TextEdit vs more feature rich alternatives!

Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


I have to go through a 90+page text and graph based document.

This doc is originally a windows based feature rich document.

I had to use my Mac to go through this document, as it looks the most appropriate application on my Mac is "TextEdit".

But the text that comes from a windows application, appears so small especially the fonts its indeed very painful to the eyes. And most importantly, I have to finalize this document pretty sooner than later!

I have tried to see if I can exploit "TextEdit" to meet my needs with add-ons etc, but this application seems rather very basic!

I am wondering are the applications, which are more feature rich to manipulate text which are graph based docs, incl. those which were originally windows based/or any convertible usable versions?

Appreciate any useful feedback!
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
3,308
Reaction score
58
Points
48
Location
Whangarei NZ
Your Mac's Specs
27 iMac+Thunderbolt, iMac 21,
While Text Edit won't give you as much in terms of features as Pages you can change the font - Select All the choose font as you want here. You need Format/Show Fonts to get the selector


Click for full size
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


thanks for the useful link.
 
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,612
Reaction score
95
Points
48
Location
Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
Yes, Text Edit is basic, but it's still quite powerful - and it's quick!

When you open that document in TextEdit, hit Command-A to Select All, and then Command-+ to increase the text size to more readable proportions.

To answer your direct question, Word is the ultimate text editing application. AppleWorks will do a good job too. You operate Leopard - does it have Pages?

Check this link too The Top 10 List Of Word Processors For Mac Users | Mac App Reviews | Mac360.
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


thanks for the details.

As to "Pages", I did try to locate it as it seems I dont have it on my Mac. Do I need to upload it or where is it located?

Well, I have all the Words Pro set on my Window OS, but tired of all the delays while processing docs, and complications. It might be the ultimate, but not much user geared - at least not for me!

I found openoffice much more stable and user friendly and that for free...
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
301
Points
83
Location
Wisconsin
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
Pages would be in your Applications folder, if you haven't Trashed it. It came as a 30-day trial version with Leopard. You'd have to purchase a license in order to use it now. That might be possible by just opening it and clicking the appropriate buttons. (and entering your credit card number, etc.)
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


I have an issue with "Textedit".

Well, yesterday I did update that long document that I am going through. Today I discovered, two different files with the same file name the only difference between them is that one of it has "autosaved" added to its ending file name!

However, it seems its the same file, but the size is something like 1/4 of the original. Having looked at the file and compared to the original there doesnt seem to be any differences, even the changes that I did yesterday hasnt been taken over/saved!

In fact I did save the updated version yesterday, before going to sleep mode. Also, the autosave version has yesterdays date as file creation date, while the other has its original creation date - both versions are on my desktop!

Where is my updated version?
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
3,308
Reaction score
58
Points
48
Location
Whangarei NZ
Your Mac's Specs
27 iMac+Thunderbolt, iMac 21,
Check in Text Edit/Preferences to change it if need be;


Click for full size

Original is probably in same location as first time you saved it.
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


thank you all for the usefful hints.

Collin Bl, the doc that I was talking about, the original version is in the location where it was first saved! But I did duplicate that version to my desktop, and re-edited it and left it on my desktop, but now cant locate that re-edited version anywhere!

Search on my Mac, turns up all the same versions that i know about but not the reedited version!
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
3,308
Reaction score
58
Points
48
Location
Whangarei NZ
Your Mac's Specs
27 iMac+Thunderbolt, iMac 21,
But once you had saved to the desktop and then done a further edit - did u remember to do a further save to lock in the changes?
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Yes, I did - thats why it bothers me that I cant locate where it is now!

Does Textedit sort saved documents, in its own folder file name index, if so where is that index located?

Do you know what exactly does autosave on Textedit do .i.e. autosaving every 5 min. or something?

Also, I am wondering why virtually same documents one which has been edited with Textedit, indicate differing file sizes!
 
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,612
Reaction score
95
Points
48
Location
Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
Autosave creates a temporary file. With Word for example, that .tmp or .temp may appear on the desktop. As far as I know, it is not user-accessible. Each time an autosave is completed, the temp file is deleted, only to be created again during the next xx minute interval.

TextEdit has in its Prefs several choices about autosaving, and what happens with temp files, but I don't see in this (Tiger) version where the temp files are placed.

Have you used Finder (rather then Spotlight) to look for the missing file? Cmd-F from desktop does a more thorough job, and lists its findings in a more helpful way. Have a look too in Home > Documents > temp.

In looking for long-forgotten files, I've gone as far as to use a single word that I recall from a file, using Finder, and/or an application called FileBuddy. It's remarkable how they dig out what the mind has forgotten.
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


thanks so much for the details.

I was now able tolocate the file(s), but now I have several files with differing versions(updates). Also, "Textedit" seems to create a file with a file name ending "alias" whats that about...!

