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Summary comments on just a selected few of the text editors listed on these pages (I'd make a table but am too lazy):
GENERAL TEXT EDITORS.
Borland derived text editors...
This family of DOS text editors essentially derive from the same Borland programming code and share a user-friendly, text-mode multiple window interface with pulldown menus and mouse support. GUI users will likely be attracted to these editors. Most seem to be restricted to handling smaller files (<64K). There are many of these clones floating around- a few unique ones are listed here. Also see: 1) SETEdit, a powerful programmer's editor with a Borland interface. 2) The Connect IDE includes an impressive Borland style editor.
1. NE- Editor with multiple windows, mouse support, and a spell checker.
* * * 1/2
NE is a Turbo Vision-derived editor that's a good choice as a simple ASCII word processor or EDIT.COM replacement. Although it can only load files smaller than 64K, it has an undo function and offers numerous text-formatting features. EXE size: 87k + speller 367k
Strengths
Limitations
download ne300b.zip. (370K)
2. EditV- Multiple window text editor with mouse support, smaller files.
* * * * [added 8-16-98, updated 04-03-99].
Intended primarily as a programmer's editor but doubles as a simple to use general editor. The author is still actively developing EditV, and it's getting more interesting with each update. EXE size= 211K; help file= 130K. Author: Bob Ferguson, Netherlands (1999). Suggested by Tomas Brunclik.
Some unique features:
Limitations:
04-03-99: New in v4.1 (04-99): See dosc for version history.
download editv41u.zip (180K)
Other general text editors...
Multi-Edit Lite- Multi-window editor. Mouse/menu driven. Large files.
* * * * 1/2
Recommended for the Windows/MAC/GUI crowd....
Finding a freeware editor for DOS which is mouse compatible, menu driven, and handles very large files is difficult (there is EDIT that comes packaged with DOS 6.x, but it lacks important features [e.g., undo]). Nearly all the freeware, CUA compliant DOS editors are similar clones derived from the same TFileEditor object included with Borland's Turbo Vision (e.g., NE), and they won't load files bigger than 64K. A kind reader of these pages pointed me to a "lite" version of Multi-Edit on SimtelNet. The text mode, multiple window interface looks and behaves much like NE but there's much more under the skin:
Features :
Note: Frustrating quirk: The file listing in the File Open/Load dialog is sorted by the second character of the filename- not the first. Instead of scrolling the list, you can find a file more quickly by typing the first few characters of the filename.
*SHAREWARE STATUS NOTE: Multi-Edit Lite is shareware. Quote from the docs: "If you like and use Multi-Edit Lite, we request a donation of $40 (or whatever you feel is appropriate)." (my emphasis).
download melite.zip (224K)
VDE- Text editor designed for word processing.
* * * * * [updated 08-04-99]
"This may be the finest piece of word processing code ever written." - John Dvorak, PC Magazine (April 24 1990).
Few die-hard GUI users will probably be attracted to VDE's editing style- but anyone who's tried it will certainly appreciate the hard work and creativity that's been invested in the development of VDE. It is a very mature and stable product (under development since 1987) that offers many text mode word processing features. It's quite easy to use- but if you rely on a mouse to do all your work (e.g., menus), this may not be your program. Most commands are available as Word-Star key shortcuts which some people love and some people don't. Coded in assembly language, the executable file is remarkably small (75k) for the tasks this program can perform. Includes excellent documentation. VDE is shareware but registration is not required from individual users. Author: E. Meyer (1998); Also see:VDE resource page.
Text editor features:
Word processor features:
v. 1.87b (7-99): See docs for revision history.
download vde.zip (170K) download vde165c.zip (older version for 8088's, 163K)
IE- Mouse and menu driven editor handles large files.
unrated [updated 04-16-99]
A menu driven, multi ("split") window editor that handles big files. External directory browser includes some file management commands. Feature list from the docs:
Notes: Requires 386+ PC, VGA+.
04-16-99: new in v1.02 (2-99): Fixes and enhancements...see docs.
Author: Ian Gay, Canada (1999)
download ie.102.zip (160K)
Pedit- EDIT-like editor with added features, Eng. spell checker, thesaurus.
