Author Topic: The Non-Notepad(MS) Thread! (Read 37899 times)

TaoPhoenix · « **on:** June 21, 2013, 01:38 AM »

Sometimes I like "simple" - "low level" programs that sorta do a few things ultra-simple. (But then I want features! Though it's just features behind the simple interface.)

So this week I finally left Notepad as my favorite no-nonsense text pad. In too many cases it wasn't handling line breaks properly. So today I went to the "complicated" WordPad for text files!

So I'm just curious what other people use for the simpler side of text processing. RTF is okay in this thread too, but I am purposely leaving off the page MS-Word Doc/Docx/ and other higher end needs.

I haven't gone off to one of my pet "surveys" - I am pretty sure in my other years I drifted across at least 5 text editors that did different things. This was just a 5 minute switch to "always open with wordpad" after 100-too-many lines quit formatting properly after some cut and paste op.

Thoughts? Ben Stein Fans?

mwb1100 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2013, 02:10 AM »

What do you mean by "wasn't handling line breaks properly"?

Instead of notepad, I use notepad2 (http://www.flos-free...are.ch/notepad2.html) or notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org/) - a couple of lightweight, free text editors.

And instead of fighting against Windows to actually replace c:\windows\notepad.exe and c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe with notepad2, I use:

[Select]

ftype txtfile=c:\util\notepad2.exe "%1"
ftype inifile=c:\util\notepad2.exe "%1"
ftype inffile=c:\util\notepad2.exe "%1"

to associate the majority of file extensions that should open in the simple editor. Now when I double click on a a .txt file in explorer, it opens in notepad2. Microsoft's notepad is still on the system, but it never gets launched.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2013, 02:30 AM »

mwb, I'm not sure what that code does - usually I go to rightclick/open with/always use this program if I'm reassigning stuff. Does your code help when two programs "fight" for the extension and don't want to give it up?

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2013, 02:44 AM »

What do you mean by "wasn't handling line breaks properly"?

Instead of notepad, I use notepad2 (http://www.flos-free...are.ch/notepad2.html) or notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org/) - a couple of lightweight, free text editors.
-mwb1100 (June 21, 2013, 02:10 AM)

I've seen Notepad++ before, and again on a 17 second look, it's got "too much of the wrong hardware" in it. Like handing me a flying car - yay flying car, but I'm not rated for flight, so all that stuff doesn't do me any good! (I don't program).

So Notepad2 it is - not yet sure what all those "little tweaks" do yet, but A, I don't need a ruler (though it might be in there), and B, the "whitespace counter" is a great initial selling point, so away Wordpad goes!

DC 1 - MS 0 again! : )

mwb1100 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2013, 02:48 AM »

I think this code is just a command-line-way of doing what you're doing with the right click menu. "ftype" (and its associate command "assoc") are standard Windows commands for manipulating file type registrations. I just have those lines in a batch file in my utils directory so I don't have to do much hunting or mousing around when I set up a new machine.

I suppose it would make it easier to get things back the way I like if another program 'stole' those extensions, but that hasn't happened in my experience.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2013, 02:49 AM »

I suppose it would make it easier to get things back the way I like if another program 'stole' those extensions, but that hasn't happened in my experience.
-mwb1100 (June 21, 2013, 02:48 AM)

That's happened to me a fair amount, just recently with the office programs. But I'll put that as a topic for some other day!

Giampy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2013, 03:42 AM »

TaoPhoenix, I like very much Jarte: http://www.jarte.com

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2013, 03:55 AM »

TaoPhoenix, I like very much Jarte: http://www.jarte.com
-Giampy (June 21, 2013, 03:42 AM)

Hi Giampy!

Fascinating entry - though I think it's just barely beaten out so far by Notepad2 on very nebulous grounds - vague look and feel stuff. But I'm glad you mentioned it!

sicknero · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2013, 08:34 AM »

I've been using AkelPad for a few years now. It's pretty powerful with a whole load of toolbar buttons but you can if you wish remove most of them and have a very simple GUI. I find it fast enough and stable and it doesn't need to be installed either. Has some neat options too, like read aloud.

For using it as my default text reader/editor I pinched the registry hack from Flo's Notepad2 page. It's just one line in ImageFileExecutions which makes any call to Notepad open AkelPad (or whatever you're using) instead. I've noticed no slow down from this.

