Notepad replacement with auto-save function

[omega]

Regarding the memory usage:
I did a comparison of the three programs in question:
NoteTab Light, Mini NoteTab and Jens File Editor

Just like your comparison, it's not a very formal one but here's what I
did:

Well your approach was more formal (towards yielding better numbers) than
my quick gages.

Rebooted Windows, ran the first editor, loaded three text files, did a
"pslist -m" [1],

[moving your cite, to comment:]

[1] pslist: http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/pslist.shtml

The Sysinternals guys are very kind about making equivalent tools for 9x
whenever it is possible. But this one is using OS capabilities of the NT
family. So all I can do is get jealous.

closed it, did the same for the remaining two programs.
Then I ran a couple of memory-intensive programs, left them open, ran
all three text editors and again did a "pslist -m".

My results:
First run of pslist:

[...]

Cool. I'll snip, in order to reign in my quoted-new ratios. It's good to
see some real numbers. Even though my candidate Jen didn't come out looking
too slim (I should have told her to wear dark colors, makes the hips look
less wide).

It seems Mini NoteTab has the lowest memory usage, then NoteTab Light,
then Jens File Editor. I am now contemplating whether I want to
sacrifice the ability to open large text files for 1600 kb less memory
usage (Mini NoteTab vs. NoteTab Light).

Hard decision.

I periodically use Mini Notetab, for small, and usually temporary, files,
to have grouped together. Generally during that use, I'm not opening files,
but creating them, and the limit isn't often a problem. (But sometimes that
single-level-undo limit, found in all but the higher-end payware of Fookes
eds, it gets to me.)

I was thinking about one other (maybe) route. To target down a few small,
tabbed actively-developed editors that are good.....

And then ask their respective authors to add the auto-save all feature.
It doesn't strike me that it would be as if some major overhaul for them
to add that. And further, it is a feature that I think a number of folks
would want.

 

[omega]

That's what surprised me as well. It took me ages to find NoteTab Light,
especially in light of the fact that I didn't know about this great
newsgroup and the pricelessware list at that time.


You have hit it right on the spot!

In addition, here is what I like about NoteTab Light:

- saves which documents were open when closing the program and opens
them at the next start of the program
- searches/replaces in all open documents
- opens UNIX text files properly
- highly configurable

I'm right now thinking about Scite. It is very light, and it is very
configurable.

The thing about it is that you have to be willing to devote some time
reading on, and toying with, your configuration. Your preferences are
set via manual editing of textual files, and learning those settings
files demands serious consultation with the helpfile.

Scite will automatically open recent files. It also can save/open
different sessions. Project files in Scite use extension .ses.

As to SR in all open documents, it lacks that.

This main quest, the auto-save at set intervals. Well, it does not
do that. As far as I am aware...(Hoping a Scite pro might correct me,
or at least say if the feature is "in the works.") What it does have
is an automatic save setting that at least gets towards the right
direction in its effect.

"The save.on.deactivate property causes SciTE to save the
file whenever the SciTE application loses focus"

Working with Scite is a much different experience from the NoteTabs,
or most editors, since the bulk of its preferences config is not set
through a GUI. And yeah, it's only in parts that it meets your defined
criteria. On the positive side: it is in active evolution; and it
is so nicely lightweight.

In case you might want to explore this one:

(Scite main page)
http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html
(The incarnation I use)
http://gnuwin.epfl.ch/apps/SciTE/en/index.html

 

[Ulrich Neumann]

I'm right now thinking about Scite. It is very light, and it is very
configurable.

While I agree that it is very configurable, I do not agree that it is
light. Here's the output of "pslist -m":

Name Pid VM WS Priv Priv Pk Faults NonP Page
SciTE 540 46060 9460 4216 4256 3495 7 36

These numbers vary quite a bit, the WS value can get down to 9000, once
even down to around 7000. Nevertheless, it still exceeds NoteTab Light
in memory usage.

I do appreciate your efforts but it seems the existing text editor do
not fulfil my requirements. I think your idea to ask the authors of
small text editors to add an auto-save feature is the way to go.
I've already downloaded a bunch of text editors and am going to contact
the authors of the most promising ones.

