Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with editor

Best Mac text-editor to replace Homesite on a PC?

lsemel — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:04:22 -0800

For years I've been using Homesite on a PC, which was a great text editor. Now I've switched to Mac and all the text editors I find pale in comparison, despite the fact that Homesite hasn't been updated in years. Help me find one that I'll like. For years I've been using Homesite on a PC, which was a great text editor. Now I've switched to Mac and all the programmer's text editors I find pale in comparison, despite the fact that Homesite hasn't been updated in years. I've already checked out TextMate, Komodo, and Coda. Here's what I'm looking for, in order of preference:

- Easy way to browse and move between files - Specifically, I want the folders in a window at the top, and the files in a window below, like this. TextMate and Komodo mix them all up into a single tree, and on a project with thousands of files it makes it painful to navigate amongst different files. Worse, in TextMate you can't even click on a folder's name to open it, you have to aim for the little tiny triangle thingy. I can't find a single editor for Mac that presents file this way, aside from Komodo which offers this as a plugin that locks up the editor at random times.
- Ability to use non-anti-aliased text - I don't like looking at aliased text while I'm programming.
- Reasonably user-friendly - I don't want to learn arcane commands and key sequences, so vi and emacs are out.
- Decent multi-file search and replace.

That's about it. I'm flexible with all the other features, though the closer to Homesite the better. I'm using this for programming rather than HTML, so HTML-specific features aren't that important to me.

Latex on windows

medusa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:38:30 -0800

What is the best way to use latex on windows? I use latex on a windows machine. For about 6 years I have been doing this using xemacs as an editor, miktex, ghostscript & ghostview, and yap (for viewing dvi files) or a pdf viewer (for pdf files).

Is there a better way? Should I switch to one of the newer programs like latex editor (led), texniccenter, or winedt? I would appreciate learning about the pros and cons of these new packages.

(I understand that related questions have been asked before, but they are either a couple years old or don't have much detail on the different software.)

Help me write a script in OSX

Thrillhouse — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:54:00 -0800

How do I create a file-handling script in OSX? I want to create a script that will throw whatever is in my CF card in the trash, empty the recycle bin and then eject the card.
I frequently transfer pictures from my card to my computer and with lightroom 2 they don't automatically erase off the card so I need to do it by hand.
I find that if I trash the files on the card and DON'T empty the recycle bin the data stays held up in the card and eventually have to format it.

Are there any other options? If not, how would I write a script. I tried "recording" a script in Applescript Editor but that didn't work at all.

Thanks!

Collapsible outlines in online editors?

woodman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:29:37 -0800

In this day of AJAX, JavaScript, etc., it just seems ridiculous that I can't find an online word processor that has collapsible outlines (like MS Word). Is this really true? Anyone know of such a beast?

infinite zoom visual source code editor?

flexiverse — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:24:12 -0800

I saw a video from microsoft research which showed a new editor with like "infinite zoom" when viewing all source code files, like flash vector files - really cool. But i can't seem to find this video again! Does anybody know what it's called? Or a link?

Help me not Dooce myself

pomegranate — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:21:07 -0800

Is there such a thing as a human blog editor? I'm finally taking the plunge and starting a blog under my own name. Since we all know the internet is FOREVER, I am going to try to be fairly careful about how I express myself.
I know that I have no internal editor, so I need to rent one. Everywhere I look for a blog editor, it gives me software. Not what I need. I need someone to help me with grammar, clarity of thought, and keeping things fairly discrete/professional.
Is there such a thing? If so, who does it? How much do they generally charge?

What's a good online FTP/code editor?

mickmel — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:13:43 -0800

I need to replace Dreamweaver with something web based. I only use the file check-in/check-out and code coloring. I don't care about the WYSIWYG part of it (which is their main focus). Is anything out there? Years after starting with Dreamweaver for "design", I'm still using it for some simple functions. I like that:

A -- I can "check-in" and "check-out" files. This helps me to make sure I'm looking at the newest version of a file, whether I'm at home, work, laptop, etc.
B -- The code coloring (and auto-complete) are nice to have.

