I think I may have found a new (to me anyway) editor
Jedit
After using Kedit for many years, the latest versions have been a BIG disappointment.
Kedit has started complaining about a lot of things.
Namely the fact that it complains that opened files have to be saved when shutting down even though the files have never been changed/edited or even viewed but are in the current session.
Also, it has started complaining about lines being greater than 1024 characters - and yes some of the text files I deal (created by others) with have whole paragraphs as a single line. I have to be able to deal with such things and Kedit used to be able to do so. I think they switched to a library version for the basic editor functions and the library writer(s) have arbitrarily decided that all lines should have a max length of 1024 characters. Unfortunately the real world does not live by their rules. I am always amazed when I run across this behavior in programmers that insist that the world live by their rules and write their programs accordingly.
Kedit has started freezing up when a file is changed by an external program - it pops up the overwrite/reload/ignore dialog and then Kedit freezes - have to kill Kedit and restart.
It has also arbitrarily started making changes to an open and viewed (and I think maybe files in the current session but not being viewed) files on its own. Hard to detect since for files I am working on, I don't concentrate on watching the display (I'm not a touch typist and watch the keyboard). But I have detected changes that I am positive I didn't make. Also changes in files that I am sure I didn't edit.
There are a few other things that I cannot remember right now. Minor but really irritating things that just don't work right anymore.
I tried to post reports on their mailing list, but after going through the registration process and devising yet another user name and password (like I really, really need another pair to keep track of), I never got an email. So I think their registration process is broken also.
Jedit has solved all of the problems I have been having with Kedit. So I'm currently learning a new interface and means of dealing with things. In particular I liked Kedit's session idea, especiall once I got used to it. I think Jedits buffers concept may be similar, have to explore them though to find out. I never really used emacs (did play around with it for a few months) and I think Jedit may have borrowed the buffers from emacs. Need more time to learn what they mean by buffers.
I like Jedit's drop down menu means of picking which file to view. Better than the separate dedicated panel of Kedit - the separate panel takes up display real estate better devoted to the file.
Also, the first editor I ever used was an IBM editor on the PC. It had three different kinds of selection modes one of which was a vertical rectangle. I could manipulate the text in the selected vertical rectangle or even fill it with a character and then shift the contents left or right. An easy way to modify several consecutive lines with an identicle modification. Under Kedit I have to fix the first line and then move the cursor down and copy the needed text. Much slowerand frustrating for many lines with an identicle modification.
Also, on that first editor it had a means of copying the line above down to the current line, either the whole line or just the immediate character above. It is amazing how much such a thing can save you typing. Didn't really realize that until that IBM editor was no longer available. In reading the Jedit docs, I'm petty sure tat Jedit has the line/character above/below copying function. Have to play it more to be sure.
Also, Jedit is supposed to be available on Windows since it is written in Java which will give me a first class editor on Windows for the very first time. I'll have to play with that also, next time I log onto Windows, probably around the first of next year for the taxes.
Any other Jedit users out there?? Any tips from exprienced users would be welcome.
Jedit
After using Kedit for many years, the latest versions have been a BIG disappointment.
Kedit has started complaining about a lot of things.
Namely the fact that it complains that opened files have to be saved when shutting down even though the files have never been changed/edited or even viewed but are in the current session.
Also, it has started complaining about lines being greater than 1024 characters - and yes some of the text files I deal (created by others) with have whole paragraphs as a single line. I have to be able to deal with such things and Kedit used to be able to do so. I think they switched to a library version for the basic editor functions and the library writer(s) have arbitrarily decided that all lines should have a max length of 1024 characters. Unfortunately the real world does not live by their rules. I am always amazed when I run across this behavior in programmers that insist that the world live by their rules and write their programs accordingly.
Kedit has started freezing up when a file is changed by an external program - it pops up the overwrite/reload/ignore dialog and then Kedit freezes - have to kill Kedit and restart.
It has also arbitrarily started making changes to an open and viewed (and I think maybe files in the current session but not being viewed) files on its own. Hard to detect since for files I am working on, I don't concentrate on watching the display (I'm not a touch typist and watch the keyboard). But I have detected changes that I am positive I didn't make. Also changes in files that I am sure I didn't edit.
There are a few other things that I cannot remember right now. Minor but really irritating things that just don't work right anymore.
I tried to post reports on their mailing list, but after going through the registration process and devising yet another user name and password (like I really, really need another pair to keep track of), I never got an email. So I think their registration process is broken also.
Jedit has solved all of the problems I have been having with Kedit. So I'm currently learning a new interface and means of dealing with things. In particular I liked Kedit's session idea, especiall once I got used to it. I think Jedits buffers concept may be similar, have to explore them though to find out. I never really used emacs (did play around with it for a few months) and I think Jedit may have borrowed the buffers from emacs. Need more time to learn what they mean by buffers.
I like Jedit's drop down menu means of picking which file to view. Better than the separate dedicated panel of Kedit - the separate panel takes up display real estate better devoted to the file.
Also, the first editor I ever used was an IBM editor on the PC. It had three different kinds of selection modes one of which was a vertical rectangle. I could manipulate the text in the selected vertical rectangle or even fill it with a character and then shift the contents left or right. An easy way to modify several consecutive lines with an identicle modification. Under Kedit I have to fix the first line and then move the cursor down and copy the needed text. Much slowerand frustrating for many lines with an identicle modification.
Also, on that first editor it had a means of copying the line above down to the current line, either the whole line or just the immediate character above. It is amazing how much such a thing can save you typing. Didn't really realize that until that IBM editor was no longer available. In reading the Jedit docs, I'm petty sure tat Jedit has the line/character above/below copying function. Have to play it more to be sure.
Also, Jedit is supposed to be available on Windows since it is written in Java which will give me a first class editor on Windows for the very first time. I'll have to play with that also, next time I log onto Windows, probably around the first of next year for the taxes.
Any other Jedit users out there?? Any tips from exprienced users would be welcome.