn't want to run.

Ok, so try Windows Explorer - as per instructions. Filename "Diacritics.ahk". Right-click on the filename to edit and it shows "Diacritics.ahk.txt".

Before this, read up on remappig key board, SendInput, Transform, hotkeys, hotstrings, clipboard et al. Right now, I am really feeling stupid and not much inclined to donate. The attention line to "Plain text editor for writers" is the nearest I could get to find a solution.

The minefield through DonationCoder.com to find possible leads in examples is really daunting. Still nothing.

Any ideas on how I can actually start using AutoHotKeys?

Thanx,

Carsto.

lanux128 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 20, 2008, 08:57 AM »

adding another option to the list: Dark Room.

Dark Room is a full screen, distraction free, writing environment. Unlike standard word processors that focus on features, Dark Room is just about you and your text.

Basically, Dark Room is a clone of the original WriteRoom that is an OS X (tiger) exclusive application. It is a child of necessity, as there were no viable alternatives in Windows to produce the same behavior.

lanux128 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 20, 2008, 09:05 AM »

I thought AutoHotKey could be the answer, but it seems not to be. All I need to do is create diacritics for some vowels.
-Carsto (January 20, 2008, 08:57 AM)

Carsto, if you need a program just to insert characters then AllChars would be better choice as it doesn't require you to read up on the commands as in Autohotkey which is more of a scripting tool.

mnemonic · « **Reply #8 on:** January 20, 2008, 10:12 AM »

app103

F1 doesn't work, so I don't know how to do anything with it that requires a not-known-to-me keyboard shortcut.
-app103 (January 20, 2008, 07:00 AM)

Hmmm, I had exactly the same problem until I hit the "F Lock" key on my keyboard and F1 started working again.

Seems like the world is a-changing, started years ago with really basic apps, then they grew and grew and grew into bloated monsters and now everyone is clamouring for the basic stuff again - are we seeing the start of a revolution?

Time to stay goodbye to Word / Openoffice and move on to Q10!

app103 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 20, 2008, 10:20 AM »

Hmmm, I had exactly the same problem until I hit the "F Lock" key on my keyboard and F1 started working again.
-mnemonic (January 20, 2008, 10:12 AM)

"F Lock"? What is this "F Lock" you speak of? I do not see anything that says this on any key of my keyboard. Nor do I see this on any spare keyboards I have. Where would this be located?

tomos · « **Reply #10 on:** January 20, 2008, 10:23 AM »

"F Lock"? What is this "F Lock" you speak of? I do not see anything that says this on any key of my keyboard. Nor do I see this on any spare keyboards I have. Where would this be located?
-app103 (January 20, 2008, 10:20 AM)

usually to the right of F12 key IF it's there at all -(personally I wish it wasnt here)
mine says
[F]Mode (but it's a german keyboard...)

mnemonic · « **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2008, 10:24 AM »

"F Lock"? What is this "F Lock" you speak of? I do not see anything that says this on any key of my keyboard. Nor do I see this on any spare keyboards I have. Where would this be located?
-app103 (January 20, 2008, 10:20 AM)

Mine's right of the Pause/Break key and above the Num Lock (Microsoft wireless comfort keyboard). Not entirely sure of it's purpose, but it seemed to do the trick.

app103 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2008, 10:42 AM »

usually to the right of F12 key IF it's there at all -(personally I wish it wasnt here)
mine says
[F]Mode (but it's a german keyboard...)
-tomos (January 20, 2008, 10:23 AM)

It goes from F12, an empty space, and then the print screen key.

Mine's right of the Pause/Break key and above the Num Lock (Microsoft wireless comfort keyboard). Not entirely sure of it's purpose, but it seemed to do the trick.
-mnemonic (January 20, 2008, 10:24 AM)

Nope...nothing but empty space there too.

hmmm...guess I don't have one. So I guess that can't be the problem.

Darwin · « **Reply #13 on:** January 20, 2008, 11:19 AM »

Sounds like I have the same keyboard (or a similar one, anyway) to menmonic. I hate using SnagIt with it, for example, because I like to use the PrtScn key to take screenshots. Unfortunately, the F Lock button has to be invoked first, otherwise in trying to capture a screenshot I inadvertently invoke Insert instead.

Anyway, AFAICT, F Lock allows for more functinonality to be mapped to the Funcition keys. On mine, default actions are the ones you'd expect - F2 is rename in Windows Explorer, for example, but Undo is also mapped to it. I can switch between the two with the F Lock key. FWIW, F1 invokes Help on my keyboard.

What kind of keyboard are you using, app? Is there a setting in your Control Panel applet for the keyboard that might help?

app103 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 20, 2008, 11:27 AM »

My keyboard is a very simple one...nothing special about it.
Standard stock for a HP Pavilion a847c.
Model #5183

Looked in control panel under keyboard...just a tab for adjusting the speed and one for driver info.

PhilB66 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 20, 2008, 11:39 AM »

app103, does the F1 key work in other programs?

