It’s no secret that a text editor for Windows is something necessary for every Windows user. If you’re a programmer, you’ll likely be using a text editor to edit code. Designers will use a text editor to write CSS. If you’re a content writer, you’ll turn to a text editor to craft your message.
And even if you’re not one of those people, you might be using a text editor to write simple notes to your friends or something.
The best way to choose the best text editor for Windows is to learn everything about them. This article is designed to help you do just that.
What is a Text Editor?
Text editors are used to write and edit text files. The way it works is that you can use the keyboard shortcuts to insert text into the file, move around within the file, copy and paste text, search for specific text in the file, undo/redo changes to your text file, and more.
Some of these tools are standard for all programs, while others are unique. There are also many different types of text editors. For example, some only allow you to type in plain text files (or documents), while others allow you to edit source code files as well.
We’ll be focusing on basic tools that can be used by most Windows users here. It’s important to note that while we’re focusing on Windows here, most of these features should work pretty much the same way across all operating systems. The only thing that might differ is in the number of available features (and the order in which they appear).
How Do You Download & Install Text Editors for Windows?
- Download your favorite text editor (you can find them easily on Google or Microsoft Store).
- Extract or unzip each of them into a new folder.
- Create a shortcut on your desktop so that you can access these text editors easily. You can also add these shortcuts to your Start Menu if you prefer.
- When prompted, select “Run as Administrator”.
- After this is done, close all other programs that might be running in the background.
- Restart your computer so that everything will be installed properly and then open the text editor now!
If you’re new to using text editors, you might want to try a program called Notepad++ which is one of the best text editors for Windows. Once you master the basics and know that you need more features, you can move up to a more advanced text editor for Windows, like UltraEdit.
Let’s take a look at each of the basic feature sets of text editors and why you need them.
What Are the Basic Features of Text Editors?
1. Supports Unicode Encoding
This means the text editors can work with all languages in any encoding. This is extremely useful if you want to edit different languages at the same time without having to switch back and forth between them.
For example, you’re a programmer and want to edit Japanese as well as English at the same time. In addition to this, the text editor for windows also supports other encodings such as UTF-16LE which allow you to use characters from your native language even when editing in other languages.
It also supports more than just ASCII characters (for example UTF-8) which is a requirement for most programming languages.
2. Provides Search & Replace Options
It is possible to find a particular part of a text in the file, and then replace that text with another piece of text. It is important to note that this feature is not always available in every text editor.
In some editors, users also have the option to copy and paste the text that they select into other programs. You are also able to cut, copy and paste whole sections of text at once using shortcut keys. In some situations, you can even move whole sections of text at once. That is possible using keyboard shortcuts as well.
The keyboard shortcuts that you use will vary from program to program, but if you use them correctly, most of them should be self-explanatory.
3. Works with Multiple Files Simultaneously
Some text editors allow you to open multiple files and edit them simultaneously without having to close any files first. This is useful if you want to work on different files at the same time. For example, when you are working on a project file and a personal document.
This is also useful if you want to work on several different documents at the same time.
4. Provides Preview Features
Preview feature means that when you open a file for editing, you can view it in the text editor without having to save the file first (unless you want to). This is useful for working on documents that contain large amounts of text that would take too long to read in one go.
You can also see how your document will look when it’s printed or when it’s published online.
5. Paragraph Alignment
If you often use a word processor, you must be familiar with this feature. This feature means that you can align the text in your document by using keyboard shortcuts. This is useful if you want to align your text properly (for example, left-aligned, right-aligned, centered, or justified).
Some text editors also allow you to change the font size, color, and style.
6. Modifying Themes
This is the feature that allows you to change the look of your text editor for windows with various themes. This is especially useful when you decide to make your text editor look different than the default.
You can also add a background image and a color scheme that you have chosen so that your text editor will stand out even more.
7. Allows Batch Editing
Using this feature, you can perform multiple edits (like inserting or deleting text) at once, without having to use keyboard shortcuts for each one.
It is useful if you are planning to edit multiple images in bulk. For example, if you want to add the editable image or featured image to your original file in one go.
You can also use it if you want to edit your files automatically, without having to open each file individually. Some text editors have more advanced batch editing features than others, so please check out their feature list before you decide which one is the best fit for you.
8. Full-Screen Mode
By using this feature, you can edit your files in full-screen mode, without having to minimize the window for editing text. You may want to use this if you want to have your text editor visible at all times (e.g., when you write a letter) or when you don’t want to be distracted while writing.
You can also switch between full-screen and normal mode at any time, making it more comfortable for the file reader.
9. Spell Checker
This feature checks that the spelling of the words you are typing are correct. This is useful when you are in a hurry but you still want to ensure that the text that you have just written is correct before you save it.
Some text editors also include an option that allows you to automatically correct your spelling on an active file, so you don’t need to click the spell check button manually on the file menu.
Why Should You Use a Text Editor?
After reading the list of features above, you might be wondering why you should use a text editor. You might think that since a word processor like Google Docs or Microsoft Word also offers similar features, it’s better to use a word processor instead.
However, we believe it’s important to understand the basic purpose of a text editor for windows so that you can make an informed decision on which one to use.
So here are some reasons why you should use a text editor:
1. They’re fast and easy to use
This is because most of these programs don’t require any complicated setup or installation procedures, and they’re also lightweight. The program only needs to be installed once and then it will always be available on your computer.
This is useful if you want to use the same program every time you need to edit a file. It’s also useful if you have limited disk space (for example on an old computer).
The bonus point is that some text editors can open a massive file size while still being lightweight.
2. A text editor for Windows allows you to edit multiple files at once
This is useful if you want to work on multiple files at the same time, and you do not have to switch between them every time (for example, when editing and comparing two different documents).
They can also be used to edit a specific file type that word processors can’t or convert the files to different formats, such as into a PDF file.
3. They’re easy to customize
This is because most of these programs allow you to change their appearance with different themes, color schemes, and fonts that are suited for different purposes (such as programming or web design).
You can simply use their drop-down menu and choose the options you like, or you can build it by yourself from scratch.
4. A text editor for Windows is easy to share
Integrated FTP and collaborative work are the future. In fact, some text editor programs allow you to easily share files with other people.
You can save a lot of time since you do not have to manually upload your files to Google Drive or OneDrive.
5. They’re free
The reason why you should use a text editor is that most of these programs are free and do not require any special licenses or fees to use them.
Of course, there are text editors that are not free. For example, if you need advanced features like source code highlighting, there are some paid text editors that you should choose instead.
How Do You Choose A Text Editor for Windows?
There are a lot of available text editors for Windows. However, it’s important to understand the differences between them before you make your choice. This is because some of these programs are much better than others, and some of them have certain features that others don’t have.
Here are some important things to consider when choosing a text editor for Windows:
- Basic features
- Advanced features
- Supported file types
- Integrated plug-ins
- Interface customization
We hope that this article has helped you understand the basic purpose of a text editor for windows and how to choose the best one for your needs.
Standing at the front lines of text editors, UltraEdit has helped thousands of users complete an editing task. The most popular features in their huge community of users are Syntax Highlighting, Customizable UI, and Integrated FTP.