** 3 page feature on text editors / 3997 words **

The Giant Text Editor Review

This article was first published in Current Notes magazine. Originally compiled by Howard Carson with Bill Johnstone and a Cast of Thousands, it was the definitive text editor round up. We are delighted to reprint this revised and updated article put together by Joe Connor...

ABCs
** body text **
After promising a comprehensive review of text editors the actual task turned out to be monumental. There are well over two dozen decent text editors to choose between so deciding which editors to review was the first hurdle.
Several text editors stand out so clearly from their siblings we used them to establish the benchmarks used to compare all the others. After agonising late into the night we settled on several fundamental ground rules which determined the final pool of software to review. These were:

Ease of use
Text editors do not 'do' fonts or fancy formatting or text effects and is neither a word processor nor a DTP package. A text editor primarily handles ASCII, it should be fast, easy to launch, configure and offer clearly defined, easily accessible options.

Stability
As they are used so frequently reliability and compatibility are paramount. We tested the contenders on a wide variety of hardware including an 520STF, Mega ST, STe, TT, Falcon, T40/T60 and FaST Technologies equipped Megas equipped with TOS versions between 1.04 to 4.04. We also tested the popular replacement operating systems Mint/AES 4.xx, Geneva and MagiC.

Documentation
Some editors included little or no documentation, others offered masses of disjointed technical detail or idle chat. Only a few included properly organised and clearly written documentation. Programming a fine piece of software is the hard part but if users can't understand how to use it the programming effort may well be wasted.

Interface
This was a tough call but we decided in this age of 3D windows, buttons, pop-up help balloons, Drag&Drop, multiple clipboards and so on any software which didn't pay lip service to the nineties should go straight in the trash can. We did made a couple of exceptions because the programs were so darn good in all the other areas.

Speed
Although speed was hampered somewhat by some of the more feature rich software a text editor needs a decent turn of speed. We were primarily concerned with loading, saving, smoothness and speed of scrolling, search/replace speed and general responsiveness when typing or using the mouse.

Testing times
We decided the best way to test the text editors would be to assemble an array of hardware and personnel NASA would have been proud of then let everyone loose on all the editors! The enthusiastic and experienced volunteers were Steven Burris, Howard Carson, Donna Hemsley, Bill Johnstone, Dave Lee, Lianne Reitter and Jack Reikel. We compared notes and observed the subtle differences in the way different people used both the computer and keyboard - which often leading to remarkably different responses to individual questions. At the end of a fun, but exhausting weekend we had the raw data needed to compile this overview.

** RATINGS.GIF here **
** Caption **
Check this out. This graph shows how each benchmark editor performed in the opinion of our testers, based on the established criteria.
** end caption **

The cutting edge
Edith Pro v1.221P, qed v3.97e, Everest v3.5e, and Edit Plus v3.13, were chosen as the four pre-eminent text editors with three runners-up: 7UP v2.31e, STeno v2.11, and Alice v1.42.
In an effort to determine what these editors are used for we carried out a phone poll of 200 names culled from the latest Toronto Atari Federation membership lists (big club!) and irritated them all with a brief quiz. Almost everyone co-operated and provided us with the basis to proceed with the wild weekend.

** USAGE.GIF here **
** Caption **
The 'Use/Don't use' indicators show the percentage of people actually using the benchmark editors, the other three indicators (programming, writing and online) show how much each editor is used for each task - the numbers don't always add up to 100% because people sometimes use their word processor or other software for editing tasks.
As you can see Edith Pro, qed, Everest and 7UP are used primarily for writing, text editing and programming whereas Edit Plus and STeno are widely used (in Canada) as online text editors. 
Most editors (apart from Alice and STeno) can vary the text point size and (apart from Alice, Edit Plus and STeno) most can display GDOS fonts on-screen. Edith Pro, qed and Everest can also output via GDOS.
** end caption **

David and Goliath

Edith Pro can handle enormous text files in its stride (we're talking 9Mb research documents) with qed and Everest taking the minor placings. Edit Plus features an automatic swap feature to handle files larger than its configurable buffer size and 7UP claims to be able to handle monster-sized files but neither of them could match the front runners stability when poking around in, or creating, really large files. Edith Pro doesn't do anything in a hurry compared with Everest or Edit Plus but neither does it noticeably slow down when handling large files either.
Alice can cope with medium size files, albeit much more slowly than the top three.

