editor2 (lightweight text editor)

[Midas]

Zabkat's (https://www.zabkat.com/) editor2 has been mentioned a few times here at TPFC forums but has no single topic really fit to post news and updates. Well, that ends now.

The closest thing I have found to a dedicated homepage is this 2010 blog post containing some portability workaround (that, luckily, has seen big improvement since then; editor2 is now natively portable):

https://www.zabkat.com/blog/27Apr10-new-html-editor.htm

Editor² begun its life as an embedded thread in 2xExplorer [...] Although it won't substitute your main editor (say for writing your source code), it is nevertheless a very compact quick'n'dirty editor/viewer thingme to be appreciated by programmers and lay users alike.

In 'editor2.txt' file included in xplorer2 download packages

Let me quote myself on the peculiar arrangement of editor2 distribution:

Although Editor2 is freeware, it doesn't have a separate download location, and has to be extracted from the Xplorer2 trial package -- downloadable at http://www.zabkat.com. (BTW, the corresponding files are: ed2skin.png, Editor2.txt, editor2_64.exe, editor2_64.exe.manifest, editor2_UC.exe, editor2_UC.exe.manifest.)

Editor2 latest version is currently v2.9.5.0 (no specific changelog) -- it's included with any xplorer2 v4.2.0.1 release.

Please note that if looking for the 64-bit version, you'll have to grab it from the corresponding non-free Pro or Ultimate download packages.

Editor2 is made portable by placing an empty 'ed2.ini' file in its folder before first run.

Related and relevant topics you should browse if interested in editor2:

viewtopic.php?t=23326

viewtopic.php?t=22061

viewtopic.php?t=17823

[webfork]

Thanks for giving the program it's own thread. The topic definitely comes up often enough that a source is called for.

[Midas]

Editor2 v2.9.6.0 released (no individual changelog, see below).

Relevant snippet from 'changes.txt' regarding xplorer2 v4.3.0.0 released 2019-10-29:

* Internal editor² version 2.96 with better handling of high DPI screens. If you need it in dark mode, tweak the background colors to taste from program settings (VIEW > OPTIONS menu).

[Midas]

Editor2 v2.9.7.1 released 2020-10-25 (no individual changelog, see below).

Relevant snippet from 'changes.txt' accompanying xplorer2 v4.5.0.1, released on the same date:

* editor² build 2971 adds automatically managed frequent document list in FILE menu

[Midas]

Editor2 v2.9.8.1 [part of xplorer2 v5.0.0.0] released 2021-02-28 (no individual changelog, see below).

This time, I parsed the official xplorer2 changelog -- available at www.zabkat.com/changes.txt -- to extract all editor2 related entries (please note all version headers refer to the former):

Code: Select all

------------------
XPLORER² CHANGELOG
http://zabkat.com
------------------

[...]

[5.0.0.0] 28 Feb 21

* Editor² v2.98 supports dark mode through its options, and works
  better with unmarked unicode text files.


[4.5.0.1] 25 Oct 20

* editor² build 2971 adds automatically managed frequent document list
  in FILE menu


[4.4.0.0] 17 Mar 20

* editor² switches to large toolbar skin when in high dpi


[4.3.0.0] 27 Oct 19

* Internal editor² version 2.96 with better handling of high DPI
  screens. If you need it in dark mode, tweak the background colors to
  taste from program settings (VIEW > OPTIONS menu).


[4.2.0.0] 3 March 19

* editor² updated with latest macro command syntax. It also allows you
  to change the codepage of a plain text document: Use FILE > SAVE AS
  menu command and select SAVE AS TYPE == Convert CP, then specify the
  windows codepage number (e.g. 1253 for Greek). This usually makes
  sense if the document is loaded as UTF-8 or Unicode

[3.5.0.1] 23 Oct 17

* editor² v2.940 adds experimental support for "macro" commands. Use
  AUTOTEXT > MACRO menu command or press F9 key. CTRL+F9 repeats the
  last macro. For more information on the macro language syntax please
  refer to the deskrule help: http://zabkat.com/deskrule/help.htm#macros