The rest of it is useless. I don't need the WYSIWYG, CSS, and all of the other fancy tools. What can I use?

I'd prefer something web based, so I'm not always having to add new site profiles to my different machines, but a simple Windows-based app would be fine too. Notepad++ comes very close with the "FTP_synchronize" plug-in, but it's a bit sloppy. Any ideas?

Slate.com's culturebox editor?

omnigut — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:45:36 -0800

Who is the editor of Slate.com's culturebox? I want to submit a piece to them, but don't know who to address it to. The email address i'm using is letters@slate.com, but the name? Thanks! The piece is about the effect of online self-help sites on imagination and originality. I think that'll fit in nicely at Slate. Any idea who I should send it to?

CSS and HTML text editor

mtstover — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:52:59 -0800

Web development filter: CSS / HTML text editor? I'm making a series of VERY basic websites: around 5 pages each of static pages. I've handcoded with CSS and HTML so far (I'm a complete NOOB here, though.) I'm constantly fiddling with elements which are common to each page, and then therefore have to copy and paste across all the pages. Seems like there has to be a better way... For example, I'll play around with the graphic elements on the header or menu. I want to roll that to every page. (As an example, see my work in progress here: www.flockofpinkflamingos.com.)

Is there a text editor where I can define the common elements and automagically copy them after I edit a common element? Should I give up on finding a tool to do this and just learn PHP. (I don't even know HTML, so seems like a lot of work to learn ANOTHER language.)

I'm using WordPad now, so I can imagine anything will be an improvement. As you can probably tell - I know nothing about this stuff so the HiveMind's advice is much appreciated!

Looking for an online tool to create, edit and share video content

3rdparty — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:07:01 -0800

Looking for an online video tool (or combination of tools) that ideally support capture, editing and sharing of content Looking to have a bunch of people spread out around the world easily capture video (similar to how youtube or seesmic allow you to record directly from your webcam), privately share it with me, then I need to be able to edit it together online (or download and edit offline), then download the finished product so I can burn it to a DVD (or at the very least view it online)

Unfortunately Youtube has discontinued remixer which possibly would have fit the bill.

To Rely on the Editor

captainsohler — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:56:47 -0800

Looking for examples in literature where the author had to rely on his/her editor rather heavily. I'm thinking of instances where the authors were capable of spinning a good yarn, yet they had trouble with grammar, structure, punctuation, etc. Any and all related examples would be great. And, thank you.

I need a list of the editor for each edition of Gray's Anatomy.

tumbleweedjack — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:58:44 -0800

Where can I find a list of all the editors of Gray's Anatomy from the first to the current editions?

CSV editor capable of editing giant files

srboisvert — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:43:45 -0800

I need a freeware app that can efficiently view and edit massive CSV files. I have a couple of 6K column csv files I need to look at and edit. I've tried CSVed but it just goes 100% CPU and stops repainting the screen. It seems like it's partial loading is only by rows being viewed and not columns so it just can't load my files.

I can't make sense of the files in a straight text editor because the columns are not aligned.

Help an editor get organized with plugs and accessories

captainscared — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:43:27 -0800

I am a Final Cut editor working on a first-class Mac Pro. But since I work at a shop with three other editors, I always seem to be hunting for various cords and cables (headphone splitters, rca to quarter-inch connectors, DV deck firewire cables, etc). I'd like to create something like a first-aid bag for myself, complete with all the accessories I seem to lose time searching for - like a CF card reader. My question is what would you put in the bag and what kind of small, manageable bag would you use. Links welcomed. Thanks.

Do you have any success stories working with creative headhunters?

helios410 — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:37:46 -0800

Do you have any success stories working with a creative headhunter? Furthermore, if you live in NYC can you recommend one? I am a video/film editor in Manhattan who cuts mainly TV and web promos. For the past four months it has been difficult finding professional gigs that pay what my services are worth. So, I was thinking about trying a creative headhunter. Any suggestions/advice?

