Windows only A few months ago we pointed out that Notepad++ has an option to find and replace text in multiple files, but that is obviously not the sole purpose of the app. If you need to perform a find and replace operation across multiple files I'd highly suggest that you try out a program that focuses on that kind of task, such as TextCrawler.
Windows only Markdown is a language that is supposed to make writing easier by letting users compose formatted content in a plain-text editor. Getting used to some of the syntax can take time, but there is a lot of intuitiveness behind it as well. Once you decide that you want to give Markdown a try I recommend checking out the free MarkdownPad app for Windows.
Windows only Last week I needed to create hundreds of empty folders for a project I was working on, and I was trying to figure out the best way to create the folders in bulk. I thought I was going to have to write my own script to do it, but as it turns out a member of the DonationCoder forum posted an awesome app he whipped up called Text 2 Folders.
Windows only Programs like Notepad++ are great because they provide powerful text file editing, but the searching can leave something to be desired. Text Filter is an app dedicated to searching through text files and it does a great job of it. It instantly highlights results as you type, and can optionally hide lines that don't contain any matches.
Windows; Mac; Linux When I've had to compare two files in the past I've always used the free WinMerge. There is no arguing that this is an awesome free app, but there is one feature it has always lacked that the developers say they won't add. That feature is a way to view only the lines that are different between two text files. Here is what the WinMerge FAQs say:
Windows only I've never been a very big fan of desktop word processors because they are often designed poorly since their primary focus is on competing with Microsoft Word. I came across one a few days ago though that has a wide range of features and is easily one of the best designed word processors I've seen.
Windows only I constantly find myself trying out different text editors because sometimes I feel like I need the power something like Notepad++ has to offer, but other times I feel like it is so much more than what I need.
I'm a huge fan of the free WinMerge app because it's a fast way to compare two text files (or folders) and find the differences between them. There are also online options such as Quick Diff if you don't want to use a dedicated app, but I recently stumbled upon an alternative to WinMerge that is a bit lighter.
As a geek I always find myself firing up Notepad because of how fast it is, plus it's nice not being flooded with toolbar buttons. A free utility called Nocs will cater to those that feel the same way about Notepad, but also want some sort of synchronization with Google Docs.
I'm sure we've all come across some text we had to work with where you had to sit there removing extra line-breaks, removing duplicate lines, and other mundane tasks.
Most current operating systems include some sort of indexed file searching functionality, and with that you can often get instant results back on any query you perform. As I pointed out a few weeks ago those tools still leave some things to be desired...
The other day I was looking for a way to take a large CSV file worth of data and convert it into corresponding XML nodes. I wanted the first line of the CSV file to serve as each individual node name so that it could be easily parsed, and most of all I wanted an online solution because I knew I shouldn't need a full-fledged application to do something this mundane.
I regularly find myself in a situation where I have to open large text or log files, and trying to view them using the built-in Windows Notepad will return a message saying that the "file is too large for Notepad". Heck, sometimes my trusty Notepad++ can't even handle them.
I'm always on the look out for awesome text and code editors, but the percentage that turn out to be good versus the number I actually test is fairly low. RJ TextEd ranks pretty high in that list though. It's free, portable, and has a very extensive list of features.
On a pretty regular basis I've found myself comparing two text files, and WinMerge is typically the Windows application I use for the job. It's free, fast, and does a pretty good job of pulling out the differences between two text files. The problem is that, well, it's yet another application you must have installed on your computer.