Feature wars!

Edith Pro
** EPRO.GIF here **

** Smaller point size **
Features
Start new file, open an existing file, open a file from a stored list, close a single window/file, save, save as, save a marked block, import a binary, set up project and programming sessions, print via GEMDOS or GDOS (in single or multiple columns), cut, copy, paste, delete, overlay (Edith can cut, copy, paste and merge columns!), select a single letter/word/line, mark blocks/quadrants (isolated areas of text), select entire documents, shift text to the left/right, toggle word wrap/indent on/off, capitalise, reduce to lower case, increase to upper case, compress tabs, expand tabs, kill trailing blanks, erase, sort, reverse order, format, cut/delete lines, search, search for multiple targets, replace, push/pop positions (intelligent bookmark handling), replace, go to specific lines, flash matching brackets, operate in replace or insert mode, iconify, cycle windows/dialogs, tile vertically or horizontally, increase/decrease font size, use SpeedoGDOS fonts for display, choose different fonts for different dialogs, utilise a note/memo pad/window, record and use macros, use kurzels (auto expanding abbreviations), call a selectable ASCII table, call one of three internal clipboards, restore deleted text (enhanced undo feature), and call a variety of filters (modular utilities), which provide information about file size (bytes, number of lines and words, average line and word length, line style), history of usage, provide unix-style spell checking and display a useful calculator. Whew!
** End options / small point size **

Edith Pro was shareware, but development has now ceased and the author has released it as Freeware, with distribution restrictions.
Edith Pro performs admirably under TOS, MinT/MultiTOS (and AES 4.xx), and MagiC but slows down noticeably under Geneva.
Edith Pro's word wrap and justification routines are outstanding.

** EPROBLOK.GIF here **
** Caption **
Edith Pro can mark columns of text and paste them back in again in 'overlay' mode - no other editor can do this!
** end caption **

The search and replace functions are extremely well-specified - you can search and mark, mark the first instance, mark single words or whole lines, and replace one or more instances.

** EPRO2.GIF here **

Edith is the only text editor of the group to implement Drag&Drop between its clipboards and/or between open windows and also supports background window operation. Optional auto window topping routines tops the window under the cursor automatically. Words can be capitalised or changed to upper or lower case without having to first mark a block. The search and mark feature allows you to locate specific instances of letter sequences or words, and then utilise the capitalise or lower case functions to alter entire documents. Edith also sports its very own file selector which runs in a window (pre-dating Freedom by a couple of years!), and all its dialogs are non-modal. Edith runs as a program or desktop accessory and despite its detail, complexity and power, remains surprisingly easy and intuitive use. It's also one of only a handful of text editors which are usable in ST-Low resolution - a brilliant design.

qed
** QED.GIF here **
** Smaller point size **
Features
Start/open/merge a file, begin (or open) a programming project, close a window/file, save, save as, revert to the previous file, cycle windows, print via GEMDOS (using some supplied, well written drivers rather than generic Epson routines) or GDOS, obtain individual file info (time/date stamp, size in bytes, number of lines), undo previous actions, cut, copy, paste, select blocks, select entire texts, transpose characters (position the cursor between two characters to be reversed then press [Control]+T to swap their positions), shift text to the left/right, capitalise, increase to upper case, decrease to lower case, search, search and replace, go to specific lines, set bookmarks, compress/expand/convert tabs (from true tabs to editor tabs), record and use macros, call a selectable ASCII table, operate in insert or overwrite mode, tidy up (resize) multiple windows, autosave files, reload the last file (or any specified project) you were working on when you last shut down the program, call a shell/compiler, 'make' file, link project sections, make and execute code via a shell, and store a variety of commands in function keys. Whew again!
** end options / small point size **

qed was the brainchild of Tom Quellenberg, who passed ongoing development over to Christian Felsch and released it as Public Domain.
qed is a quick text editor featuring smooth scrolling, 3D dialogs and compatibility with both single TOS and multitasking operating systems. 
qed's continuous paragraph formatting ensures easy to read/write documents, no matter how much cutting and pasting you do. Occasional formatting glitches, when reformatting short lines, can be fixed using the partially implemented reformat command (the author uses qed for programming rather than text editor and uses that as an excuse).

