HE vs Pspad

[JJK]

As in "HE vs EditPlus" topic, here is my first quick contribution in comparing HE (v1.40 beta) to Pspad (v4.54)
Here I indicate by a + the advantages of one editor in relation with the other one.
They are not absolute plus, but only relatively to the versus text editor.
For example I attribute a "+ fastness to open huge text files" to HE relatively to Pspad, but HE is slower than EditPlus to open huge files, and PsPad is still slower than HE.
Alex, don't worry if I tend to accentuate the plus of PsPad. It is to show some tracks to still enhance HE.

Plus of HE
----------
+ (re)format according to syntax
+ fastness to set wrap mode on
+ fastness to open huge text files
+ Command hints
+ Outlining according to syntax
+ Overview bar
+ Hierarchy bar

Plus of Pspad
-------------
+ Freeware
+ localization languages
+ code explorer window a little more efficient than HE navigation bar
+ color selector window
+ hexadecimal editor
+ complete and contextual help system
+ copy in output window lines matching (or non matching) some text
+ integrated Tidy Html
+ color translator and picker (eye dropper)
+ Lorem ipsum generator
+ Expression evaluator
+ Macro commands

To be continued...

[Stefan]

Thank you for the list.

just some thought:

>Plus of HE
>+ Command hints
This should be optional, they always frighten me ... if they appears  because i press the key toooo long


>Plus of Pspad
>+ integrated Tidy Html
This is just an external tool. To use such external apps is planed for HE too


>Plus of Pspad
>+ complete and contextual help system
HE has this too,.... or what do you mean with "complete"?

>Plus of Pspad
>+ copy in output window lines matching (or non matching) some text
HE has this too but not the non-matching output. This non-matching output is i nice feature.
As i see now, HE copies the path and find-position in front of the matching lines ... this is not always wanted.
Exsample of an output: X:\path\file.ext(2,68):... line  line  line  line  line
EDIT: ohh, i see now that this feature is not comparable between the two editors,
since they do both other things (copy whole lines here, while copy matching parts there. Sorry)


>Plus of Pspad
>+ Macro commands
must have
Alex,  please open an discussing thread to collect experiences before start to implement this  .... if you don't mind.

[alex]

Hi JJK,

thanks a lot once more. I have them all installed

And my comments:

+ Freeware

I dont believe in Freeware And in case of HE it has rather democratic limitation when you go out of the trial period from one side and from another side there are ways to get free copy of HE with relatively small effort.

+ localization languages

Yes, this is missing... I have this in todo but not sure about priorities yet. HE is programmers editor, and programmers normally have enough knowledge to understand HE interface... But of course this would come somewhen, maybe in format of XML translation where you can also modify dialog sizes to make it fit for new language.

+ code explorer window a little more efficient than HE navigation bar

Yes this also on todo, would be not very complex, but it is same as Clip Text from HE - I need a way to add new plugins as panels.

+ color selector window

Also in todo. Whould come in a way of Color Completion as Code completion now.

+ hexadecimal editor

Also in plans as plugin. I want to have different views for document as plugin. For example HEX view or HTMLEdit view.

+ complete and contextual help system

I know... But have no time to extend it untill know. Maybe forum contents would help to fill it with a time

+ copy in output window lines matching (or non matching) some text

This is not clear. Can you please explain in more details(in original text).

+ Expression evaluator

Would come, maybe even in 1.50 in form of informer (Hover helper). As preview for images, colors and HTML entities know.

+ Macro commands

I am stronlgy thinking about it

+ integrated Tidy Html
+ color translator and picker (eye dropper)
+ Lorem ipsum generator

And about all this tools... I don't want to make from HE a all-in-one monster like UltraEdit or PsPad... The text editor should be an text editor. And it should do text editing functionality the best. All not text editing functionality should be added (and loaded) as plugins, on user demand. Otherwise it would start hours and you would spend your time searching for necessary commands in menues among all functionality yoi never use...

