July 10, 2016
CotEditor: A Competent, Open Source, Native Text Editor for macOS
CotEditor
Product: CotEditor -Text Editor for OS X
Price: Free
When it comes to text editors, there are a ton of free options on the macOS. macOS ships with TextEdit which can be used as a text editor, through the terminal it gives you access to vim and emacs. There are a few well developed applications available from third party developers. Atom is a free text editor from the github folks. Brackets - A modern, open source code editor that understands web design. is a free text editor from Adobe. The oldest player in this space is of course, Bare Bones Software | TextWrangler. The not-so-poor-cousin of Bare Bones Software | BBEdit 11, is one of the best free alternatives available on the macOS platform. While I was writing this article, BBEdit 11.6 just got released and it introduces a new demo model.
There are a couple of new additions to this space. I have talked about Syntra Small: A Fast and Free Text Editor - iPadpedia and now it is the turn of CotEditor -Text Editor for OS X.
macOS Exclusive
CotEditor is a macOS exclusive. This lets it support macOS features without worrying about compatibility with other platforms. It surprised me to discover that the help file for CotEditor is written in Mac help format. I haven't seen this in ages.
CotEditor Help
CotEditor supports AppleScript. Supports Services. Supports versions, using the in-built macOS feature. It is a well-behaved Mac citizen.
CotEditor Toolbar
Another advantage of being a macOS exclusive is the support for customizing your toolbar. You have the ability to add a slew of commands, I like the toggle for invisible characters.
Instant On
CotEditor is designed to be fast at launch. And it is. It is instantly on and ready for you to work.
Open source
It is available from the Mac Store, here. But it is an open source project. CotEditor seems to have an active community aiding its development and if the pace of updates being released is any indication, it is a vibrant community.
CotEditor Project is the github repository for it. Consider joining it if you have something to contribute.
Syntax Highlighting
For those of you who write code, CotEditor provides syntax highlighting for more than 50 languages. You can create your own settings.
For my work, it does a good job of syntax highlighting Markdown.
Regex Enabled Find and Replace
CotEditor has a powerful find and replace function and it is implemented by using the Onigmo regular expression engine. I have no idea how good the Onigmo engine is. I tried a few rudimentary regex based search and replace patterns and they worked great.
Versions
CotEditor Versions
CotEditor supports a macOS feature called versions. You work on a document and CotEditor saves multiple copies of it as you work in it. If you need to, you can go back to a previous version of it. Similar to the TimeMachine UI, Versions is useful when you want to get back to a previous state of the document. This is one of the advantages of having a text editor which is macOS only.
CotEditor Outline Menu
CotEditor provides a feature which the developer calls an Outline Menu. It lets you go to sections in your document, through a dropdown menu at the top of your editing window. If you are writing a long document, it is useful to be able to skip into different sections through the outline menu. I am sure this will be helpful for the code slingers too.
Split Editor
CotEditor Split Editor
In CotEditor, you can split the editing window into multiple panes. So you can look at different parts of the document while editing a different part of the same document. This makes it easier to work on a longish document and gives you an opportunity to be consistent in tone and content. I like the split view in CotEditor.
Character Inspector
CotEditor Character Inspector
"Inspect unicode character data of each selected character in your document and display them in a popover." I have no idea what this is supposed to do and why this is useful. I write Markdown and this is not something which I have to deal with, but if you are interested, you can.
Scriptable
CotEditor is scriptable and it supports Python, Ruby, Perl, PHP, UNIX shell or AppleScript as the macro language. For those of you familiar with AppleScript this is something which will make you smile. A text editor with inbuilt support for AppleScript? Fantastic. BBEdit amongst the majors is the only competitor who does this and does this well.
CJK Language Friendly
This is a feature which is lauded by the developer. I am not equipped to check this out, but it is supposed to be friendly to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages.
