5 ms·

So what actually is this? Reading through it, the description sounds like it's basically notepad? Why would I use this instead of notepad except for some sort o

So what actually is this? Reading through it, the description sounds like it's basically notepad? Why would I use this instead of notepad except for some sort of aesthetic of working in the terminal?

cyberpunk 4y ago
"WordGrinder needs the following packages installed: <...> - an OpenGL/GLFW development kit (if you want the OpenGL frontend). This is supplied with most systems." That's one hell of a terminal based word processor. I wonder why vim doesn't have an opengl frontend? >_<
- rcarmo 4y ago
  That's just for console mode.
- hk__2 4y ago
  You missed the "(if you want the OpenGL frontend)" part. It’s like using gvim instead of vim.
- chankstein38 4y ago
  Right?! lol I know people pointed out it's a special front end but still like looking through the list of dependencies it's like "Isn't this just a page of text? Can't the console basically already do that?" haha
unregistereddev 4y ago
It supports more formatting than notepad does. The project link has a site that includes screenshots: http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder/screenshots.html http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder/screenshots.html My first thought was to compare this to MSDOS edit or *nix nano, but it has basic formatting that they lack. While I doubt I would ever use this for real work, I enjoy that it exists. Back when I was in college I used to pull the PCMCIA wifi card out of my laptop, put AbiWord in full screen mode, and write papers without distractions. It was a great way to write, and this tool seems like the terminal equivalent.
- chankstein38 4y ago
  Thanks for the link to screenshots! This is what I wanted from the readme instead of the blocks of text. I don't actually need this I was just trying to give it a quick glance to see what the heck it was and what made it different. I just didn't have the time to keep digging.
LeoPanthera 4y ago
It’s a word processor. Notepad is a text editor. They are not the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor I think a lot of people have forgotten that “word processors” were originally mechanical devices, and then electrical and electronic devices, before ultimately becoming software.
- themadturk 4y ago
  Having spent years in the legal industry, my first impulse is to say "word processors are people" but maybe that's just pedantic...
- c-smile 4y ago
  It is not a word processor in common sense. Difference between Word Processor and text editor is in WYSIWYG mode of operation. At least for most of people. Like my Sciter.Notes (https://notes.sciter.com https://notes.sciter.com) has better chances to be named as Word Processor as its primary mode is WYSIWYG. It also supports WordGrinder alike mode (Markdown editing) so users can chose what mode is more suitable for particular document type.
  - themadturk 4y ago
    Word processors give control over page layout and text formatting, even if in pre-graphical days they didn't provide preview of that formatting in real time. Text editors don't give you any such control. There is a whole school of thought about separating the creation of content from the formatting of content. Some think modern word processors impose an expectation that the creator of content also needs to format that content. Modern word processors like Microsoft Word enforce this by applying default formatting and presentation settings to all documents, and in doing so reduce compatibility and increase file size. If you don't like Microsoft's defaults, you have to go through the effort of changing those defaults, and learn to create and save the default template unless you want to manually make changes every time you create a new document. None of this has anything to do with the creation of content, only with its appearance, which of course may be important to you. In non-WYSIWYG word processors, formatting and page layout are governed by configuration settings, embedded codes, etc. Files created in Word 5.0 weren't readable in WordPerfect 4.2, for example, unless conversion software was used. Text editors impose no formatting at all, unless you consider default character set and line endings "formatting." You can change the appearance on the screen if you want, but the file you create has no native font style, no character or paragraph formatting, and your choices of appearance make no difference if you open your file in another editor. You don't need a word processor to create your content; you can easily open your text file in Word or Pages to format the document as needed.

So what actually is this? Reading through it, the description sounds like it's basically notepad? Why would I use this instead of notepad except for some sort of aesthetic of working in the terminal?

cyberpunk 4y ago

"WordGrinder needs the following packages installed: <...> - an OpenGL/GLFW development kit (if you want the OpenGL frontend). This is supplied with most systems." That's one hell of a terminal based word processor. I wonder why vim doesn't have an opengl frontend? >_<

rcarmo 4y ago
That's just for console mode.
hk__2 4y ago
You missed the "(if you want the OpenGL frontend)" part. It’s like using gvim instead of vim.
chankstein38 4y ago
Right?! lol I know people pointed out it's a special front end but still like looking through the list of dependencies it's like "Isn't this just a page of text? Can't the console basically already do that?" haha

unregistereddev 4y ago

It supports more formatting than notepad does. The project link has a site that includes screenshots: http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder/screenshots.html http://cowlark.com/wordgrinder/screenshots.html My first thought was to compare this to MSDOS edit or *nix nano, but it has basic formatting that they lack. While I doubt I would ever use this for real work, I enjoy that it exists. Back when I was in college I used to pull the PCMCIA wifi card out of my laptop, put AbiWord in full screen mode, and write papers without distractions. It was a great way to write, and this tool seems like the terminal equivalent.

chankstein38 4y ago
Thanks for the link to screenshots! This is what I wanted from the readme instead of the blocks of text. I don't actually need this I was just trying to give it a quick glance to see what the heck it was and what made it different. I just didn't have the time to keep digging.

LeoPanthera 4y ago

It’s a word processor. Notepad is a text editor. They are not the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor I think a lot of people have forgotten that “word processors” were originally mechanical devices, and then electrical and electronic devices, before ultimately becoming software.

themadturk 4y ago
Having spent years in the legal industry, my first impulse is to say "word processors are people" but maybe that's just pedantic...
c-smile 4y ago
It is not a word processor in common sense. Difference between Word Processor and text editor is in WYSIWYG mode of operation. At least for most of people. Like my Sciter.Notes (https://notes.sciter.com https://notes.sciter.com) has better chances to be named as Word Processor as its primary mode is WYSIWYG. It also supports WordGrinder alike mode (Markdown editing) so users can chose what mode is more suitable for particular document type.
- themadturk 4y ago
  Word processors give control over page layout and text formatting, even if in pre-graphical days they didn't provide preview of that formatting in real time. Text editors don't give you any such control. There is a whole school of thought about separating the creation of content from the formatting of content. Some think modern word processors impose an expectation that the creator of content also needs to format that content. Modern word processors like Microsoft Word enforce this by applying default formatting and presentation settings to all documents, and in doing so reduce compatibility and increase file size. If you don't like Microsoft's defaults, you have to go through the effort of changing those defaults, and learn to create and save the default template unless you want to manually make changes every time you create a new document. None of this has anything to do with the creation of content, only with its appearance, which of course may be important to you. In non-WYSIWYG word processors, formatting and page layout are governed by configuration settings, embedded codes, etc. Files created in Word 5.0 weren't readable in WordPerfect 4.2, for example, unless conversion software was used. Text editors impose no formatting at all, unless you consider default character set and line endings "formatting." You can change the appearance on the screen if you want, but the file you create has no native font style, no character or paragraph formatting, and your choices of appearance make no difference if you open your file in another editor. You don't need a word processor to create your content; you can easily open your text file in Word or Pages to format the document as needed.