←back to thread

Show HN: NotepadJs – A cross-platform love letter to Notepad

(github.com)
145 points itkeman | 2 comments | 22 Jan 25 11:59 UTC | HN request time: 0.004s | source

As a native Windows user who switched to macOS a few years back, one thing I never got over was the simplicity and usefulness of the old school Notepad app. This app aims to recreate that very same experience, cross-platform and easily installable as a PWA.

I've been using this for personal use for around 2 years and I figured it was time to share it with the world. Criticism, issues and PRs are welcome. Thanks!

Show context
JTyQZSnP3cQGa8B ◴[22 Jan 25 12:42 UTC] No.42792182[source]▶
What's wrong with TextEdit on macOS?

It's good that you made an alternative but it's not serious. I need to run Firefox, enable JS, reload the page, there is no "top menu" or install button, the open/save button does nothing, I can't choose my own fonts, and I guess it doesn't work if I don't have an internet connection.

replies(8): >>42792283 #>>42792295 #>>42792307 #>>42792351 #>>42792385 #>>42792465 #>>42792947 #>>42794030 #
Ghoelian ◴[22 Jan 25 12:55 UTC] No.42792283[source]▶
KDE's KWrite is also available on macOS if you don't like TextEdit, as well as Kate which is more of an alternative to Notepad++, practically an IDE. Kate is my personal favourite text editor.
replies(1): >>42793075 #
npteljes ◴[22 Jan 25 14:17 UTC] No.42793075[source]▶
Kate is fantastic. I rarely touch the built-in software out of a bad habit, but this one turned this around. One of the things it's missing from Notepad++ is the ability to just close the editor, open it again, and get back the workflow exactly where it was, but unsaved files as well. Kate can do it via sessions, but I need to create a session, and then after re-opening, tell it to yes, open that one session.
replies(2): >>42793529 #>>42797881 #
nottorp ◴[22 Jan 25 21:48 UTC] No.42797881[source]▶
> the ability to just close the editor, open it again, and get back the workflow exactly where it was, but unsaved files as well

Most text editors I use on MacOS do that, TextEdit included.

I'm only posting because I had come to think that's the normal behaviour, not an extra... haven't been using non mac os desktops too much in the past years.

replies(2): >>42798324 #>>42804934 #
Ghoelian ◴[23 Jan 25 15:27 UTC] No.42804934{3}[source]▶
TextEdit just asks if you want to save the file when you try to close it. Do you mean it keeps files if it crashes or something?
replies(1): >>42811581 #
1. nottorp ◴[24 Jan 25 08:56 UTC] No.42811581{4}[source]▶
And across machine restarts.
replies(1): >>42876240 #
2. Ghoelian ◴[30 Jan 25 09:16 UTC] No.42876240[source]▶
Ah but I suppose that only works if you keep the "Reopen windows" thing checked? I think shutting down without that is the same as just quitting the app, which asks if you want to save (can't quickly test this out as I have to work on this laptop).

I always keep that disabled, I absolutely hate that kind of behaviour.