[JJK]

First of all, the previous lists I posted are not for me lists of requests, still less pejorative lacks of HE. But they present the opportunity to anybody to write here what he thinks of such or such feature. I don't want they become source of controversy (polemic) subject for anyone.
But I am glad if Alex, Stefan or anybody else here adds his thoughts about the listed features.
Now, in order of your posted time replies :

2Stefan

Command hints : this should be optional, they always frighten me ... if they appears  because i press the key toooo long

Also for me   We should be able to disable it or to lengthen their timeout, independantly of timeouts of code completion or others (ut I have no time to search that now). And because it is an useful feature, it is a dilemma for me.
* Tidy Html : Alex answered already. I agree with you both. But I noticed that Pspad feature because it is useful.

complete and contextual help system

Here my HippoEDIT.chm is only 275.625 bytes. Perhaps I missed sth. Alex answered also.

copy matching lines...

I just posted that request in appropriate section of the forum. Yes, HE copies already matching lines, but only the end of the long lines, and it writes also complementary informations about each found line. What I want is that HE copies only the lines content, as you guessed Stefan.

2Alex
* Freeware. No matter for me because I bought HE and EditPlus for example. More, HE does not annoy the user after trial period.
* Localization. It is nevertheless more comfortable, even for me , to work in my mother language. If one day you localize HE, some of us should participate to .
* Code explorer. Already partly handled by navigation bar and hierarchy bar, even a bit less efficient than Pspad's. For example in a html text, I'd like to see its structure like with Pspad.
* Macro commands. I didn't want to insist, all the more so that it is already on your todo list.
* All other tools. Agree that they are matter for user plugins.

HEX view or HTMLEdit view.

HtmlEdit view ? a wysiwyg html editor ? or simply viewer ? Heavy work in the first case...

[alex]

Hi JJK,

I think such brief comparison is really perfect. When I wrote my answer, this is just my responce and vision based on current experience. And also what I plan but what is not mentioned in beta 1.50 plans.
Notice everything that you like, and let us collect opnions, then this can forward future HE development.

You can play with settings for Code Hints here -> Options -> Code Completion -> Enable Code Hints.
So it is possible to disable them or set number of chars to be saved for bigger value. But it is a pity that it is not so usable (was planned to be so). This is one of key features of HE...

Yes, chm is really not covered all topics, and what is covered is just to have a help But not really a help

Localization. Agree. It is just a lot of work and I need to see how important this for users.
Code Explorer. I know that naviagation bar is limited, and plan normal tree version of "function list".
HtmlEdit - WYSIWYG editing. In some primitive way, it is really not very complex. Windows has built in control for HTML editing. But very primitive one, that can be used.

[Stefan]

JJK>complete and contextual help system
Alex>Yes, chm is really not covered all topics
I had think you mean syntax related help system, my fault.
Please note that PSPad help is long time not updated too due lack of time. There are more possibilities with PSPad then the help explains.


Alex >settings for Code Hints
I think we talked about 'Command Hints'

[alex]

Oh. I have understood

Yes it a little bit annoying if you do word selection with Ctrl + Mouse
The Hint window appears automatically when you keep Ctrl or Shift key pressed for a some time. By default it is 1,5 sec. Also I am trying to eliminate poping of it if you do some action. So it mouse have moved or some command would come delay is canceled.

I would say, this hint window is probably only useful for novice, that does not remember all shortcuts. Then if they press Ctrl and l;ong think about what is next they should get a hint Of all commands containing Ctrl, if then you press some other control key (Shift or Alt or both) I do filtering once more according new combination. Also you can do a search in this hint window, typing characters without releasing control keys. And then current item changed or you click on some icon - action is executed.

Delay can be changed here:
<AccelHintTimer>1500</AccelHintTimer> - in settings.xml.
Put bigger value to wait longer or 0 to disable at all.

[cichlasoma]

(As I mentioned in another thread, I liked PS Pad very much (well, it lacks the triple click selection function but one can live without it...), but recently it was not usable on two new computers I tried it on (Asus EEPC 1000H and Asus K50AB) as it crashed every several minutes. I tried different versions with no result (the same versions run allright on older hardware). )