  # MACRO EXAMPLE: search for TEST and advance past the hit
  COMMAND find
  WAITWND
  FINDWND "find what"
  SETTEXT test
  OK
  FINDCLASS richedit20w
  SENDKEY ctrl+right # send <ctrl+right arrow> to editor window


[3.3.0.2] 27 Oct 16

* editor² small update to handle very long filenames


[3.0.0.0] 1 Jan 15

* editor² Search > Match tag menu command handles XML tag names with a
  dot (.) correctly e.g. <DropDownGallery.MenuLayout> will match its
  closing </DropDownGallery.MenuLayout> tag


[2.4.0.1] 12 Nov 13

* editor² gives a clearer warning when saving on a readonly file


[2.1.0.0] 4 Mar 12

* editor² checks if a ED2.INI file exists next to the program
  (portable mode) and uses it automatically instead of registry. You can
  pass any custom settings file using the /I: option as before.


[2.0.0.0] 22 July 11

* editor² optionally saves settings in a .INI file (instead of the
  registry) if you use the /I command line switch with a .INI filename
  Also loader automatically detects common unicode and UTF8 text files
  without a BOM


[1.8.1.1] 21 Dec 10

* bugfix for editor² UTF-8 file handling 

* hires toolbar skin available for editor²:
  http://zabkat.com/skins/ed2skin.png
  (place the PNG file in [...] folder)


[1.8.0.13] 3 Aug 10

* editor² gets Edit > Insert tag menu command for HTML/XML tags


[1.8.0.12] 14 May 10

* editor² upgraded to match HTML tags (Search > Match tag menu)


[1.7.2.0] 23 November 08

* editor² v2.9 with x64 compatibility and some bug fixes


[1.7.1.0] 14 February 08

* editor² v2.8 improvements:
  Edit > (Un)Comment to (un)comment out a selected block with adjustable
  comment lead string
  Warning issued when attempting to load a large binary file
  Partially aware of changes (saved) in the active document made outside editor²
  TopMost command in system (corner) menu to pin it above other windows
  keyboard-only command <alt+pageUp> scrolls current line to the top of the window


[1.0.0.0] 10 June 2004: Initial release

Additional usage info can also be gleaned from Editor2 readme file, which I have posted to https://rentry.co/editor2_readme.

code: zabkat

[rbon]

@Midas,
where is located the Unicode version of editor² for 64 bit ?
I have found 'editor2_UC.exe' only in build Professional 32 bit .
Thanks

[Midas]

@rbon: I got it from the Ultimate trial package -- but I could've sworn it's in the Professional one too, you just have to select the appropriate 64-bit download (see screenshot below) and then (Uni)extract it...

[Midas]

Update: latest editor2 is v2.9.9.3 (no online changelog; xplorer2 changelog at https://www.zabkat.com/changes.txt).

64-bit editor2 executable footprint is now 406kB. A feature that eluded me until now is its support of macros -- for further info, check the screenshot below and refer to https://www.zabkat.com/x2h_7a.htm.

Editor2 related snippets included in xplorer2 'changes.txt' since the last report:

* improved dark mode for windows 10/11 (menus, listview headers etc; same improvements for editor² v2.993)
* editor² v2.992 supports ADDTEXT macro and also shading and dark mode improvements.
* editor² v2.99 darkens its main window whenever a dialog pops up to assist focusing. This is controlled by bShadeFocus registry switch.
* editor² is also permonitorv2 aware with automatic font changes when moving monitors [from xplorer2 v5.2.0.0 released 2022-03-30].
* BIGGER DIALOGS [...] The same goes for the internal viewer editor² [from xplorer2 v5.1.0.0 released 2021-10-28].
* editor² allows larger toolbar skins, e.g rename 'ed2skin_XL.png' to 'ed2skin.png' in the installation folder and see how it looks (good for high DPI) [from xplorer2 v5.0.0.3 released 2021-06-13].

[Midas]

Latest editor2 is v2.9.9.7 (no online changelog; xplorer2 is v6.0.0.3, available changelog at https://www.zabkat.com/changes.txt).