Preferences
CotEditor Preferences
CotEditor has an extensive set of preferences which you can set through the usual macOS preference pane. I am used to setting preference settings through a json file in Sublime Text 3. But this is the macOS way of doing things. It is comprehensive, well thought out and easy to access and navigate.
CotEditor Window Preferences
I like the ability to control exactly what is shown in the UI of the editor.
CotEditor Vertical Split
I appreciate the choice of a vertical split editor window.
CotEditor Appearance
The Appearance pane in the preferences window lets you control invisible characters and lets you create individualized themes. I like the control and the design of this feature. Makes it easy to tweak the editor to look exactly the way you prefer.
CotEditor Keyboard Commands
I liked the concentration on keyboard commands. You have the opportunity to change the keybindings associated with every command available in the editor. For those of you familiar with a text editor and its keybindings, it is easy to make CotEditor do your bidding with the same keyboard commands you are familiar with. This is the kind of attention to detail that makes me evangelize CotEditor to everyone who needs a text editor.
CotEditor Snippets
Has a rudimentary support of snippets built into the program. It is constrained by being tied to a keyboard command and not a text based expansion mechanism. But it is there. It is admittedly rudimentary.
Conclusion
CotEditor is not going to make me move away from Sublime Text 3. But that is not its goal. It is an offering for people who are new to text editors and who are looking for a free, open-source alternative. It is capable, fast, well-designed and a pleasure to use.
macosxguru at the gmail thingie
CotEditor
macOS
July 5, 2016
Versatil Markdown Shows Promise but Is Not Ready
Versatil Markdown
Product: Versatil Markdown | Sometimes you need something a little more...Versatil
Price: $14.99
Marketed as a "…hyper notebook built around Markdown/CommonMark, with 1Password integration, HTML/CSS support, syntax highlighting, frictionless keyboard flow, smart drag-n-drop insertion, multiple themes, document aliasing, and more," Versatil Markdown is a new entrant in the field of notebooks.
It is a congested marketplace that Versatil Markdown is trying to make its mark in. Direct competitors include LightPaper, TextNut, and iA Writer. Indirect competitors would include a whole host of players, Byword, nvALT, and the like.
I have written about LightPaper, here, and here. TextNut was covered here. TextNut has improved some since I wrote about it. It has gained a couple of siblings, an iOS version, and a stripped down version for the Mac called TextNut SD. iA Writer was reviewed here.
These products are similar in that, they let you write in Markdown. But they are different beasts when it comes to how they conceptualize and implement their vision of a perfect note-taking Markdown editor. I will try to cover these differences as I write this review.
The Location of Your Files
The first difference and a critical one to the adoption of a Markdown based text editor is the way these programs handle files and their location.
LightPaper doesn't care where your files are. If you have a folder of files on your hard drive, you can add them to LightPaper and the app will be happy to deal with them. You can add to them, delete them, rename them. You have the ability to add multiple folders and LightPaper will manage all the folders you add to it. If you are used to the way established text editors like BBEdit and Sublime Text 3 handle folders in projects, you are going to be comfortable in LightPaper.
TextNut does more than LightPaper. TextNut handles folders on your Mac, much the same way that does LightPaper. It includes the ability to have a folder in iCloud. You can add, rename, and edit files in the iCloud folder and they are synced and available for you in the iOS version of TextNut. LightPaper or Versatil Markdown do not have an iOS version and thus are not interested in the benefits of iCloud syncing although Versatil Markdown lets you manage your files in iCloud.
iA Writer has added the ability to add folders of files to its file management arsenal. You can add any folder, and as many folders you want, and it deals with iCloud. iA Writer has an iOS iteration and they both share access to the files stored in iCloud.
