Editing TextPad

{{short description|Text editor by Helios Software Solutions}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox software
|name                   = TextPad
|logo                   = [[File:TextpadLogo.png|TextPad logo]]
|screenshot             =<!-- Deleted image removed:  [[File:TextpadScreenshot.png|300px|Screenshot of TextPad]] -->
|caption                = [[Screenshot]] of TextPad
|developer              = Helios Software Solutions
|released               = {{Start date and age|1992}}
|latest release version = 9.8.0
|latest release date    = {{date|1-May-2025}}
|latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q2295946|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
|latest preview date    = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q2295946|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
|size                   = ~15 MB
|operating_system       = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
|genre                  = [[Text editor]]
|license                = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
|website                = {{URL|https://www.textpad.com/|textpad.com}}
}}

'''TextPad''' is a [[text editor]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] developed by Helios Software Solutions. It is currently in its ninth major version.<ref name=website>{{cite web |url=http://www.textpad.com/ |title=TextPad - the text editor for Windows |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |access-date=20 August 2017}}</ref> TextPad was initially released in 1992<ref name="WallaceHoffmann2002">{{cite book |author1=Paul Wallace |author2=Andrea Hoffmann |title=I-mode Developer's Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/imodedevelopersg0000wall |url-access=registration |year=2002 |publisher=Addison-Wesley Professional |isbn=978-0-672-32188-7 |page=v}}</ref> as [[shareware]], with users requested to pay a registration fee to support future development.<ref>{{cite web |title=TextPad Purchasing Information |url=http://www.textpad.com:80/ordering.html |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961201120249/http://www.textpad.com/ordering.html |archive-date=1 December 1996 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of 1996 the company was an associate member of the [[Association of Shareware Professionals]].<ref>{{cite web |title=TextPad home page |url=http://www.textpad.com:80/index.html |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961201120338/http://www.textpad.com/index.html |archive-date=1 December 1996 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 1998 the company was pointing out that the editor was "shareware (try before you buy)" and payment was necessary to continue to use it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Download TextPad 3.1 |url=http://www.textpad.com:80/download.html |publisher=Helios Software Solutions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980115155723/http://www.textpad.com/download.html |archive-date=15 January 1998 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Features ==
Key features include:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/products/textpad/features.html|title=TextPad Features|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref>
* The ability to maintain block indents
* Automatic code indentation (see [[indent style]])
* [[Regular expression]] based search and replace, including multiline regex
* Macro recording feature to facilitate complex text transformations and data processing.<ref name="features">{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/products/textpad/summary.html|title=TextPad Summary|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref>
** Macro feature supports multiple [[Regular expression|regex]] searches (and replacements) within a macro
* [[Syntax highlighting]] (extendable to many different languages)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/syna2g.html|title=TextPad Syntax Definition Files A-G|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref>
* Ability to call external programs (such as [[compiler]]s)
** Regex matching can be used to jump to a line number in a file given in the output from external programs (e.g. to locate the cause of a compiler error)
** Automatic integration with [[Java (programming language)|Java]] JDK, if JDK is already on the machine
* Large file support<ref name="features" />
* Support for editing multiple files, with [[Tab (GUI)|tabbed document selection]]<ref name="features" />
* Block select mode
* Synchronized [[scrolling]] of multiple files
* Clip libraries – [[Snippet (programming)|snippet management]] for reusable portions of text to insert into documents
* [[Clipboard (software)|Clipboard history]] – Allowing TextPad to function as a multiple clipboard tool
* Bookmarking of lines, therefore allowing users to copy specific lines (e.g. log file error messages), and then paste them to another document.
* Multi-lingual support: User interface is available in seven languages with spelling dictionaries available in ten languages.

=== Clip Library ===
The Clip Library is a TextPad sidebar that allows users to store small items persistently, and then use them easily. In other editors such as [[ActiveState Komodo|Komodo]], a clip library is known as "[[Snippet (programming)|snippets]]".

There are clip libraries available.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.textpad.com/add-ons/cliplibs.html|title=TextPad Add-ons: Clip Libraries|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref>

== Reception ==
TextPad has received generally favorable reviews. In 2015 Mike Williams of PC Advisor called it "an excellent [[Microsoft Notepad|Notepad]] replacement with a stack of essential features."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/download/system-desktop-tools/textpad-751-3329127/|title=PCAdvisor review of TextPad|date= 27 June 2015}}</ref> Download.com described it in 2014 as an affordable editor suited for coding, "neither the most powerful nor most expensive shareware text tool, though many users will find it more than meets their needs at a fraction of the cost of similar tools."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://download.cnet.com/TextPad/3000-2352_4-10002673.html|title=CNET Download.com review of TextPad|date= 7 December 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Comparison of text editors]]
* [[List of text editors]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.textpad.com/}}

[[Category:1992 software]]
[[Category:Shareware]]
[[Category:Windows text editors]]
[[Category:Clipboard (computing)]]