** QED04.GIF here **
** Caption **
The search/replace functions are almost as comprehensive as Edith's.
** end caption **

qed requires letters and/or words to be highlighted before they can be capitalised or changed to upper or lower case, which renders this function almost redundant - it's usually faster to delete a word or letter and re-type it. However, using the search and mark feature does allows you to locate specific instances of letter sequences or words then utilise the capitalise/lower case functions to make global changes to documents.
The transpose command is a delight to use, it works without having to highlight anything, and enables characters typed in reverse to be swapped over, Everest also offers this feature.

Everest
** EVEREST.GIF here **

** Smaller point size **
Features
Start/open/merge a file, abandon file (revert to last saved version), save, save as, close a window/file, cycle windows, save changes only, print via GEMDOS or GDOS, cut, copy, paste, delete, reformat, transpose characters (position the cursor between two characters to be reversed then press [Alternate]+[Numeric pad -] to swap their positions), shift text to the left/right, quote text blocks (ideal for answering email), select single word/paragraph, search/replace, replace marked block, go to line, flash matching brackets, set bookmarks (Everest calls them labels), tile windows vertically/horizontally, operate in insert or overwrite mode, display info on individual files, use kurzels (auto expanding abbreviations), load/save LIS (project) files, call a programming shell, utilise compile and make commands.
** End options / small point size **

Everest is shareware, programmed by Oliver Schmidt, and is definitely the best general text utility of the bunch. Everest runs as a program only and is very fast - even with the maximum of ten open windows displaying large files and is suitable for a wide variety of tasks.
Despite its lack of heavyweight writing features many writers find the straightforward interface and unsurpassed keyboard handling irresistible - Everest never suffers from cursor, delete key, backspace or spacebar overrun irrespective of Control Panel keyboard settings or how long you hold down a particular key.
Everest's raw power is tucked away under the surface where options to reformat and manipulate documents are much quicker to use than explain!
Everest LIS files can be used to display any desired files - the default EVEREST.LIS file optionally re-opens Everest exactly as it was last time it was used. Everest is compatible with all TOS versions and replacement operating systems.

Edit Plus
** EDITP01.GIF here **

** Smaller point size **
Features
Open new/existing file, save, save as, print blocks or entire files, upload blocks of data (text) to the serial or MIDI ports (handy for anyone using a VT52 terminal or console window such as those provided by no|Desk, Thing and MagiC), send blocks of text into other applications - this works beautifully in conjunction with STalker, quote text for answering e-mail and then Kwiksend while online, record and use macros, search/replace, reformat, operate in insert or overwrite mode, insert date at the cursor position, operate in text or hack mode (hack mode allows you to edit and properly save binary or hex code, one of Edit Plus' inimitable features), mark and unmark blocks, mark an entire file, go to specific blocks and lines, use the clipboard or RAM buffer for editing blocks, increase text to upper case, decrease text to lower case, capitalise, and clear the text window of its contents.
** end options / small point size **

Edit Plus runs as a program or an accessory and can only display a single window. A partial solution to this limitation is to launch multiple copies of Edit Plus each displaying one document - awkward but it works.
Edit Plus erupted out of the mind of Craig Harvey about six years ago. Originally released as shareware called EdHak it evolved into  a commercial product - probably the most widely used commercial text editor in North America.

** EDITP04.GIF here **
** Caption **
Edit Plus can edit almost any kind of file including RSC/PRG files, disk sectors and for normal text creation/editing.
** end caption **

Although relatively unknown in Europe, Edit Plus works flawlessly under all TOS versions and replacement operating systems. Rather than aiming at a particular audience, or set of tasks Edit Plus is a fast effective general purpose text editor with a quirky menu system! Craig Harvey provides masterful support for all of his registered users and like Edith Pro and Everest, once you've used Edit Plus for a while you won't want to switch editors.

