Something to replace notepad?

ecodisk · ecodisk #1 (**permalink**)

04-21-2008, 10:50 PM

I thought TextEdit would do the trick and for the most part it seemed to, but as soon as I had to open the file on a Windows PC I ran into problems.

I wrote out some html coding and tried to keep it organized. When I open it in windows it is completely unorganized, and has weird boxes. The file still works, it just doesn't look nice any longer. This is a problem when I'm presenting the file in front of a class, or trying to turn some work in..

How would I go about fixing this, or is there a program that would work better then TextEdit? The idea of installing Windows just to use notepad seems very wrong.

AlyciaAnimation · AlyciaAnimation #2 (**permalink**)

04-21-2008, 11:12 PM

TextWrangler is soon becoming my favorite text editor. It colors the code, which is always helpful, and best of all it's free.

I just did a little test. An html file I had opened fine in WordPad, but looked a mess in NotePad.

I don't get Windows

lifeisabeach · lifeisabeach #3 (**permalink**)

04-21-2008, 11:36 PM

TextEdit will work just fine. The problem is you need to change the format it's saving in. Change the defaults to "Plain Text".

The Vindicat3d · The Vindicat3d #4 (**permalink**)

04-21-2008, 11:36 PM

When you go to save click Save As and than change the file format to Word 2007 or 97.

Dysfunction · Dysfunction #5 (**permalink**)

04-21-2008, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifeisabeach

TextEdit will work just fine. The problem is you need to change the format it's saving in. Change the defaults to "Plain Text".

that may be, but it's find/replace function seems to work lousy for me. I've searched for patterns I was staring at with no hits.

Besides, I've been looking for something more along the lines of Ultraedit or Textpad, which are a bit more.. visual.. than Textedit, or vi.. and it looks like TextWrangler may fit the bill. Thanks!

edit: Okay, maybe not. Find is still sucking.

JohnTheMacGeek · JohnTheMacGeek #6 (**permalink**)

04-22-2008, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecodisk

I thought TextEdit would do the trick and for the most part it seemed to, but as soon as I had to open the file on a Windows PC I ran into problems.

I wrote out some html coding and tried to keep it organized. When I open it in windows it is completely unorganized, and has weird boxes. The file still works, it just doesn't look nice any longer. This is a problem when I'm presenting the file in front of a class, or trying to turn some work in..

How would I go about fixing this, or is there a program that would work better then TextEdit? The idea of installing Windows just to use notepad seems very wrong.

Are you trying to show the HTML or render it through a browser? I believe TextEdit, by default, saves in RTF. To display the code, you'd want to save it as plain text and, of course, to render it in the web browser, HTML.

Minutes later....

I stand corrected. I just wrote a basic HTML code that, if saved a HTML, would display. I saved it in RTF and it and the code displays just fine. I have a feeling this has something to do with Mac/Windows compatibility. I'd save the documents in HTML and open them on the PC with a text editor.

ecodisk · ecodisk #7 (**permalink**)

04-22-2008, 02:43 PM

I saved it as a .html file, so that it would display in a web browser. When I tell it to open in notepad I have the issues, also when I go to view the page source in IE or FireFox I have the same problem. It displays the page I wrote just fine, but not the code.

As for changing it to plain text, I had to do that to get it to work in OSX. When I was originally writing it I couldn't get it to open as a web page on the Mac until I told it to be plain text, so it was saved as plain text before I transfered it to the Windows machine.

Sorry I forgot to include this info, I was a bit frustrated when I wrote my first post. It kinda just shot me in the foot when I was doing a presentation.

Oh, and thanks for the TextWrangler suggestion, I'm going to go test that right now.

louishen · louishen #8 (**permalink**)

04-22-2008, 03:54 PM

I would also strongly recommend BBedit

You can download BBedit lite for free and it is set-up to help coders write html etc

edit: lite is no longer developed, but BBedit is shareware

technologist · technologist #9 (**permalink**)

04-22-2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louishen

I would also strongly recommend BBedit

You can download BBedit lite for free and it is set-up to help coders write html etc

edit: lite is no longer developed, but BBedit is shareware

The free version of BBEdit is called TextWrangler.

It replaced "BBEdit Lite" several years ago.

Discerptor · Discerptor #10 (**permalink**)

04-22-2008, 05:40 PM

It's GNU or nothin' for me.

GroovyLinuxGuy · GroovyLinuxGuy #11 (**permalink**)

04-22-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discerptor

It's GNU or nothin' for me.

And the obligatory Vim counter point!

http://code.google.com/p/macvim/

Seriously though...this VIM version is great on my MBP

Cheers!

Aqua · Aqua #12 (**permalink**)

04-23-2008, 04:10 PM

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I use smultron on the mac, but now that I've more figured parallels I'm going to try loading notepad++

Discerptor · Discerptor #13 (**permalink**)

04-29-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GroovyLinuxGuy

And the obligatory Vim counter point!

http://code.google.com/p/macvim/

Seriously though...this VIM version is great on my MBP

Cheers!

I suppose this is where one would have to match the Cocoa appeal with Aquamacs Emacs... but I like my GNU/Linux-identical, dated Carbon look. Though, to be fair, I most enjoy using it from the Terminal.

