Text editor

A text editor is a piece of computer software for editing plain text.

Types of text editors

Text editors geared for professional computer users place no limit on the size of the file being opened. In particular, they start quickly even when editing large files, and can edit files that are too large to fit the computer's main memory. Simpler text editors often just read files in an array in RAM. On larger files, this is slow, and very large files often do not fit.

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The ability to read and write very large files is needed by many professional computer users. For example, system administrators may need to read long log files. Programmers may need to change large source code, or examine naturally large texts, such as an entire dictionary placed in a single file.

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Some text editors include specialized computer languages to customize the editor (programmable editors).

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For example, EMACS can be customized by programming in Lisp. These usually permit the editor to simulate the keystroke combinations and features of other editors, so that users don't have to learn the native command combinations.

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Other important class of programmable editors uses REXX as its scriping language. They permit entering both commands and REXX statements directly in the command line at the bootom of the screen (can be hidden and activated by a keystroke). This class of editors is usually called "orthodox editors" and most of represenatatives of this class are derivatives of Xedit, IBM's editor for VM/CMS. Among them we can note THE(high quality open source editor), Kedit, Slickedit, X2, Uni-edit and Sedit. Some vi derivatives like VIM also support folding as well as macro language and has a command line at the bottom for entering the commands. They can be considered as another branch of orthodox editors family.

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Many text editors for software developers include source code syntax highlighting and automatic completion to make programs easier to read and write. Programming editors often permit one to select the name of a subprogram or variable, and then jump to its definition and back. Often an auxiliary utility, like ctags is used to locate the definitions.

Related Topics:
Syntax highlighting - Ctags

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Some editors include special features and extra functions, for instance,

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• Source code editors
• Folding editors. This subclass includes so-called "orthodox editors" that are derivatives of Xedit. The specialized version of folding is usually called outlining (see below).
• IDEs
• HTML editors
• Outliners. Folding can generally be considered as a generalized outlining.

are packages with text editors included, usually with extra functionality.

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