7UP
** 7UP01.GIF here **
 
** Smaller point size **
Features
Start a new file, open an existing file, pick a file from a stored list, insert a file, obtain extensive information on individual files (creation date/time, number of lines/pages/longest line and active files), close individual windows, save, save as, abort, call a TOS shell, set up different page layouts, print via GEMDOS using a combination of variables, undo last operation, cut, copy, paste, select blocks or entire files, shift text to left/right, sort lines, toggle case, increase marked blocks to upper case, decrease marked blocks to lower case, capitalise marked letters or words, search and replace, search inside other files, mark blocks, go to lines or pages, call an extensive mathematical and statistical calculator, customise the calculator's notation base, operate in insert/overwrite/block or column mode, record and use macros, use kurzels (auto expanding abbreviations), close all windows, tile windows vertically/horizontally or staggered, call a selectable ASCII table, compare texts for differences, check matching brackets, and preview text for printing (a series of page thumbnails are displayed showing your spacing and how the text will look on the page).
** end options / small point size **

7UP is shareware and the curious one of the bunch. It is the brainchild of Michael Thanitz, an immensely talented German programmer. 7UP is a masterful piece of work sporting a delightful, customisable icon bar and information line in every window which provides continuous file, layout and positional data as you type. 
7UP features a non-standard formatting method which is suitable for use as a programmers editor but quite unsuitable for most other tasks.
7UP is so attractive it's almost worth using anyway - but it's not the ideal choice for an everyday all purpose workhorse.

** 7UP03.GIF here **
** Caption **
Before 7UP can format paragraphs they have to be fully justified, re-marked, and then reformatted, this four step process is performed in one or two steps in most editors and is its Achilles heel.
** end caption **


STeno
** Smaller point size **
Features
Start a new file, open an existing file, insert (merge) a file, save, save a marked block, save as, print a file/marked block, undo the last operation, cut, copy, paste, delete, mark/unmark blocks of text, print via GEMDOS, select entire files, reformat paragraphs or entire files, search, search and replace, go to specific line numbers, expand tabs when saving or cutting and copying, call the accessory version of STeno as a type-ahead buffer for STalker, send quoted or unquoted blocks of text to STalker, call STalker, and tile its window with STalker's.
** end options / small point size **

STeno is a commercial product from Gribnif Software, originally coded by Eric Rosenquist as a companion to STalker. STeno development continues under the skilled hands of Jeffrey Krzysztow and it's a good, basic text editor.
STeno is unadorned and functional with one concession to luxury - the cursor position is displayed in the title bar of the window. Like Edit Plus, STeno only displays a single file at a time. If you use STalker and/or have limited ASCII editing needs, STeno is up to the job.

Alice
** Smaller point size **
Options
Start a new file, open an existing file, close the top window/all windows, save (which closes the current file window), save as (which also closes the current file window), back up (save and resume), back up as, print via GEMDOS, mark/unmark blocks, cut, copy, insert (paste), delete, clear the cut/copy buffer, select from a list of loaded (active) files, search, search and replace, go to line, go to page, call up basic file info (number of pages, lines, longest line, number of letters), and delete entire files.
** end options/small point size **

Alice is Public Domain programmed by Ralf Kaufmann of Essen, Germany. Recent German releases have not made it into English.
Alice is nice enough, fast enough and functional enough text editor, with one failing - no auto-wrap. 
This is a very serious drawback in a modern text editor and reason enough to demote it to runner up status. Alice's heritage is that of a typing program requiring you hit the Return key at the end of every line, just like a real typewriter - there's even a soft bell which 'dings' with each keystroke if you continue typing past the right hand margin. Alice is compatible with all TOS versions and replacement operating systems and offers efficient text editing, reliable multiple windowing, and a nifty time/date display in the upper right corner. Alice made the cut primarily because it's stable, functional, compatible and free.

Manuals (RTFM)?
The original shareware version of Edith Pro was supplied with a superb A4 size illustrated printed manual and a context sensitive online help system - nearly as extensive as the printed manual. However the freeware release doesn't include the online help files and there's no easy way to get them! To put it another way there is no documentation available for new users which takes Edith Pro down from first to last place in this department.