Ulrich

 

[Tim Weaver]

Hi there,

I am looking for a Notepad replacement which automatically saves
all currently open files at a configurable interval.
So far I have been using Notetab light but I don't like its rather
large memory footprint.

This probably won't do what you need, but I thought I'd mention it,
anyway. Mercury Editor (Named after Freddie Mercury - didn't know
that) will autosave the "current" document, so it says. Doesn't say
anything about doc size.

http://www.it-mate.co.uk/support/mercuryeditor.asp

I'm still thinking you won't be able to beat NoteTab Lite.

Another I used to use is EditPad Lite, which is also outstanding, but
I don't think it will autosave.

http://www.editpadlite.com/editpadlite.html

 

[Tim Weaver]

This probably won't do what you need, but I thought I'd mention
it, anyway. Mercury Editor (Named after Freddie Mercury - didn't
know that) will autosave the "current" document, so it says.
Doesn't say anything about doc size.

http://www.it-mate.co.uk/support/mercuryeditor.asp

I'm still thinking you won't be able to beat NoteTab Lite.

Another I used to use is EditPad Lite, which is also outstanding,
but I don't think it will autosave.

http://www.editpadlite.com/editpadlite.html

From this table, it looks like NoteTab Lite is about your best choice.

http://www.woundedmoon.org/PL/TextEditorReview.php

 

[Ulrich Neumann]

This probably won't do what you need, but I thought I'd mention it,
anyway. Mercury Editor (Named after Freddie Mercury - didn't know
that) will autosave the "current" document, so it says. Doesn't say

The installation procedure aborts with an error on my system.

I'm still thinking you won't be able to beat NoteTab Lite.

I am slowly coming to the same conclusion.

Another I used to use is EditPad Lite, which is also outstanding, but
I don't think it will autosave.

Yep, you're right. Auto-saving is a feature of the pro version.

Ulrich

 

[Tim Weaver]

The installation procedure aborts with an error on my system.

I had the same issue. It tells me I need some updated VB6 runtime
file, which is balogna, because I have the latest version.

I am slowly coming to the same conclusion.


Yep, you're right. Auto-saving is a feature of the pro version.

I found another interesting looking editor called "Wittypad." I'm not
sure what it's all about because the ZIP is password protected and the
website is defunct. Googled for the password, web and groups, but no
joy. Oh, well...

 

[Steven Burn]

The installation procedure aborts with an error on my system.

Whats the error you receive? (most of them can be bypassed by choosing
"Ignore" rather than "Retry" or "Abort")

--

Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

Personal favourites

Practically Nerded - http://mvps.org/PracticallyNerded/
Bugs, Glitches n stuff - http://mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm
Calendar of Updates - http://www.dozleng.com/updates/index.php?&act=calendar

 

[Son Of Spy]

Tim Weaver wrote:




The installation procedure aborts with an error on my system.




I am slowly coming to the same conclusion.




Yep, you're right. Auto-saving is a feature of the pro version.

Ulrich

Freeware.

Mercury Editor is a cross between Notepad™ and Wordpad™, both editors
that come freely with the Windows operating system. Mercury Editor however,
unlike both of these programs, is not specifically intended with one use in
mind.

Mercury Editor is dedicated to deceased Queen frontman, Mr Freddie Mercury.
A brilliant and talented performer. Rather strange for a non-music related
application, but a brilliant tribute to a legend, all the same.