Amanda · Amanda #14 (**permalink**)

04-29-2008, 10:23 PM

Bean is a really good text editor. It's similar to Word but free.

belunos · belunos #15 (**permalink**)

04-30-2008, 12:07 AM

I think it's important to understand the underlying technology to be able to help. Most word processing programs add formatting to a document. Like if you save a Word document and try to open it in notepad, you'll see little squares all over the place. This is where Word added formatting to the document, and very basic editors can't translate that formatting. And it doesn't matter if you do any specific formatting of your own, the program will add it's.. touch.. anyway when you save.

I can't fully answer this on the Mac side of things regarding programs, but you will want to look for a flat text editor.

I did a quick search on google, and this may help: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106212

The Vindicat3d #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 05, 2007 Posts: 985 Mac Specs: Black MacBook- 2.2GHz, 1gb RAM, 160GB, Double-Layer Superdrive.	04-21-2008, 11:36 PM When you go to save click Save As and than change the file format to Word 2007 or 97. Use the Rep System!! Check out my Blog-->Malevolent Poetry-Updated as of 4/4/08 and will be weekly.
	QUOTE Thanks

louishen #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 22, 2007 Location: London Posts: 8,684 Mac Specs: Mac Mini Core i7 2012 \| White 2009 MacBook 2 Ghz \| 733 Mhz G4 Quicksilver	04-22-2008, 03:54 PM I would also strongly recommend BBedit You can download BBedit lite for free and it is set-up to help coders write html etc edit: lite is no longer developed, but BBedit is shareware Last edited by louishen; 04-22-2008 at 03:55 PM. Reason: more info
	QUOTE Thanks

Aqua #12 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 05, 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 448 Mac Specs: Macbook Pro, 2.4GHz Core2 Duo 10.6.8, MacMini	04-23-2008, 04:10 PM I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I use smultron on the mac, but now that I've more figured parallels I'm going to try loading notepad++ “invincible ignorance” is an example of ignorance that can not be removed by any amount of evidence. It's now a widespread form of pollution. (Revised quote) An apple a day, keeps the psychiatrist away.. If you play a Windows install CD backwards it has satanic verses
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Something to replace notepad?

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ecodisk #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 13, 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 53 Mac Specs: 2.1Ghz C2D MacBook, 4GB RAM, 120GB HDD	04-21-2008, 10:50 PM I thought TextEdit would do the trick and for the most part it seemed to, but as soon as I had to open the file on a Windows PC I ran into problems. I wrote out some html coding and tried to keep it organized. When I open it in windows it is completely unorganized, and has weird boxes. The file still works, it just doesn't look nice any longer. This is a problem when I'm presenting the file in front of a class, or trying to turn some work in.. How would I go about fixing this, or is there a program that would work better then TextEdit? The idea of installing Windows just to use notepad seems very wrong.
	QUOTE Thanks

AlyciaAnimation #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 04, 2008 Posts: 477	04-21-2008, 11:12 PM TextWrangler is soon becoming my favorite text editor. It colors the code, which is always helpful, and best of all it's free. I just did a little test. An html file I had opened fine in WordPad, but looked a mess in NotePad. I don't get Windows
	QUOTE Thanks

ecodisk #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 13, 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 53 Mac Specs: 2.1Ghz C2D MacBook, 4GB RAM, 120GB HDD	04-22-2008, 02:43 PM I saved it as a .html file, so that it would display in a web browser. When I tell it to open in notepad I have the issues, also when I go to view the page source in IE or FireFox I have the same problem. It displays the page I wrote just fine, but not the code. As for changing it to plain text, I had to do that to get it to work in OSX. When I was originally writing it I couldn't get it to open as a web page on the Mac until I told it to be plain text, so it was saved as plain text before I transfered it to the Windows machine. Sorry I forgot to include this info, I was a bit frustrated when I wrote my first post. It kinda just shot me in the foot when I was doing a presentation. Oh, and thanks for the TextWrangler suggestion, I'm going to go test that right now.
	QUOTE Thanks

Discerptor #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 02, 2005 Posts: 1,228 Mac Specs: 2.6GHz Core i7 15" MacBook Pro - 8GB DDR3 SDRAM - 750GB 7200 RPM HDD - GeForce 650M GT 1GB VRAM	04-22-2008, 05:40 PM It's GNU or nothin' for me.
	QUOTE Thanks

Amanda #14 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 08, 2008 Posts: 91 Mac Specs: White Macbook 1GB RAM 80 GB Combo Drive	04-29-2008, 10:23 PM Bean is a really good text editor. It's similar to Word but free.
	QUOTE Thanks

belunos #15 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 31, 2008 Posts: 93 Mac Specs: First gen Mac Pro, Dual 2.66	04-30-2008, 12:07 AM I think it's important to understand the underlying technology to be able to help. Most word processing programs add formatting to a document. Like if you save a Word document and try to open it in notepad, you'll see little squares all over the place. This is where Word added formatting to the document, and very basic editors can't translate that formatting. And it doesn't matter if you do any specific formatting of your own, the program will add it's.. touch.. anyway when you save. I can't fully answer this on the Mac side of things regarding programs, but you will want to look for a flat text editor. I did a quick search on google, and this may help: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106212
	QUOTE Thanks

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