EditD

Programming still relies on heavy text writing, since source code itself is nothing but a bunch of special keys which trigger related functions. Writing code can be done in simple interfaces, such as Notepad, but there are also specialized applications such as EditD which provide a larger variety of functions, and support for multiple types of code.

Note that the application skips you the effort of going through a setup process, which means you can run it as soon as download is finished. Since it comes in a lightweight package, it’s easy enough to carry it around on a thumb drive, along with the projects, or text files you want to work on, while registry entries on the target PC remain intact.

Most of the main window space represents the edit area where all text goes. The status bar shows relevant information to document attributes, but there’s no line numbering on the side, or any option to enable it, which is rather disappointing, considering it supports file formats of types like DAT, BAT, PAS, DPR, C, CPP, H, HTML, and HTM besides plain text.

Hotkeys can be used to trigger most of its functions, with a dedicated menu entry to show common ones. Here, you also find a dozen free slots for custom commands, which can be configured to launch external tools. Multiple documents can be kept active at the same time, each in its own tab.

The search function also includes the option to replace specific strings. You can jump directly to a line inside the document, but this is rather tricky to use unless you keep an eye on the status bar to reveal the location of the cursor on line and column.

Edit options contain a few more functions besides basic undo, redo, copy, cut, and paste. Character casing is toggled at the press of a button, with more options to trim text, or shift horizontally, similarly to the Tab keyboard button.

EditD leaves mixed feelings as it tries to combine a plain text editor with the functionality of an IDE. Unfortunately, there’s not enough of both to make it worthwhile, with no support for rich text despite built-in font customization options, or syntax highlighter in case you want to work on source files more efficiently.