Am I stuck paying $300 for Dreamweaver if I want to edit a Dreamweaver-created site?

letahl — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:34:36 -0800

Am I stuck paying $300 for Dreamweaver? Howdy mefites.

I need to tweak an existing website that was created in Dreamweaver. I'm on a Mac. I opened the website in Seamonkey and it doesn't look so good (the Flash -ugh- ain't right, and neither are the -ugh- drop down menus). All I want to do is pop in there and do some SEO work without screwing up the flash/dropdown masterpiece. My question is three-fold.

1) Can I make the necessary changes (Title, Tags, Keywords, a little bit o' content) in Seamonkey or some other free program without jacking up the site?

If not,

2) Do I have to get Dreamweaver and am I stuck paying $300 for it? Any particular version I should get? I'm really not getting paid enough for this gig to justify a $300 expense. $100, though, maybe.

If so,

3) I opened up the site via ftp and see that what appears to be HTML pages are on the server as .asp pages. A total blind spot for me. Does that mean I can't just open up the HTML page in a text editor and make the changes I want without jacking up the aforementioned masterpiece?

Any and all advice would be GREATLY appreciated, even and especially refs to helpful old posts (I couldn't find any exactly on point).

Thanks, all!

Need Alternative to Text Editing

bleucube — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:01:55 -0800

Need a Ultra Edit Windows Free Alternative for a Not For Profit Organization. Meaning "free for non-commercial use" doesn't apply to us. Thanks! Looking for something that can do line numbers, sorting, find and replace and all the other useful stuff Ultra Edit has.

Not looking to be sued, just wanted to express an opinion...

melangell — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:38:02 -0800

Do most newspapers allow anonymous letters to the editor? I recently submitted an anonymous letter to the editor of my local newspaper regarding a pet store's treatment of its ferrets. I had spoken to the store employees and management several times, but was always treated rudely and dismissed. I looked on the paper's website for guidelines, but did not find them, so I mailed my letter in.

I do not subscribe to our local paper, so it was a couple days later before I saw a paper copy and the printed guidelines. Apparently, you must submit name, address, and phone number with your letter. I did not think this would be an issue, but now I wonder if this is the status quo for newspapers or just the decision of my local, conservative paper. Please let me know. Thank you, Metafilter friends.

vi / vim editor: Can I paste text inside a colon command?

alb — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:19:35 -0800

vi / vim editor: Can I paste text inside a colon command? (Long-time emacs user here, having a great time learning vim) I often want to copy some text and then use it as the match portion of a substitution command, rather than re-typing it. I've looked over the FAQs, the tips, etc. and didn't see this addressed. Is it possible? Or is there some other vi-specific idiom for doing the same thing?

Bonus question: As I'm still getting my head around the vim terminology and resources, what/where could I have searched to find this answer myself?

Sugestions for a lightweight and open source notetaking and outlining editor

sk381 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:53:49 -0800

Looking for alternatives to Keynote, a hierarchical note taking and outlining editor for Windows that is no longer under development. I'm looking for something that:

- is equally lightweight and can be run from a USB flash drive
- is ideally open source
- handles data in a manner similar to Keynote, i.e. allowing multiple notes to be open at the same time as tabs.
- ability to open more than one database at a time would be a bonus.

Thanks!

Looking for a fix to Joomla's non-friendly content editor.

wile e — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:00:03 -0800

Joomla filter: I have a client with a Joomla site already built, but they do not like the built in editor for it. Is there any way of changing it, or is there a plug-in that can added? I am a web developer, but do not know much of Joomla. I am taking over a project that has a Joomla site attached to it. As I or anyone who works with me knows very little about Joomla, I have decided to hire out on Elance for a Joomla developer to help me out.

However I would like to know a few things before I do that. The main problem my client has is that the content editor is horrible. He wants to be able to make his own articles and updates to the site. But the built in editor only allows you to be able to see the section you're working on, not how it fits into the page as a whole. Are there any work arounds for this? Perhaps a plug in or something that improves this? Or even a trick that others use?

