Looking for Android text editor with specific (but simple) capability
September 20, 2013 2:46 PM Subscribe
Hi everyone. I just got an Android phone. There is something really simple I want it to do, but I haven't found the right text editor that will let me do it. Given the hundreds of text editors out there, I figured I'd ask here.
Here's what I would like to do:
1. Have a couple of simple textfiles on my home screen. (This part I have accomplished -- I found that ES File Explorer lets me place shortcuts to text files there.)
2. Tap on a textfile, and have it open in the default editor, READY FOR TYPING. (In other words, I don't want to be offered a list of files to open, or have to tap an "Edit" button.)
3. Typetypetypetypetype
4. Hit ONE BUTTON that saves and closes the textfile.
It seems so simple -- surely there must be something like this?
BONUS: Some way to sync, either via Dropbox or Google.
Thank you!!!
Here's what I would like to do:
1. Have a couple of simple textfiles on my home screen. (This part I have accomplished -- I found that ES File Explorer lets me place shortcuts to text files there.)
2. Tap on a textfile, and have it open in the default editor, READY FOR TYPING. (In other words, I don't want to be offered a list of files to open, or have to tap an "Edit" button.)
3. Typetypetypetypetype
4. Hit ONE BUTTON that saves and closes the textfile.
It seems so simple -- surely there must be something like this?
BONUS: Some way to sync, either via Dropbox or Google.
Thank you!!!
The Google Drive app does this. You can make a homescreen shortcut to a specific document in your Drive account; tapping that will open the document directly. Works just like you want it to work.
posted by kindall at 3:35 PM on September 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by kindall at 3:35 PM on September 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: kindall - I'm experimenting with this now. I see how to create a shortcut to a Google Drive document, so that part would work -- good tip.
When I tap it, it asks me what text editor I want to open it it, which takes me back to my original question -- do you know of a text editor that saves and closes with one tap?
posted by Alaska Jack at 4:34 PM on September 20, 2013
When I tap it, it asks me what text editor I want to open it it, which takes me back to my original question -- do you know of a text editor that saves and closes with one tap?
posted by Alaska Jack at 4:34 PM on September 20, 2013
Google Keep does pretty much exactly this, synching through Drive. I think that's what kindall is referring to.
posted by bonehead at 4:55 PM on September 20, 2013
posted by bonehead at 4:55 PM on September 20, 2013
When I tap it, it asks me what text editor I want to open it it
Not on my phone, it just opens up in Drive. If that's an option, pick it.
Note: Not using Keep.
posted by kindall at 5:38 PM on September 20, 2013
Not on my phone, it just opens up in Drive. If that's an option, pick it.
Note: Not using Keep.
posted by kindall at 5:38 PM on September 20, 2013
When I tap it, it asks me what text editor I want to open it it
Look in your settings under Applications (or next to Applications, it might be a standalone option) and see if there is something called App Associations. this is the tool which tells which app to use to open files of different types. See if there is a type for your text documents. (Mine didn't have one, but I was able to change my URL and email preferences, thanks!!) Maybe yours has one.
Or...
When it asks you which text editor you want to open, is there a button on the bottom that says "Just Once" or "Always"? choose Always. Or, on that screen, is there a menu button or those 3 dots anywhere - maybe the question is in a menu.
Or....
Answer some specific questions for us...
What brand and model Android Phone did you get?
What operating system does it have (either Jelly Bean or Ice Cream Sandwich, or something like that, or go to Settings Phone About and tell us the software version number)?
When it asks you which text editor to choose, what are the choices and which one do you want to choose?
Your text file - if you plug in your phone via USB to a PC and you look at the file using MyComputer or File Explorer, does it actually have the file extension .txt or is it some other extension?
posted by CathyG at 8:41 PM on September 20, 2013
Look in your settings under Applications (or next to Applications, it might be a standalone option) and see if there is something called App Associations. this is the tool which tells which app to use to open files of different types. See if there is a type for your text documents. (Mine didn't have one, but I was able to change my URL and email preferences, thanks!!) Maybe yours has one.
Or...
When it asks you which text editor you want to open, is there a button on the bottom that says "Just Once" or "Always"? choose Always. Or, on that screen, is there a menu button or those 3 dots anywhere - maybe the question is in a menu.
Or....
Answer some specific questions for us...
What brand and model Android Phone did you get?
What operating system does it have (either Jelly Bean or Ice Cream Sandwich, or something like that, or go to Settings Phone About and tell us the software version number)?
When it asks you which text editor to choose, what are the choices and which one do you want to choose?
Your text file - if you plug in your phone via USB to a PC and you look at the file using MyComputer or File Explorer, does it actually have the file extension .txt or is it some other extension?
posted by CathyG at 8:41 PM on September 20, 2013
All but #1 can be accomplished with SimpleNote.
It is, in fact, dead simple.
However, you can't save separate notes on your home screen. What you can do, however, is "Pin" notes so that when you open the app, they are at the top. Depending on the size of your phone's screen, you could probably have 5 - 10 notes pinned for easy access.
SimpleNote also has a web interface and if you have a Mac and use Notational Velocity, you can also get that to save notes to SimpleNotes.
posted by dobbs at 8:36 PM on September 24, 2013
It is, in fact, dead simple.
However, you can't save separate notes on your home screen. What you can do, however, is "Pin" notes so that when you open the app, they are at the top. Depending on the size of your phone's screen, you could probably have 5 - 10 notes pinned for easy access.
SimpleNote also has a web interface and if you have a Mac and use Notational Velocity, you can also get that to save notes to SimpleNotes.
posted by dobbs at 8:36 PM on September 24, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
2 all you have to do is tell the system to always open that type of file with a specific program. When it gives you the choices just pick "Always this one" instead of "This one for this time" but know that the exact wording may vary.
3 just find a keyboard you like. Some people like swiping. I hate it.
4 the best I've found are apps that automatically save the file. Notepad does this, but as far as I can tell it won't let you have shortcuts to specific notes on the home screen because everything is handled in house. But if you're cool with opening the app and then the note you want then it's fine. Note apps are small, so trying out a bunch of them doesn't take much space.
Bonus look into DropSync. It syncs stuff with Dropbox. Bet you never would have guessed that based on the name... Anyway, I use it to keep my KeePass stuff synced between my phone and computer.
posted by theichibun at 3:16 PM on September 20, 2013