ascii text editor

[paradox814]

Ok so I am a PC user, but my new job requires the use of macs (with os x). With that in mind I am looking for any ascii text editors (that HOPEFULLY) are free. If you are a windows user basically something that is equivalent to the notepad.exe program.

I have been living off of vi from the terminal but it's too much work using that when I have to do a lot of copying and pasting. I tried usign TextEdit (which is installed on this computer), but anytime I drag (or select open) a PHP or HTML file in it to edit the source code, it just attaches it as a file in the document, or it opens it up in a HMTL editor, which is not what I want.

Any help would be much appreciated!

[DavidRyan]

Well, macs used to have simpletext built in. There is a program called BBEdit Lite, which is now discontinued but still available. The makers of BBEdit also make TextWrangler, which is also freeware.

Links
BBEditLite
TextWrangler

[John A]

TextWrangler has been rated "the best free text editor available" by MacWorld. Other editors I like are:
Aquamacs Emacs - Aqua port of the popular Emacs editor
Xcode - Comes with a decent built-in text editor (to get it, you'll either need the Developer Tools CD with came with the Mac, or you'll need a free Apple Developer account to download from Apple's website)

[mesamb1]

Personally I am a large fan of the preinstalled textedit

[paradox814]

Personally I am a large fan of the preinstalled textedit

I would use textedit, but for the reasons I mentioned above it never allows me to open the files as a text file

[mesamb1]

I would use textedit, but for the reasons I mentioned above it never allows me to open the files as a text file

sorry about that, I have never really tried editing source code in it so my mistake.

[pty]

sorry about that, I have never really tried editing source code in it so my mistake.

The only gui OSX text editor you need.

Not free, I know, but at €40 not bank breaking

[carlsfrog]

Ok so I am a PC user, but my new job requires the use of macs (with os x). With that in mind I am looking for any ascii text editors (that HOPEFULLY) are free. If you are a windows user basically something that is equivalent to the notepad.exe program.

I have been living off of vi from the terminal but it's too much work using that when I have to do a lot of copying and pasting. I tried usign TextEdit (which is installed on this computer), but anytime I drag (or select open) a PHP or HTML file in it to edit the source code, it just attaches it as a file in the document, or it opens it up in a HMTL editor, which is not what I want.

Any help would be much appreciated!

The Mac equivalent of Notepad is TextEdit, but an excellent all purpose FREE text editor is TextWrangler from Bare Bones Software which has a ton of features for geek types and ordinary folk. I use it to open all sorts of esoteric stuff. If you need even more power, Bare Bones big gun is BBEdit. Check them out.

carl