Simple, light weight text editor

[Dimitri]

I think I asked this once, but a long time ago.

I'm looking for a very simple and light weight text editor, not for writing code, but actual writing.

I used to use wordpad and that was perfect, but it now has the annoying feature of the default setting of putting spaces after paragraphs and you can't change the default setting.

I used Notepad++ and that's pretty good, but it doesn't allow for underlining and bolding and I'd like those features.

Also, a backup feature (it backs the document up at regular intervals) would be nice, too.

Beyond that the fewer features and the more light weight it is the better. I don't want Word because it is so heavy and feature packed.

 

[Agent Smith]

I use Norepad++ all the time, but for normal note taking and what have you I just use Notepad. I've also used Docpad. You may want to go here and see if you can find something.

http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/

https://www.gammadyne.com/docpad.htm

 

[Darren]

I'm not sure I'd call OneNote lightweight but it certainly is way easier to use for note taking purposes than Word is. I'm always amazed people don't use it over Word when I see people taking notes in class. It's fairly lightweight overall but not to the likes of Notepad++ or similar. It automatically backs up and saves every few minutes if not even more frequently so I never worry about losing anything and has more features than just basic text.

 

[_Kyle_]

If you have a constant internet connection, Google Docs is amazing.

 

[Dimitri]

I use Norepad++ all the time, but for normal note taking and what have you I just use Notepad. I've also used Docpad. You may want to go here and see if you can find something.

http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/

https://www.gammadyne.com/docpad.htm

Hmm... Docpad looks like it might be what I'm looking for.

Can you change font and underline and bold in it?

I'm not sure I'd call OneNote lightweight but it certainly is way easier to use for note taking purposes than Word is. I'm always amazed people don't use it over Word when I see people taking notes in class. It's fairly lightweight overall but not to the likes of Notepad++ or similar. It automatically backs up and saves every few minutes if not even more frequently so I never worry about losing anything and has more features than just basic text.

OneNote is I think not quite what I'm looking for. I need something more like a regular word processor, without the lines and all the unusual stuff.

If you have a constant internet connection, Google Docs is amazing.

I use Google Docs, but sometimes I don't have an internet connection and also sometimes I need to jot something down very quickly and GD is very involved, you need to open the browser, navigate to GD etc etc

 

[strollin]

What version of Windows are you using? I have Windows 10 and the option to put a line after a paragraph is the default in Wordpad but can be turned off.

 

[johnb35]

View attachment 8589

What version of Windows are you using? I have Windows 10 and the option to put a line after a paragraph is the default in Wordpad but can be turned off.

Works like a charm!!!

 

[Agent Smith]

Can you change font and underline and bold in it?

I believe so. It's been a while since I used it. Go to their website.

 

[Dimitri]

View attachment 8589

What version of Windows are you using? I have Windows 10 and the option to put a line after a paragraph is the default in Wordpad but can be turned off.

But you can't make it the default setting. When you close it and then start wordpard again it's back to line after paragraph.

 

[johnb35]

Yes you can. Open wordpad, uncheck the box then save the blank document as default wordpad and save the file to your desktop. Then whenever you need to work on something, just open the desktop file and you'll have your no spacing format.

 

[Dimitri]

I tried Docpad, but unfortunately, you can't zoom in and the font is kinda small.

Yes you can. Open wordpad, uncheck the box then save the blank document as default wordpad and save the file to your desktop. Then whenever you need to work on something, just open the desktop file and you'll have your no spacing format.

I've tried doing this and I always just end up with a file that is full of all sorts of garbage. In theory it sounds simple: When you're doing writing just copy paste it into some other document and you can keep this one as the generic one, but in practice it never ends up that way and the file ends up swamped with all sorts of stuff.