Re: [gedit-list] Gedit for console

[James Freer <jessejazza3 uk gmail com>]

On Mon, 30 Jun 2014, J. M. Rees wrote:

> 2014-06-29 7:33 GMT+09:00 James Freer <jessejazza3 uk gmail com>:
> > OS is Xubuntu.
> >
> > Just out of interest... I am not a programmer.
> >
> > I love gedit as a prose text editor for a writer in the gui. However, I also use the console
> > a lot and was wondering how much altering of code would be involved to make gedit a
> > console editor as well. It's the wordwrap (softwrap), auto indent and similar features
> > which are so useful. Nano, and other console editors don't do softwrap.
>
>
> I'm not a nano fan, have no idea whether it does what you want, but a
> search for "console mode text editor softwrap" brought this page up:
>
> http://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v2.2/nano.html#Feature-Toggles
>
> The "--softwrap" option is the very last one. Is that too new an
> option for you to use, or does it fail to do what you need?

No. There isn't a console editor other than vim or emacs that does true 
softwrap that I can find so far. Nano like quite a number will wrap a long line 
but doesn't take out the 'whitespace' or save as a long line soft wrapped. Give 
nano a try... like I did you'll find there is "softwrap" and 'softwrap'. That's 
the same with mg, Joe, Elvis, Jed, Nedit, and all the clones. The only one that 
may do is the Hessling... I haven't worked out how to use it's commands so far. 
Yet even the most basic of gui editors e.g. leafpad or Mousepad do it. I 
suppose all editors are developed principally for coders and thus developers 
haven't considered it.

Hence why for gedit to provide such I'd have thought was worthwhile. If it can 
be done for emacs I can't think that much development work is involved. Gedit 
could then be available to two forms and one could install both or either.

> But I'm pretty sure that there are other console-mode + input-mode
> editors that do softwrap and are not as heavy as emacs. I remember DOS
> console mode editors with K&R C source, that did softwrap, and the
> source code fit easily on a standard 5" floppy. (In other words, less
> than 350MB of source.)

Well - I'm still hunting! But vim with 'set linebreak' or 'visual line mode' 
with emacs is all I have found to date. Having now done a .emacs which covers 
all my needs I'll probably stay with it... emacs also having the wonderful 'mid 
cursor positioning'. Vim is of course an excellent editor but I find the two 
mode use and commands very hard to get used to. Vim and emacs have a learning 
curve and capability way beyond what many require along with a huge manual to 
browse through for days.

> I have thoughts on this, but will defer to the developers.

I hope they will give it some thought - I was just thinking of a nice niche gap 
for gedit. Gedit does all I need and using emacs is like having to drive a 
Bentley with loads of fancy gadgets... when a straight saloon would be great!

james