The only occasional issue is that some cleaner/security apps (e.g. SAS) pick up on the edit and flag it as a hijack but it's no bother to add it as an exception.

Shades · « **Reply #9 on:** June 21, 2013, 07:18 PM »

Aranaea used to be a lightweight editor that was already head and shoulders above notepad when I first encountered it (version 1 or so). Now it is at version 5.

If you really want to go barebones and oldskool...there is always edxor. The installer is less than 50KByte! Or get the portable one (30KByte) if you find that excessive. This is a very decent text editor with quite a lot of extra functions (but no tabbed interface).

HiEditor does tabs is also very small (about 3 times the size of edxor) and has functions you will likely not use as it comes from a site dedicated to "good old" ASM (assembly) coding.

Still want more? There is always Zeus. This is an expensive and extensive text editor, but they offer a lite version of their software for free.

x16wda · « **Reply #10 on:** June 21, 2013, 07:56 PM »

I think this code is just a command-line-way of doing what you're doing with the right click menu. "ftype" (and its associate command "assoc") are standard Windows commands for manipulating file type registrations. I just have those lines in a batch file in my utils directory so I don't have to do much hunting or mousing around when I set up a new machine.

I suppose it would make it easier to get things back the way I like if another program 'stole' those extensions, but that hasn't happened in my experience.
-mwb1100 (June 21, 2013, 02:48 AM)

I find Notepad's limitations really annoying, so I use Notepad2 also. But when I install it on a box, it is kind enough to replace Notepad for me so I don't need to mess with any associations.

Tinman57 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 21, 2013, 08:27 PM »

I've been stuck on PSPad for years now. Highly configurable functions and interface, even has a hex and HTML editor with a user-defined spell-check library. Way too many things to list, but it's still simple to use like the original NotePad. They just released a new version/build last month...

Jibz · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2013, 01:49 AM »

Notepad2 has been my quick editor for years

.

I've always been using two text editors, because I have two distinct use cases. One is a single file editor for those quick open - change a few lines - close jobs. I use it mainly as the Total Commander F4 editor. It must open instantly and close again on pressing Esc. Notepad2 fits perfectly here because it has just enough features for programming to be useful, and not anymore, so it's lean and fast.

The other is an editor for projects. It must make working on projects easy, and should have more advanced programming support, like auto-completion. At the moment that is Sublime Text 3, because the FARR-like navigation and multiple cursors feel natural to me.

4wd · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2013, 02:17 AM »

Notepad2-Mod is my usual text based file editor, although I also have PSPad if I want to look at binary files.

Tuxman · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2013, 04:22 AM »

Yay, another "my favorite editor" thread.

GNU nano, anyone?
(For edits aside coding stuff, like config files.)

I'd also throw in AkelPad.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2013, 06:38 AM »

Aranaea used to be a lightweight editor that was already head and shoulders above notepad when I first encountered it (version 1 or so). Now it is at version 5.

If you really want to go barebones and oldskool...there is always edxor. The installer is less than 50KByte! Or get the portable one (30KByte) if you find that excessive. This is a very decent text editor with quite a lot of extra functions (but no tabbed interface).

HiEditor does tabs is also very small (about 3 times the size of edxor) and has functions you will likely not use as it comes from a site dedicated to "good old" ASM (assembly) coding.

Still want more? There is always Zeus. This is an expensive and extensive text editor, but they offer a lite version of their software for free.
-Shades (June 21, 2013, 07:18 PM)

Heh okay, a couple fans for Notepad2 and forks.

I couldn't get to HiEditor because it seemed to want a registration and I'm not in the mood for that right now. Gnu Nano felt a little TOO old school DOS - I grew up just past that era.

Aranea looks like a nice backup, though having found Notepad2 which looks fine I won't spend too much time micro-analyzing them both.

Edxor looks fun/funny because I like small programs! Yet it seems to do as much as the other entries, so that's neat for 35k!

rjbull · « **Reply #16 on:** June 23, 2013, 11:00 AM »

(but this post made with NoteTab 7 Pro because of the "Clipbook" macros system)

x16wda · « **Reply #17 on:** June 23, 2013, 03:38 PM »

TED Notepad[/url] [/li]
[li]Metapad [/li]
[li][url=http://www.rlvision.com/notepad2/about.asp]Notepad2 Bookmark Edition
-rjbull (June 23, 2013, 11:00 AM)

Ted's Notepad has some really useful functions (and it's just a single executable) so I keep a copy in my path, but it's terribly slow on very large files (several hundred mb) from what I remember.

