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Key Details of TextWrangler
- Powerful general purpose text editor, and Unix and server administrator's tool.
- Last updated on
- There have been 1 updates
- Virus scan status:
Clean (it’s extremely likely that this software program is clean)
Editors’ Review
If BBEdit reigns as the king of text editors, TextWrangler is its loyal and capable prince—a feature-rich, streamlined text and HTML editor that comes at the unbeatable price of free. While it lacks some of the advanced features of BBEdit, TextWrangler is designed for users who need robust text-editing tools rather than a word processor for creating visually formatted documents. It is an ideal choice for editing, searching, and transforming plain text and code with precision and efficiency.
TextWrangler 4 updates the app to integrate seamlessly with Mac OS X Lion, introducing an improved interface and preferences to match the latest operating system features. This version also includes full-screen mode, making it easier to focus entirely on your work. Borrowing several of the most notable features of BBEdit 10, TextWrangler now boasts an iTunes-like document bar for better navigation and enhanced syntax coloring options, catering to coders and text enthusiasts alike. However, it should be noted that TextWrangler 4 requires OS X 10.6 or later.
One of the standout upgrades is the integration of more powerful search capabilities, borrowed from BBEdit's recent iterations. Users can even perform searches within compressed files, a feature that significantly broadens the app's utility. Whether you're working on programming projects or performing extensive text manipulations, this feature alone adds considerable versatility.
TextWrangler continues to excel in supporting developers with its rich suite of tools tailored to multiple programming languages. Its developer-centric features include easy scripting via Automator, AppleScripts, and Unix scripts, as well as support for text folding, regex-based replacements, and differencing and merging capabilities for comparing and syncing code or text. These tools are presented in an intuitive and accessible interface, ensuring that even those new to the app can begin leveraging its power quickly.
For developers, TextWrangler offers just enough of a taste of BBEdit's advanced features that it might tempt them to upgrade to the full package. BBEdit's more robust authoring tools and enhanced capabilities make it a tempting choice for those needing even greater functionality.
However, for most users, TextWrangler's extensive feature set is more than sufficient, offering an unbeatable value for a free application.
Bottom Line
TextWrangler remains an essential tool for coders, developers, and anyone working with large amounts of text or code. It combines versatility and simplicity, allowing users to perform everything from basic text edits to complex transformations. While advanced users may eventually graduate to BBEdit, TextWrangler itself stands as a powerful and reliable solution for a wide range of tasks, cementing its place as one of the best free text editors available.
Used TextWrangler for Mac? Share your experience and help other users.