Location of Versatil Markdown files
Versatil Markdown implements a dedicated folder for its files and folders. You can have this folder anywhere you want. It can be in your Documents Folder, in your Dropbox folder or any other cloud based folder you want, including iCloud. But this is the only folder Versatil Markdown will manage. You don't have the ability to add a folder from Documents folder and another from the Dropbox folder. If you already have a system in place, Versatil Markdown is not going to work with that. Versatil Markdown falls short of the competition in this regard. I am not sure that I understand the logic behind it either. Versatil Markdown does not have a search system implemented across files. It can search within files but not across them. So, this particular arrangement of one folder and its sub-folders does not benefit the search function. It seems to be a design decision and it might not be painful to the new user, but for those who already have a collection of text files they have been working on, this is a deal-breaker, unless you want to change your system to fit the one provided by Versatil Markdown.
Display First
Display First
Versatil Markdown is built around the concept of "Display First." The idea is that unless you are explicitly writing or editing Markdown, you shouldn't have to see it. In Display mode you see your Markdown rendered in Versatil Markdown. It is an interesting twist to the preview function and it is a beautiful rendering of your document.
Markdown Mode
When you choose to edit your document, you hit ⌘+Enter, and the look changes and you are in Markdown mode.
Versatil Markdown Folders
I like the look of a folder of Markdown documents in Display mode.
Both TextNut and iA Writer have a preview mode, they are not particularly exciting but they work. LightPaper can preview a document using the style and look of your blog or web site, and that is an unique feature of LightPaper.
I like Versatil Markdown's attempt at differentiating the Markdown code from the display, it is an interesting differentiator. Typora does a similar thing but the preview is "live." You finish the Markdown code and the display turns into rendered Markdown. Versatil Markdown separates the process of previewing your document and editing it and that is an interesting effect.
Markdown Syntax
Both Versatil Markdown and TextNut support CommonMark and a selection of features from Github Flavored Markdown(GFM).
LightPaper comes with complete built-in support for MultiMarkdown and Github Flavored Markdown.
iA Writer comes with full support for MultiMarkdown.
What does this mean for the user? If you write in Markdown, all four apps are good at handling it. The difference is really in the implementation of the features. For instance, how easy is it to make a table in the four products?
Table support in Versatil Markdown seems rudimentary but it is powerful. When you ask for a table, Versatil Markdown gives you a table, 3 columns by 2 rows. You can add columns and rows by typing them in and when you are done entering your data, highlight the whole table, and choose Cleanup Table from the View menu and the app aligns the table to look pretty. TextNut fails in this one. I couldn't figure out any in-built way of adding a table. In fact, after playing with it for a while, I am not sure TextNut in any way supports tables.
iA Writer is good at supporting tables. Gives you a pop-up where you get to choose the number of columns and rows in your tables and it is a feature which is usable. LightPaper does something novel when it comes to tables. It outsources the creation of tables to Tables Generator. You make your table on the web site. Copy and paste the code in to LightPaper and you have a table.
When it comes to tables in Markdown, Typora is the clear leader. It is the best implementation of a table creator for Markdown I have seen so far.
Slightly Geeky Stuff
Versatil Markdown supports embedded HTML and CSS. If you are going to be adding special sections of formatting you can. You have the ability to utilize the embedded Bootstrap 3 framework. This is an interesting addition in Versatil Markdown. Makes the resultant files incompatible with most other Markdown editors but it adds some unique features to Versatil Markdown.
Versatil Markdown has the ability to syntax highlight embedded code, a feature it shares with LightPaper and TextNut.
Versatil Markdown builds in MathJax for TeX and LaTeX support. When enabled in the Preferences, it includes MathJax, so that your TeX and LaTeX equations are rendered beautifully. This is another feature which is shared by LightPaper.
I think Versatil Markdown and LightPaper are the clear winners when it comes to supporting the more esoteric geeky features. LightPaper is extendible while Versatil Markdown is constrained by what is already built in. Both TextNut and iA Writer fall short in the support of these features.
Some Nifty Additional Features
1Password Integration
This is a Versatil Markdown exclusive feature.