Edvard · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2013, 10:25 PM »

Yay, another "my favorite editor" thread.
-Tuxman (June 22, 2013, 04:22 AM)

No forum is complete without one...

GNU nano, anyone?
(For edits aside coding stuff, like config files.)

I LOVE nano. It's my go-to terminal text editor (previously stuck on Midnight Commander's built-in editor).

For Windows, I'll vote for either Notepad2 or Editor² which comes bundled with Xplorer². The version bundled with Xplorer² Lite is not unicode-capable, but the one in Xplorer² Pro is. If you're so inclined, you can download the Pro trial and copy out the Editor² executable. AFAIK, it doesn't need to be registered. For some reason, I feel that's cheating, but to each his own...

So... what makes it special? (from the editor2.txt file):

So what else is in it for the standalone user?

* MULTITHREADED SDI. This technicality means that multiple instances of the editor can be open at the same time with minimum impact on your system resources. You can open new windows or clone the same file in multiple windows. By default Editor² runs in a single instance mode too, unless the new /P command line option is specified (see below).

* SEARCH AND REPLACE WITH BINARY CHARACTERS. The search and replace dialogs can now accept "binary" characters like tabs and linefeeds. You either select them from those predefined or type them in yourself in the format $xx, where xx is the hexadecimal byte number you want inserted (e.g. return = $0D). If you want a single $ just escape it with $$.

* NEW COMMAND LINE ARGUMENTS. /L:nn will load a document and jump directly to line # nn. /P forces a separate process by default Editor² runs in single instance mode. You don't really have any incentive to force non-single instance since the memory usage gets worse with each new window. But it is there nevertheless. So the overall command line is (all arguments optional):
Editor2 /S:<name> /V /E /L:nn /P <filename>

* DUAL BOOKMARK. The single bookmark with <Ctrl+F8> was good but not good enough for jumping between 2 spots. Now the store bookmark command will remember the 2 latest bookmarked positions and <F8> will cycle among them. Very neat. <Shift+F8> will extend the selection.

* FIND ALL. The find dialog has an option to find all occurences of the searched string. These are hilighted in one stroke for all the text. There's a command to cancel the hilighting too.

* CHARACTER CASE CHANGE. Changes the selection to uppercase or lowercase, see Edit menu.

* EXTERNAL VIEWER. This is configurable from the options dialog. Hitting <F12> saves the document and opens it in the specified external viewer (e.g. for previewing the HTML you are typing). Note that in general you need the full path to the external viewer and if it contains spaces you should enclose it in "quotation marks".

You will have noticed that all these new features and some others (escapable I/O, autocompleting combo boxes and other subtle usability improvements) have increased the pork in Editor² whose size leapt to just under the 100KB barrier. But it's pounds well spent, I say! Enjoy!

Tuxman · « **Reply #19 on:** June 28, 2013, 05:08 AM »

GNU nano also works on Windows.

Edvard · « **Reply #20 on:** June 28, 2013, 08:39 PM »

Didn't know that, thanks.

Although I rarely use Windows personally, and the Windows computers I have to use belong to the DoD (relax, I just do printing), so installing useful software is quite the no-no. $:-\$

urlwolf · « **Reply #21 on:** June 30, 2013, 01:57 PM »

emeditor here.

twinkler · « **Reply #22 on:** July 09, 2013, 05:00 PM »

I love Notepad2-mod but its lack of support for document tabs breaks my heart and has led me to start looking at alternatives. No decision yet....

chrisk · « **Reply #23 on:** July 10, 2013, 02:20 AM »

Hi all,
which notepad replacement do you guys out there use which has *crash recovery*??
(i'm still using Caderno [http://www.freddy1990.com/index.php?page=product&name=caderno] but find it to be a bit buggy,by sheer desperation i'm sticking to it because the very few other progs with this feature are not "barebone simple" enough for my needs)
thanks for your insights, chrisk

Jibz · « **Reply #24 on:** July 10, 2013, 04:17 AM »

emeditor here.
-urlwolf (June 30, 2013, 01:57 PM)

I would probably have bought emeditor at some point if they hadn't stopped offering lifetime licenses, but I can understand why they did it.