* * * * 1/2 [added 6-97; updated 10-06-99]
Overall, Pedit is one of the more versatile yet user-friendly editors listed here. Although a programmer's editor, Pedit's design also incorporates a selection of word processing features (e.g., a spell checker and thesaurus- English only). Superficially similar to MS-DOS's EDIT (pulldown menus, dialogs, mouse compatible), Pedit is vastly superior in most respects. Loads files as large as available conventional memory. EXE size= about 300K. A smaller (100K) version is included which lacks the speller/ thesaurus (PEDITLGT). Author: Paul Brand, Hong Kong. (1999)
Features:
New in v. 4.00 (10-99): " Word wrap on the fly...Pop-up menu when right mouse button is clicked. Key to remove (empty) directories in the file chooser. Key to delete all entries in the pick list. Much more Alt-F1 functions. Changed revert message. Added a light version. Included Windows installer. Included Hex editor."
download pedit.zip (330K)
Pico- Pine text editor for DOS.
unrated [added 9-13-98]
Pico is a familiar friend to users of the Unix Pine e-mail program. A unique yet easy-to-learn editor, this DOS DJGPP version includes mouse support (text selection and command invocation). Navigation commands are not difficult to master- a command menu is always visible at the bottom of the screen.
Pico was not designed to be a full-featured text editor (e.g., single file editing only, no text replace command) but can be used for simple word processing tasks (automatically wraps text at right margin, paragraph justification command). Can use a spell checker such as ISPELL.
Notes: Requires 386+, DPMI server. Win 9x LFN compatible. Handles large files, but slows down with larger ones. Includes a separate program which functions as a directory browser (also on the slow side).
Hint: To select text with mouse, double click to mark start of block and single click at end of block.
Port by Tim Van Holder (1997)
download pico396b.zip (235K)
SMALL TEXT EDITORS.
In a software age where bigger is....well, bigger, these size-optimized editors demonstrate just what can be packed into a little bit of computer code. Included here are small editors suitable for emergency disks, computers lacking disk space/ memory, or quick, portable text editing. They're also just plain fun to explore. All have unique key commands, quirks, and surprises.
1. Terse -Tiny text editor with search/replace, undo. 2. EzEdit -4K dual file text editor. 3. SuperTed -Tiny text editor with word wrap, file import. 4. SLED - Small text editor with big features. 5. SHHED- Small text editor, limited mouse support, dir browser. 6. E - Tiny, friendly text editor for simple word processing. 7. Tiny Editor - Small (9K) customizable multi-file text editor. 8. Tiny EMACS- 4K text editor w/ EMACS key bindings, macros, multi-undo.
Here's a more detailed, quickly researched feature comparison: (see key for abbreviations; revised 11-06-99):
PROGRAM=======TERSE==EZEDT==STED==E=====TM====TE==SLED==SHED Size(K) ........4......4....6.4...6.7...4.....9.2..17...17 Packed : ).....3.6....3.6...4.2...4.5...3.7...7.0..11...11 File loading ...c.....c/i...c/i...c/i...c/i...c/i..c/i..c/b Max f-size(K)...65...~200...65....cm....60....cm...cm...cm Max columns.... nl ...128....?....80....nl ...255..16K..255 Mark modes .....s.....l/c....s....l...."s".....s...s/l...s Copy/paste .....y......n.....n....y.....n......y....y....y Cut/paste ......y......y.....y....y.....y......y....y....y Undo ...........y......y.....y....n.....y......n....n....n Mult. Undo......n......n.....n....n.....y......n....n....n Find txt .......y......y.....y....y.....y......y....y....y Replace txt ....y......y.....y....y.....y......y....y....y PROGRAM=======TERSE==EZEDT==STED==E=====TM====TE==SLED==SHED Soft wrap ......n......n.....y ...y.....y......y....y....n Hard reflow ....n......n.....y....y.....n......y....y....n Auto-indent ....n......n.....n....o.....n......n....o....o Macros..........n......n.....n....n.....y......n....n....n Multi files.....n......2.....n....n.....n......y....y....n Quote text .....n......n.....y....n.....n......y....n....n r/w Unix text..r/w.....r.....n....n....r/w.....n...r/w...r Shell to DOS ...y......y.....n....y.....n......y....y....n Mouse supp .....n......n.....n....n.....n......n....n....y File history....n......n.....n....n.....n......n....n....y Online Hlp .....y......n.....y....y.....n......y....y....y Configurable....n......n.....n....y.....y......y....y....y
Key and notes:
Shareware info: Terse is shareware, free for individual use. SLED is now a freeware program- but was originally fee-ware. Most FTP sites still carry the old zip with the shareware documentation. The author later modified the documentation to indicate freeware status, but the new zip has not been widely distributed. Thanks to Yves Bellefeuille for the link to the freeware "version" on the author's site.
Word (MS) - Powerful DOS word processor, Y2K upgrade.
unrated [added 07-21-99]
This Y2K "update" is actually a (nearly?) complete and wholly functional MS WORD for DOS word processing package with spell checker, thesaurus, print drivers, and all. Microsoft® is distributing it as a "complimentary upgrade for customers of Microsoft Word 5.0" (Perhaps too complimentary...) This pack is missing fonts??
Go to Microsoft's download page. (Wd55_eng.exe is a PKZIP exe, about 3.3MB)
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