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RIP Microsoft WordPad

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Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#91

This is slightly off topic but might be helpful to some people who use both Notepad on Windows and TextEdit on Mac but are tired of the open document screen that starts by default when opening TextEdit. For example, I take calls while at my Windows based workstation. When I'm starting a phone call, I instinctively open notepad and jot down notes while on the phone. I don't usually save the file but I will complete th…

GVim on windows, macvim on macOS and vim on Linux. All work the same way. Open in empty doc.

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#92
post #9

Wordpad is usually my go to when opening a unix text file (without carriage returns) that Notepad renders into a unintelligible mess. Word renders it properly, but then typically requires a bunch of subsequent formatting adjustments (font size, etc.) for good readability.

I would also open Linux txt files in Wordpad, where they looked normal, then when you saved them as an ordinary Windows txt file they would open properly in Notepad later.

In recent years Notepad has overcome its traditional limitation when opening Unix files directly, I just discovered this not too long ago:

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/extended-eol-in-n...

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#93
post #58

Although I don't like it, I often use WordPad on Windows machines because there is a bug in Notepad. If you have Notepad open with word-wrap on, it will insert line breaks into newly edited lines where they wrap on the screen. When I have to quickly edit and save a text file on some random Windows machine, I use WordPad to avoid polluting the file with out of place line breaks.

In Notepad I like to turn off word-wrap and make sure everything looks right before saving the file each time after I edit.

Basically without word-wrap each paragraph will be one long line of sentences.

With "paragraphs" separated by blank lines.

Then copying the non-word-wrapped text from Notepad, and pasting into an email window or message box allows the target window to display using its own word-wrap without the extraneous line breaks.

Then the receiver's email window can usually handle it when it is scaled differently than the sender, and it will be OK in both places.

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#94

Wordpad was essentially just the Text Edit control, wrapped in some GUI cheese. Unless they plan to remove that control, it's trivial to re-constitute the program. When I took a Windows programming course, this was actually one of the homework assignments.

Here is just that re-constitution: https://github.com/katahiromz/RWordPad

But I think it's the loss of the Wordpad that matters to people, but that Wordpad will be yanked from all current and future Windows machines. For people who use a lot of different systems as guest, this can matter.

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#95

Wordpad was essentially just the Text Edit control, wrapped in some GUI cheese. Unless they plan to remove that control, it's trivial to re-constitute the program. When I took a Windows programming course, this was actually one of the homework assignments.

It's also a OLE/COM testing application.

And an MFC demo application.

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#96

This is slightly off topic but might be helpful to some people who use both Notepad on Windows and TextEdit on Mac but are tired of the open document screen that starts by default when opening TextEdit. For example, I take calls while at my Windows based workstation. When I'm starting a phone call, I instinctively open notepad and jot down notes while on the phone. I don't usually save the file but I will complete th…

I use notepad++ on windows and have open all the time. Any more I want to write down I open a new tab. Notepad++ keeps the tabs even if not saved and automatically reopens them next time you start it. Combined with search in open files feature it makes it extremely useful.

Yes, BBEdit on the Mac has always done that, too. I often open a new tab and paste something in there to keep it around for some indeterminate time. BBEdit saves the temp content until I decide to close the tab or to formally save it and give it a name. It does that even when closing the app or rebooting.

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#97

This is slightly off topic but might be helpful to some people who use both Notepad on Windows and TextEdit on Mac but are tired of the open document screen that starts by default when opening TextEdit. For example, I take calls while at my Windows based workstation. When I'm starting a phone call, I instinctively open notepad and jot down notes while on the phone. I don't usually save the file but I will complete th…

Some update to Windows 11 recently made Notepad open your last tabs when opening it. This keeps throwing off my muscle memory because I'm so used to just launching notepad and pasting or typing immediately, but now that might mean typing into a random spot in some existing file. I'm guessing I can turn that off but I haven't bothered. Plus it's kinda nice to keep those random notes if I don't save them.

Re: RIP Microsoft WordPad

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, in the automation world living on level 2/2.5 wordpad is great for doing things like taking screenshots too. In a GMP facility it could take some significant effort to get a screenshot tool or a rich text editor installed. Also, taking pictures with a phone is usually a huge no no. Occasionally, you have to document something with…screenshots. Now, some versions of Windows Server come with snipping tool, which l…

Can't you paste into Paint for the screenshots?

Yes, one by one. It’s just tedious. There’s always a solution.

Often time screenshots correlate to steps. You open wordpad and start a numbered list. Write what action you perform and the screenshot. Repeat until you’re all the way done. Take it off the system, print it, sign and date it and attach to an MOC and your done.

I supposed you could copy and save in paint. Then do the same thing in Word off the system by dropping in all the images. Idk, doesn’t sound like that much more work, but it’s annoying enough.

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