Darwin · « **Reply #16 on:** January 20, 2008, 02:28 PM »

Here's a page on F-Lock (for mnemonic and I) that I just found via google: http://www.udolpho.c...-Microsoft-keyboards

Don't know if there will be any joy there for app or not... worth a look!

Darwin · « **Reply #17 on:** January 20, 2008, 02:36 PM »

This quote, from the link above, sums things up nicely from my perspective:

So the function key mapping is confusing, indeed pointlessly aggravating, to say the very least. Then there is the F Lock key. This is the new key that allows you to toggle between using the new Microsoft function keys and using the old PC function keys. Microsoft decided to make the function keys twice as brain-damaging to use by enabling their new behaviors every time the keyboard is powered on. What does this mean? It means that every time you start your computer, and every time you bring it out of suspend or hibernation, and every time you use a KVM switch to toggle between multiple computers, the function keys revert to the new Microsoft behaviors.

Obviously, I should rephrase my first post on this subject to read that I have to hit the F Lock button to turn off MS keymapping and revert to traditional key mapping. It really is a PIA!

Darwin · « **Reply #18 on:** January 20, 2008, 02:48 PM »

Finally, the udolpho blog post links to a blog post by Jon Galloway that no longer links correctly. Here's the correct link: http://weblogs.asp.n...05/11/29/431762.aspx

I might just play around with this (when I have time) and see if it works! Again, I don't know if this is what is "ailing App" but it is conceivable that in one of its less lucid moments HP adopted this MS re-map and didn't provide a key to switch back and forth.

One final thought, thoug - App, is there a key labelled Fn on your keyboard by any chance?

Rhutobello · « **Reply #19 on:** January 20, 2008, 02:58 PM »

I will also recommend this program for those of you who want to make your first book

it's free and made from an Known Author, who also have a lot of other free programs....maybe we should invite him here

http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter3.html

Darwin · « **Reply #20 on:** January 20, 2008, 03:05 PM »

[Blatant thread hijack]

I can't leave well enough alone... These comments from the Jon Galloway blog are illuminating as well:

Sadly, not only microsoft went this way, Logitech decided to follow them and also use the "extended" function keys. Fortunately, my logitech iTouch configuration program allows this nifty setting called "Keep original function"

Maybe you could try installing the logitech itouch drivers, and use them for your microsoft "intelli"type keyboards? Since they're all multimedia keyboards, it might work.

Gods, I have been annoyed by this for so long, until I got so bothered I had to find a fix. Your post prompted me to explore my own settings, and that made me find the above solution, THANKS!

@Eddemans: a HACKsaw maybe? ;-)

Or you could always use the scanmap-trick, and then pry loose the keys and rearange them on the keyboard. (gentle, but persistant, force works on a surprising amount of keyboards)

Sunday, September 03, 2006 4:32 PM by Jules Kerssemakers

and

Wow, what a relief. I just plugged in an old Dell keyboard that doesn't have an F-lock key. However, windows was treating the keyboard as if the keys were F-locked. After two days of searching, I came across this solution. It worked great. Many thanks!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 4:41 PM by Nick

(emphasis is mine)

[/Blatant thread hijack]

PS Thanks for the link to yWriter, Rhutobello. I've tried it in the past and it is very nice.

Jammo the OrganizedFellow · « **Reply #21 on:** January 20, 2008, 11:49 PM »

Q10 is amazing!
Just started using it tonight.
Coping with ADHD and using this utility makes it sooo much easier to write my blog articles. hahaha. weird, huh?

Now I have another tool to add to my GTD arsenal.

Carsto · « **Reply #22 on:** January 21, 2008, 09:48 PM »

lanux128,

Nice avatar, best in a long time.

Thanks for the tip. Will try it. Counting reactions and reading content, it seems I opened a can of worms. Looks like we better talk to Logitech for a good all round keyboard.

Thing is, in my language if I don't do diacritics, it sometimes reads like swearing. Yes, people have already dropped to it and read over it, yet it remains an irritating foible - breaks the thread.

Mnemonic,
Word/OpenOffice is no issue anymore. Go to www.evermoresw.com for a butt-kicker suite. Admitted, not gratis (about half MSOffice Home) but "Word/Ecxel/Access" all in one binder under one file format. "Copy-paste" - literally! - tables into word processor and the links are kept. Internet collaboration, yes. And file conversion to/from MSOffice. Fair dinkum. It also works exactly like MS Office - so no learning curve. It's written in Java.

Otherwise, thanks I'll look up the leads.

Carsto.

Carsto · « **Reply #23 on:** January 22, 2008, 04:13 AM »

Special characters problem solved.

Lanux128,
Thanks, downloaded and tried Allchars. Just what I needed. There are some good macro goodies and expanded text as well.

Regards,

Carsto.

lanux128 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 22, 2008, 09:05 AM »

Special characters problem solved.

Lanux128,
Thanks, downloaded and tried Allchars. Just what I needed. There are some good macro goodies and expanded text as well.
-Carsto (January 22, 2008, 04:13 AM)

you're welcome, Carsto. glad to be of help.