Edit Plus and STeno are supplied with booklet sized, complete, well-ordered manuals and are required reading for anyone wishing to get the most from either editor. Both feature help dialogs, accessed via the Help key, which list the standard keyboard and mouse commands. Edit Plus' pop-up contains the program's entire keyboard command structure.

qed provides online help using ST-Guide, 7UP provides English online help in 1stGuide format. Both hypertext files are comprehensive and useful although 7UP's suffers from translation inconsistencies. There is no English ASCII help or documentation supplied so you have to use ST-Guide or go without.

Everest is supplied with an extensive, well-ordered DOC file, which is a must-read for anyone wishing to get the most out of this editor. It is one of the better written DOC files for any program, having suffered few (if any) problems during its translation. Everest can make use of the TurboC Help accessory, if present. The registered user master disk includes a hypertext adaptation of the ASCII documentation.

Alice doesn't have either a manual or DOC file, it does feature a several simple online help screens which can be called via mouse or keyboard, and these deal with mouse, keyboard, block and window commands and functions. Although barely adequate the help screens are appropriate to Alice's unpretentious aspirations.

The big decision
As you'd expect there is no definitive answer which applies to everyone. Each editor addresses a different audience but no single editor covered the entire spectrum of usage. We reckon most people would benefit from having at least two of the top flight editors on hand to cover all eventualities. The following combinations are recommended (STalker users may like to use STeno in preference to either Edit Plus or Everest):

** 1st logo **
Edith Pro plus Edit Plus or Everest
** 2nd logo **
qed plus Edit Plus or Everest
** 3rd logo **
Everest plus Edit Plus
** 4th logo **
7UP plus Edit Plus or Everest

PS...
For those who give a darn about such things, at the end of the week following the testing session, virtually all the testers had put Edith Pro, Edit Plus and Everest into regular use on their systems. All of the programs tested were registered versions, fully enabled, and supported by their respective authors.


** Boxout **
** Small point size **
Status and sources

Edith Pro
Edith Pro is Freeware but can only be downloaded from the ZFC homepages or obtained from the AC3 Reader Disk:
** BC on **
URL: http://www.nl.net/~zfc/index.html
For more information contact:
ZFC P.O. Box 15813, 1001 NH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 4 208 248
Email: zfc@zfc.nl
** BC off **

EditPlus
A demo version is available from most PD/Shareware libraries and online services. The commercial release can be ordered from your Atari dealer or direct from the author:
** BC on **
Clear Thinking, 14 Payeur Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA
Tel: +(313) 971-8671
** BC off **

Everest
Everest is shareware and available from most PD/Shareware libraries and online services. The latest English version is maintained on the InterActive webpages:
** BC on **
URL: http://www/cix.co.uk/~inactive/
Or direct from the author:
Oliver Schmidt, Haselredder 23, 23701 Eutin, Germany
** BC off **

qed
qed is Public Domain software and available from most PD/Shareware libraries, online services or direct from the developer:
** BC on **
Christian Felsch, Bevenser Weg 18, 21079 Hamburg, Germany
Email: felsch@tu-harburg.d400.de
** BC off **

7UP
7Up is shareware and available from most PD/Shareware libraries, online services and direct from the author:
** BC on **
Michael Thanitz, Osningstrasse 69, 33605 Bielefeld, Germany
** BC off **

STeno
A demo version is available from most PD/Shareware libraries and online services. Order the commercial release from any Gribnif dealer or directly from Gribnif:
** BC on **
Gribnif Software, P.O. Box 779, Northampton, MA 01061, USA
Tel: +(413) 532-2424
Fax: +(413) 532-2540
** BC off **

Alice
Alice is PD and available from most PD/Shareware libraries and online services.
** end boxout **

** Shortlist boxout **
** Drop this first if you have too **
** Small point size **
Shortlist
Here's a list of the editors we culled to come up with our final selection:
Oddball (no kidding), EMACS (shudder), vi (shudder), Flash (it's a comms program, but the built-in text editor is pretty darn good), Freeze Dried Terminal (ditto), ST Writer, Tempus II (good but no longer available in its original form - it evolved into Tempus Word and is only available in German), Edwin, Elvis, Easy Text, Pen Pal, Pro Edit, MGWriter, STevie, and SpiritEd (which almost made the cut).
** end boxout **