Mercury Editor boasts features including;

1. Support for the vast majority of web compatable file types
2. One click preview for webpages
3. Numbered lines (including a 'go to line' feature)
4. Built in HTML tags for easier and quicker insertion into webpages
5. Built in scripts (ASP, CGI, CSS, Javascript)*
6. Colour chart
7. Character map
8. File conversion to and from Text/HTML
9. Auto insert <br> tags when pressing the enter (return) key
10. Auto convert files to HTML on opening
11. Easier changing of the webpage <title> tag
********** 12. Autosave current document **********

http://www.it-mate.co.uk/downloads/mercuryeditor_full.exe ~2.2Mb



Transcript is a program I made to simplify the transcription of old
genealogical and historical documents but it can be used to transcribe all
digital documents which cannot be transcribed using OCR.
I found it very inconvenient that I always needed to switch between my
editor and image viewer to move the digital photograph of my document to
the part I needed to transcribe. Therefore I made Transcript which shows
the image in the upper window and the editor in the lower window as you can
see in the screenshot below.
From within the editor you can move the image window and even skip to a
previous or the next image.
Besides this, there are many other options to manipulate text and image. It
also remembers the position where you were working the last time and will
go back there when starting up the next time.

The editor uses the standard "rich text" format which is supported by most
editors so exchanging documents will be easy.

Enhancements and changes in version 1.2

* Autosave feature added (you can choose between 1 and 60 minutes).
http://home.wanadoo.nl/jgboerema/Downloads/Transcript 2.0.zip ~775Kb


Cheers!

Son Of Spy



--

Some You Won't Find Anywhere Else...

http://www.sover.net/~wysiwygx/index.html
. --- . . - - - - - - - - - - - -
/ SOS \ __ / Freeware - - - - - -
/ / \ ( ) / - - - - -
/ / / / / / / \/ \ - - - -
/ / / / / / / : : - - -
/ / / / / ' ' - -
/ / //..\\
=====UU==UU=====
'///||\\\'
' '' '

 

[Son Of Spy]

There's also this, (sorry, had to track down a valid ftp link after
home page was discovered to be gone)


TxE is a fast handy text editor. It has nice features: Flash colors,
autosave, change fonts and much more. It's worth downloading.

ftp://ftp.iif.hu/pub/mirror/ftp.winsite.com/pub/pc/win95/txtutil/txe8setup.exe
~1.5Mb

Cheers!

Son Of Spy


--

Some You Won't Find Anywhere Else...

http://www.sover.net/~wysiwygx/index.html
. --- . . - - - - - - - - - - - -
/ SOS \ __ / Freeware - - - - - -
/ / \ ( ) / - - - - -
/ / / / / / / \/ \ - - - -
/ / / / / / / : : - - -
/ / / / / ' ' - -
/ / //..\\
=====UU==UU=====
'///||\\\'
' '' '

 

[Ulrich Neumann]

Transcript is a program I made to simplify the transcription of old
genealogical and historical documents but it can be used to transcribe all
digital documents which cannot be transcribed using OCR.

The editor uses the standard "rich text" format which is supported by most
editors so exchanging documents will be easy.

Thanks, unfortunately the last line of the description should read:
.... uses _only_ the standard "rich text" format...
So, it won't open straight .txt files. What a pity!

Ulrich

 

[Ulrich Neumann]

I found another interesting looking editor called "Wittypad." I'm not
sure what it's all about because the ZIP is password protected and the
website is defunct. Googled for the password, web and groups, but no
joy. Oh, well...

Too bad, couldn't find the password either...

Ulrich

 

[Ulrich Neumann]

Whats the error you receive? (most of them can be bypassed by choosing
"Ignore" rather than "Retry" or "Abort")

The error occured during the last phase of the installation:
The application or DLL msado20.tlb is not a valid Windows image. Please
check this against your installation diskette.

Clicking on OK got me this:

msado20.tlb
Unable to register the DLL/OCX: LoadLibrary failed; code 193

Clicked on "Ignore" as you suggested and the program then started
without any problems.

Unfortunately, it's SDI only and the memory footprint is way bigger than
that of NoteTab Light. Output of "pslist -m" with one text file loaded:
Name Pid VM WS Priv Priv Pk Faults NonP
Page
Mercury Editor. 1376 59744 10376 4672 5068 3031
7 44

Anyway, thanks for your help.

Ulrich

 

[omega]

Unfortunately, it's SDI only

It's in the SDI division where I've had good success in finding very
lightweight editors. Win32pad, Metapad, Ted Notepad LE, Kankowski Edit.
These load instantly, fluttering up light as butterflies.

The pursuit of lightweight tabbed editors is far more challenging...