Source Code Text Editor Suggestions

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi

I had been editing some C code for some PM samples/demos I want to compile. (there is another thread about it).
But I'm not sure about the Text editor I'm using, I use STE (Qt) but it has an ugly bug to reload files that it always show, so I'm open for suggestion.

If possible want a text editor that:
- Have the line counter on the left - Mandatory 
- That have "tabs" on the top to switch between open files
- If it puts colors on the C code.¨
- Easy file reload, if the file changes while it is open (to check logs)

I really liked STE because of that "File Explorer" (Pic attached) thing that it has, but that "Reload Bug" is killing me, and it seems that STE is no longer being developed.

Please let me know your suggestions. I don't want to start a text editor war of what is better, just let me know what you like and I will try it out.

Regards

[Doug Clark]

I use LxPM 4 - it is bundled with VisualAge C++ version 4. 

I am not sure what you mean about a reload thing.

You can turn on/off line numbers.  If line numbers are on you can enter some commands in the line numbers area, like ISPF of old.

It also doesn't have tabs for open files, but it has a drop-down list at the top (or bottom) for all the files that are open which you can use for switching between file.  And it shows you which ones have been modified since they were last saved.  The two features I really like are:  1) find/change can optionally work on all open files,  2) you can split the view of a file so that you can scroll to two different areas of the file at the same time - and modify both areas of the file if you need.  Don't use the split all that often, but sometimes you really need it.

It doesn't have the "file explorer" thing, but what I do is open a WPS folder in details view on the side and drag/drop from the folder into the editor to open files.

Plus you can write macros in Rexx.  And extend the editor with C.

The downsides are:
not as pretty as STE
If you want to use help for the editor you have to install the VisualAge C++ 4.0 help system and Netscape Explorer

[Dave Yeo]

I mostly use FC/2 and eFTE/2, which comes in text and PM versions and seems to have most all what you require, plus it's a folding editor, fold functions to make editing easy. Can be setup to run make etc as well.

[Andy Willis]

If you can find a copy (it does not appear to be sold, it can be found by poking around a bit) of Visual Slickedit, it does a fair job.
Dariusz Piatkowski created VSE_ModernTheme_0-6.zip, (on hobbes) which allows VSE to recognize many more OS/2 specific calls for highlighting.  The main thing that keeps me from using it more regularly is that it does not get along with my scroll wheel properly (no matter which direction I scroll the wheel, it goes the same direction that it was last direction the scroll arrow key was clicked).
It does not have tabs, but does show open files on the left. 
As I recall, there is a configuration change to the mouse settings that would allow the VSE to scroll correctly but works poorly (to me) in everything else then.  If not for the fact that I use the scroll wheel so much that it becomes a real pain, I'd use VSE all the time.
It may work better with amouse but amouse has yet to work well with Thinkpad middle mouse button.  WIth the IBM mouse driver, I use PM Scroll option, which I greatly prefer over Use Simulated keys (arrows or page up/down) which does work as desired in VSE.

[Jochen Schäfer]

FeatherPad works just fine as a editor and has your desired specs.
Beware CMD/REXX and config.sys: FP will save them with incorrect file endings, if you simply save. "Save as" and selecting the correct encoding and file ending works. But I tend to forget that (being ctrl+s trigger happy), so I choose EPM or FC/2 for this kind of files.

[Dariusz Piatkowski]

If you can find a copy (it does not appear to be sold, it can be found by poking around a bit) of Visual Slickedit, it does a fair job.
Dariusz Piatkowski created VSE_ModernTheme_0-6.zip, (on hobbes) which allows VSE to recognize many more OS/2 specific calls for highlighting....

Thanks Andy for the mention! 

Yeah, Martin with all the various nuances that our VERY old version of VSE exhibits, it is the only editor I use.

Uber-customizable, you get to create Projects where each one can have it's own definition of Toolsets, so I have VACPP4 project, and GCC projects, and yet the same IDE buttons work as you would functionally expect them to because I can define what each button actually executes (along with the parameters, etc.).

My VSE_ModernTheme package was an attempt to bring a little bit of font/colour scheme refresh. As I started to dig into the GCC header file scans I paused because I actually started to think that the VACPP and GCC stuff should not be mixed, and since VSE provides for a way to differentiate these, and that includes actually loading Project specific configurations, I could actually define separate schemes, etc.

Ultimately, the challange is that our VSE has gone DEAD a long time ago. Now, I wil say this (to second Andy's remark): look around (not even hard digging that we are talking about here) and you'll find it!

[Andi B.]

Simpler to setup and use is MED. Mind I'm using VisualSlickEdit for all my programming tasks. Including project symbol find, rebuild with simple keystroke, jump to compile error with ctrl up/down (IIRC). But for simple editing tasks I use MED (config.sys, ... or simple one ore two C source file projects). MED is my default even when I'm searching in toolkit header files for some things (DataSeeker) and with one click MED opens at the line where the symbol searched was found.

Conclusion - big and complex source project clearly VS. For all other tasks MED.

Btw. VS does not start when Virtualbox is already running. You've to start it before.

[Martin Iturbide]

Thanks for the feedback. I will be trying each one and let you know any questions.

[Alex Taylor]

FWIW, I use MED for programming. It's shareware; I have a registered copy, no idea if that's still possible to do nowadays. The website -  http://www.utopia-planitia.de/indexus.html - still exists, although it doesn't seem to have been updated in many years.

It does have a few bugs/quirks but those are easy enough to live with once you get used to them. (Marking text occasionally goes glitchy, especially when the program's been running for a while; I've also seen the odd very rare crash, usually shortly after the aforementioned glitchiness starts happening, but neither of these things happen more than once in a blue moon.)

It's nicely customizable, and I have toolbar buttons set up to call GNU Make, IBM nmake32, and Watcom wmake, as needed. It has a dropdown list of functions and other definitions in the current source file (extensible using user-configurable syntax files) that makes navigating code very easy.

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi Doug

I am not sure what you mean about a reload thing.

I just want to reply this doubt, since my English is limited sometimes to explain things.  This is a feature on the editor to recognize if the file had been modified while it is open on the editor, and let you know about it, and offer you the option to reload the file.

I'm attaching a picture of how Featherpad shows that. (look at the red message)

That feature is useful for me to check logs that changes.

Regards

[CalYY]

Try Kon editor: file name tabs, can adjust character width for line numbers, syntax highlight for about 10 programming languages. Can create hotkey macros.

Zed, text mode has the nicest syntax highlight, custom macro keys. Line number on status bar either at top or bottom

I use both constantly.

[Mentore]

Simpler to setup and use is MED. Mind I'm using VisualSlickEdit for all my programming tasks. Including project symbol find, rebuild with simple keystroke, jump to compile error with ctrl up/down (IIRC). But for simple editing tasks I use MED (config.sys, ... or simple one ore two C source file projects). MED is my default even when I'm searching in toolkit header files for some things (DataSeeker) and with one click MED opens at the line where the symbol searched was found.

Conclusion - big and complex source project clearly VS. For all other tasks MED.

Btw. VS does not start when Virtualbox is already running. You've to start it before.

VSE is something I'd love to put my hands on. Too bad it is impossible to buy it anymore.
Guess I'll install VAC 3 and 4 ASAP and use more than one IDE.

I have to say, Visual Studio IDE have been improved greatly - weren't it for the need to port .NET on OS/2 (absurd task, mind you) I'd love to rebuild Visual Studio Code on our platform.
But we'd need .NET (which is basically a superset of SOM, even if not related)...

Mentore