You can drag a login item from 1Password into the editor window and it will insert a link which lets you click on it to log into the site whose link you have chosen. Provides another link to show you the item in 1Password. This is specially useful if you want to bring in information on software licenses or Servers.
I am not sure that I understand the use case, but it is a feature which no one else has.
Document Aliasing
Another feature which is unique to Versatil Markdown.
In Versatil Markdown, you get to organize your content into sections and folders. In use, I didn't see any difference between a folder and a section. For the purposes of this review, I am going to just concentrate on folders. A document in a folder might also belong to another folder. Versatil Markdown gives you the ability create aliases to virtually place a specific document into multiple folders. You create an alias by ⌃+dragging a document into the new folder. You can do that to multiple folders and a little icon on the right of the document shows the aliases. You can edit the document from any of its aliases. It is an interesting implementation of an idea which hasn't been tackled by any of the other note-taking applications.
Dark Appearance and Multiple Editor Themes
Versatil Markdown gives you the option of using a dark appearance. Makes the sidebar dark. It also ships with three different editor themes (normal, solarized dark and light). I didn't find a way to customize the themes or add new ones to Versatil Markdown.
Both TextNut and LightPaper are extendible by the user when it comes to themes. You can design your own theme and use them. iA Writer doesn't provide any such user customization. The choice in iA Writer is restricted to either Night mode or not. Night Mode is the dark mode.
Spark File
Once in a while, and only once in a while, you see a feature in a program which makes you smile. This is one of those. Versatil Markdown implements a Spark File. While in Versatil Markdown, you type ⌃+S, and you are taken to a file called a Spark File. It is timestamped and you get to type in your thought. Then you go back to whatever you were doing. The Spark File is a place for your random thoughts kept for eternity if you wish.
LightPaper implements a similar feature through its LightPaper Mini feature and its support for Scratch Notes. It is a great way of entering data into LightPaper, without LightPaper needing to be launched or active. It is a different implementation of the same idea. Unlike Versatil Markdown's Spark File, LightPaper is constrained by an extra step or two. You have to move the data into your Spark File from Scratch Notes. In some ways, LightPaper's implementation of Shadow Notes, is a different enhancement. Shadow Notes have the advantage of being associated to a particular program or a particular web site URL.
These are features designed to make the process of note-taking easier and clearly Versatil Markdown, and LightPaper are ahead of the competition.
TextNut and iA Writer doesn't have anything comparable to this.
While speaking of a Spark File, I use an Alfred workflow called AppendText2File which lets me append any text I want to my Spark File. There is another solution, PrependText2File, if you are interested in prepending the data.
Stored as Text and Export to HTML, PDF and Web Archive
All of the programs do this well. The individual files are text based markdown files and you can access them through a plethora of applications so there is no lock-in to a particular application.
In Versatil Markdown, you can export to HTML, PDF or a Web Archive. In LightPaper, you can export to HTML, PDF or an audio file. TextNut exports to HTML, PDF and an rtf file. iA Writer exports to HTML, PDF and has the added benefit of importing and exporting to a Microsoft Word file (docx).
Feature lists are all good, but how do the applications perform in actual use?
Keyboard Commands
Versatil Markdown lets you drag a link from your browser window and that is a great feature. It fills in the title and generates a formatted Markdown link. TextNut has no idea what to do with a dragged link. LightPaper shows you the copied link as text. iA Writer knows you are looking for a markdown link, formats it as such, and puts the cursor in the middle of the square brackets to wait for the title. Versatil Markdown does it better.
However, this is not the only way I add links to my documents. Sometimes I have the link in my clipboard, I want to highlight a word, press a keyboard command and have the word formatted as the title of the link and the link appended to the word in Markdown format. Other times the link is obvious and I don't want to be dragging and dropping anything. I just want to type. I want to press a keyboard command and have the syntax show up. If I have a highlighted word, like Apple, and I press the keyboard command for a link, I want this to show up, Apple and the cursor in the middle of the parenthesis. Versatil Markdown falls short in its support for keyboard commands. Both iA Writer and LightPaper does an excellent job of supporting keyboard commands geared towards a Markdown writing environment. TextNut is not as good as those two but it is better than Versatil Markdown at supporting keyboard commands.