Gosh, so confusing - I just wanted to update a document(file); now seems like I have the updates on several differing files...!

I have again checked on few of the same files which have the exact content, but the file size as is indicated is not the same; do you know why?
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
301
Points
83
Location
Wisconsin
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
A file with "alias" appended to it cannot be created by the application. It has to be created intentionally by the user. Perhaps you accidently hit the keyboard combo that creates one when a file was highlighted. An alias is like a "shortcut" in Windows. It's not a "real" file, but just a pointer to the file. If the file name changes, the alias still finds it. Likewise, the name of the alias can be changed if you want, but you'd only want to make a minor change so you remember what the original file is.
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi,


well I am not aware that I created that "alias" intentionally.

With combo you mean to say "command" key?

If it is that I did use it to increase the size of the text on "textedit"...!

Ok, this is for anyone - I am newbie still figuring out...; why you have the option of "alias", "dublicate" or even copy on Mac, what to use each of them for?
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
The original windows version that I have tried to re-edit over the past few days through "textedit" ended up in differing font sizes / styles, tabs etc. and are all over borders but still making sense...!

Today, I did upload "openoffice" and exported all the re-edited content which I had on "textedit" into openoffice.

However, the font sizes / styles, tabs etc are all over the place, which now dont make much sense at all!

I did try few other ways, but cant seem to integrate it in a proper straight away but usable way. Did anyone, figure out whats the fastest way to integrate what I am trying to do.

I want to be able to continue to re-edit and finalize the doc. after the integration, any useful hints...

I want to use more of openoffice's features, I find "textedit" kind of limited!
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
301
Points
83
Location
Wisconsin
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
Combo is short for combination, that is, using more than one key at the same time to execute a function. In your example, Command-+(really =) makes text larger in Safari.

I explained alias above. Not sure if there's a difference between duplicate and copy, but a copy would give you a second, well, copy of something. In order to save a copy in the same folder as the original, you'd have to give the second one a different name.

You would use the alias if you only want one of a file, not two or more, but you wanted to be able to access the file from a location other than where you want to keep it. For instance, you have a file in Documents that you use often. You could put an alias on the Desktop so you don't have to open the folder to open the file.

I generally make a copy of a file if I want a slightly different version, or sometimes just to have the same formatting. In the latter case, I'd just select all and delete, then start over to build the file.
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi Tomacsh,


thanks for the hints.

I think I did indicate recently that I did try in the past the sub-tab function "copy" and "dublicate" on FF. But so far still cant see a difference they seem to be the same functions, or am I missing here something!
 
OP
F
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Istanbul/HongKong/Berlin/SHG
Your Mac's Specs
MAC OS X - 10.5.8, 2,13GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo, FF
Hi all,


I have been updating a doc that was saved in the past with "textedit" and mistakenly exited the updated doc without saving it!

Do you know how to recover that updated doc that I exited, the only one I could find at this stage is the one I did last update i.e yesterday!

Also, if you update a doc via "textedit", and lets say you are happy with all until section 1, but dont like what you updated recently in some parts of section 2, how can can you only undo your update in some of those parts of section 2 to an earlier version i.e yesterdays?

Meaning you update the changes to section 1, but get back to the yesterdays version for some parts of section 2, is this possible?

Where is the "trash" located, could it be that the wrongly exited update without saving is in there or in a temporary folder?
 
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,612
Reaction score
95
Points
48
Location
Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
When you exit a document without saving the updates, a dialogue appears warning you that closing or quitting will result in loss of changes. Unfortunately what you've lost is not recoverable, and, as you've found, you're left with the document 'pre-changes'. And no, it's not in the Trash.

Undoing - in other words 'editing' is simple enough. It can take four forms:
1. Cmd-Z. The most basic, it will take away what you last did, but only to a limited extent, eg. a letter, a word, maybe a sentence. It will take out a paragraph, as long as you haven't used auto-save, but I think there's a time limit.
2. L-Click/drag. The most effective form of editing.
If you've typed as much as a paragraph, and don't like it, simple place the cursor at the start of the section, L-click, hold, and drag diagonally from L to R. Then press Delete. [You can also click/drag diagonally from R to L after placing the cursor at the end of the section.] Click/drag can be used for letters, words, sentences, paras, whole pages.
3. Shift/arrow. The 'safe' way of selecting passages of text. Place the cursor at the start of the section, hold Shift, and press the down arrow repeatedly until you reach the end. Then press Delete.
4. Cmd-A. The Big Blast of removing text. It can be used for a whole page of text, but you have to be very careful not to delete a whole document.

Note: Cmd-Z is a good safety feature. Suppose you've deleted a paragraph by mistake. Before you do anything else, press Cmd-Z and it will undo your last editing action.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top