I've contacted a pretty major company's developer who is also using Joomla in the same fashion, and their response was that they don't use the built in editor at all, instead using an outside editor and then just using Joomla to plug it in. This is not the best solution for my client.

Open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks.

Looking for a lightweight Latex editor

alligatorman — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:19:27 -0800

I'm looking for a lightweight text editor that can easily be configured to work with LaTeX. I don't want an editor that is loaded with features.

I'm essentially looking for a syntax-highlighting Wordpad that would allow me to build and view a LaTeX file by pressing F9 (or something similar).

Does something similar to this exist? Thanks!

Suggest a basic html editor for XP, please!

Cantdosleepy — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:14:47 -0800

Anyone know a good basic html editor for Windows XP that will install on a computer for which you don't have admin privileges? I just want something like JuJuedit (http://www.jujusoft.com/software/edit/), a Notepad substitute that has syntax highlighting etc.

I want to use it on a work PC for which I don't have admin privileges. I've installed Filezilla in My Documents and that runs perfectly well, but JuJu's installer says I need admin rights to install.

WYSIWY.... - wait, you want what?

jmnugent — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:48:23 -0800

My employer is searching for an end-user friendly, drag-n-drop, WYSIWYG webpage editor that is neither a CMS or a web hosting panel. Does something like this exist? I think my employer is asking for the impossible, but I'm trying anyways. Can anyone suggest solutions to solve the following requirements:

1.) A very simple/basic drag-n-drop WYSIWYG web page editor for small "mom/pop businesses" that might only need less than 5 static web pages (doesnt need to handle dynamic / complex content)

2.) Is an online (server side) editor (NOT an application the user has to download or configure). We need it to be drop dead stupid simple to use.

3.) Wont require much (if any) support on our backend. (in a perfect world, the ideal solution would be some kind of a PHP script we can automate the installation when a customer calls up to have the service activated.) (for the record, our backend is mostly FreeBSD and Apache with a minor amount of Windows IIS)

4.) Not a CMS or Hosting Control Panel (cPanel/Plesk). Those things are overkill for our needs. We are primarily an ISP, not a hosting company. (unless you can make a good argument for a hosting control panel)

The closest thing I've found (from searching past AskMe's) is Flyspeck , unfortunately their website appears to be "down" at the moment. Its a clean simple PHP script that is only $200-ish for unlimited license. Problem is its functionality is almost to basic. (its not "drag-n-drop" enough)

Other than that. I'm kinda coming up short. It seems like the industry has really moved away from simple editors and towards CMS/Hosting Panels. I'd love to recommend to my company to tweak our backend to support installs of Wordpress/Drupal, but they seem reluctant to consider that as a viable option. ("Our target customer for this project isnt savvy enough to handle a CMS" - and - "we dont want to burden our web dev or support team to have to support CMS questions that might come up.")

Its frustrating me because its kinda like that old joke. "For technical solutions , your options are: "Fast", "Cheap" or "easy" but you can only pick 2. (and my company wants all 3)

What is the next step in my job search?

shesbookish — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:05:16 -0800

What is the next step in my search for a job as an editor/ copy writer? I’ve been searching Craig’s List, Monster, etc. and I’ve submitted applications through some network contacts. I’ve yet to hear back from anyone and I’m wondering what to do next. So, here’s my history: I graduated from a state school with my degree in education, though my specialization is language arts. I took not only literature classes, but courses in communication, research, journalism, etc. I taught for one year and then decided that teaching wasn’t for me. I worked as a barista and then helped a family friend with his small business. After that I moved to Orange County and worked as a retail clerk here just to have a reason to get out of the apartment. Now my husband and I are getting serious about buying a house and it would be helpful if I could bring in a more substantial income.

I feel like I would be qualified to take an entry level position as a copywriter or editor, but I’m not seeing many of these kinds of jobs advertised. Is my next step to simply send out resumes to HR departments and hope for the best? Is there something I can do to improve my resume while I’m waiting? Is there some other entry-level corporate type job that I should try for?

I like the answer to the question here, but I would love answers more specific to this career field or area.