Versatil Markdown does a good job of formatting lists if you start off with the right syntax. Sometimes you don't know that you are going to turn a section into a list, you type it and then highlight it and change it to a list. You need a keyboard command to do this, or choose it from a menu item. Versatil Markdown doesn't have a list menu item, and no keyboard command either.
LightPaper and iA Writer are both much better equipped to deal with Markdown through keyboard commands. TextNut is also better than Versatil Markdown.
This is a list of keyboard commands available in iA Writer.
iA Writer keyboard commands
This is a list of keyboard commands available in LightPaper.
LightPaper keyboard commands
And, this is the list of keyboard commands available in edit mode in Versatil Markdown.
Versatil Markdown keyboard commands
These screenshots came from a program called KeyCue - find, remember, and learn menu shortcuts. It is from Egonis, and is a great way to learn the keyboard shortcuts that are built into an application.
Search
Versatil Markdown supports search within a document, but it doesn't support searches across documents. A note-taking program without across document search is not a viable solution. LightPaper is fantastic at this function. It's Open Quickly function searches across the files it manages and gives you results instantly. Similarly, iA Writer is instant in its locating files within the folders it is managing. TextNut has a filter based approach to search, but it doesn't work reliably.
Full Screen Mode
Versatil Markdown has a full screen mode. It is not usable on an iMac, the text covers the whole screen and no one can write like that. All of its competitors do a better job of this. The leader in this is iA Writer.
Conclusion
Versatil Markdown shows promise. It's developer has added some features to the note-taking genre which makes the product interesting. But it has some ways to go before it is competitive in the marketplace. Across files search is a key element of a note-taking application. Without that, Versatil Markdown is hobbled and not a serious contender.
I would recommend iA Writer and LightPaper at this point without any reservations. Versatil Markdown is not ready, and TextNut is buggy.
Areas of Improvement
- Across files search. Both file names and content.
- Ability to add folders irrespective of location.
- Focus on ease of use features specific to Markdown.
- Keyboard commands.
This list would be a good place to start improving the product.
A review license was provided by the developers of Versatil Markdown and LightPaper. I bought iA Writer and TextNut.
macosxguru at the gmail thingie.
Versatil Markdown
Markdown
LightPaper
iA Writer
TextNut
June 26, 2016
4 Tips for Safari on iOS
Some nifty stuff you might not know:
Search and Open With Siri
Easiest way to start a search is to hold down the Home button and ask Siri to search. The command can be: "Siri, open Safari and search for Cristiano Ronaldo". You can ask Siri to open a website, for instance, "Siri, open Safari and go to fifa.com."
Paste and Go or Paste and Search
If you select and copy an URL from wherever and switch to a new tab in Safari, you can tap the URL bar and Paste and Go to the copied URL.
You can select some text, copy it, switch to a new tab in Safari, tap the URL bar and Paste and Search to search for the copied text through your search engine.
Change Your Search Engine
Change your search engine 1
In your settings app, choose Safari, tap on the Search Engine, you will be shown a list of search engines, pick the one you like. I like DuckDuckGo, because they don't track you.
Change your search engine 2
In macOS, you can achieve the same thing by clicking on the magnifying glass icon on the URL bar. A drop-down menu will show you your search engine choices. Pick one, to make it your default search engine.
Change search engines in macOS
Search for Some Text
Search for some text
When you want to find some text on a webpage, tap Share, swipe the bottom menu to the right and locate the "Find on Page" option. Enter the search term.
I learned these from iCreate. The UK has a few good Mac magazines. iCreate is one of them. The US? Not so much.
macosxguru at the gmail thingie
Safari
iOS
Bicycle For Your Mind
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