TextPad
{{short description|Text editor by Helios Software Solutions}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox software
|name = TextPad
|logo = TextPad logo
|screenshot =
|caption = Screenshot of TextPad
|developer = Helios Software Solutions
|released = {{Start date and age|1992}}
|latest release version = 9.8.0
|latest release date = {{date|1-May-2025}}
|latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q2295946|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
|latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q2295946|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
|size = ~15 MB
|operating_system = Windows
|genre = Text editor
|license = Proprietary
|website = {{URL|https://www.textpad.com/|textpad.com}}
}}
TextPad is a text editor for Microsoft Windows developed by Helios Software Solutions. It is currently in its ninth major version.{{cite web |url=http://www.textpad.com/ |title=TextPad - the text editor for Windows |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |access-date=20 August 2017}} TextPad was initially released in 1992{{cite book |author1=Paul Wallace |author2=Andrea Hoffmann |title=I-mode Developer's Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/imodedevelopersg0000wall |url-access=registration |year=2002 |publisher=Addison-Wesley Professional |isbn=978-0-672-32188-7 |page=v}} as shareware, with users requested to pay a registration fee to support future development.{{cite web |title=TextPad Purchasing Information |url=http://www.textpad.com:80/ordering.html |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961201120249/http://www.textpad.com/ordering.html |archive-date=1 December 1996 |url-status=dead }} As of 1996 the company was an associate member of the Association of Shareware Professionals.{{cite web |title=TextPad home page |url=http://www.textpad.com:80/index.html |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961201120338/http://www.textpad.com/index.html |archive-date=1 December 1996 |url-status=dead }} By 1998 the company was pointing out that the editor was "shareware (try before you buy)" and payment was necessary to continue to use it.{{cite web |title=Download TextPad 3.1 |url=http://www.textpad.com:80/download.html |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980115155723/http://www.textpad.com/download.html |archive-date=15 January 1998 |url-status=dead }}
Features
Key features include:{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/products/textpad/features.html|title=TextPad Features|access-date=10 February 2016}}
- The ability to maintain block indents
- Automatic code indentation (see indent style)
- Regular expression based search and replace, including multiline regex
- Macro recording feature to facilitate complex text transformations and data processing.{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/products/textpad/summary.html|title=TextPad Summary|access-date=10 February 2016}}
- Macro feature supports multiple regex searches (and replacements) within a macro
- Syntax highlighting (extendable to many different languages){{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/syna2g.html|title=TextPad Syntax Definition Files A-G|access-date=10 February 2016}}
- Ability to call external programs (such as compilers)
- Regex matching can be used to jump to a line number in a file given in the output from external programs (e.g. to locate the cause of a compiler error)
- Automatic integration with Java JDK, if JDK is already on the machine
- Large file support
- Support for editing multiple files, with tabbed document selection
- Block select mode
- Synchronized scrolling of multiple files
- Clip libraries – snippet management for reusable portions of text to insert into documents
- Clipboard history – Allowing TextPad to function as a multiple clipboard tool
- Bookmarking of lines, therefore allowing users to copy specific lines (e.g. log file error messages), and then paste them to another document.
- Multi-lingual support: User interface is available in seven languages with spelling dictionaries available in ten languages.
= Clip Library =
The Clip Library is a TextPad sidebar that allows users to store small items persistently, and then use them easily. In other editors such as Komodo, a clip library is known as "snippets".
There are clip libraries available.{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/cliplibs.html|title=TextPad Add-ons: Clip Libraries|access-date=10 February 2016}}
Reception
TextPad has received generally favorable reviews. In 2015 Mike Williams of PC Advisor called it "an excellent Notepad replacement with a stack of essential features."{{cite web|url=http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/download/system-desktop-tools/textpad-751-3329127/|title=PCAdvisor review of TextPad|date= 27 June 2015}} Download.com described it in 2014 as an affordable editor suited for coding, "neither the most powerful nor most expensive shareware text tool, though many users will find it more than meets their needs at a fraction of the cost of similar tools."{{cite web|url=http://download.cnet.com/TextPad/3000-2352_4-10002673.html|title=CNET Download.com review of TextPad|date= 7 December 2014}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.textpad.com/}}