almost 3 years for 3 major changes

[inco]

Treeview, Unicode and docking windows, that's all in 3 years...

What is the 5 for? Next would have been 4.7.4 for these little changes.

The "top sixteen" of this community have been in the latest 3 years:
Editable Macros
Expand/Collapse blocks of text
Additional attributes for syntax highlihting...
Export/Import Textpad settings
Show matching brackets
X Treeview in the document selector
Auto-Complete
binary file improvements
X Unicode Conformance
Find and Replace - Grand Unification...
Syntax Files - Dynamic Keywords
Add support for Perl5/JavaScript regular expressions
X larger fields for Search/Replace
Syntax highlight for embedded languages / mixed code support
X Dockable Command Results and Search ...
Method List for Current File

Which of these suggestions have received attention?
4 of 16...

My suggestions for text editors are generally:

- plugin management for customizable extensions
- context help, keyword search (asp, php, html, css, js, sql - show help for marked words via F1)
- customisable help (select help files -> hlp, chm)
- syntax highlighting (customizable, editable syntax files)
- mixed code support (php+html+css+js+...)
- auto complete (customizable)
- auto correct / spell checker (customizable)
- templates for supported file types
- code templates / fragments / snippets / cliptext (customizable)
- macros (macro recording, editing)
- toolbars (customizable)
- listing of user defined functions in file / script
- dockable file list, project explorer (session / workspace saving / explorer)
- code collapsing (folding: collapsing of command blocks) like "Notepad++"
- line numbers
- text sorting
- zoom
- block selection (rectangular code selection, blocks, columnar text selection)
- highlighting of cursor line, cursor column
- white characters (tabs, space, line feeds) on / off
- file compare
- output pane / window (preview)
- markers (todo, notes, questions etc. associated with bookmarks) like "syn"
- (named) bookmarks
- find/show matching corresponding braces / brackets / parenthesis like "textpad"
- automatic block indent / outdent
- convert tabs to spaces
- trim trailing spaces
- code formatting
- converting (special) chars to entities
- tag case converting
- html tidy tool
- unicode utf8 support
- text encodings / file conversion unix, mac, windows format (lf, cr, cr lf)
- search (find) & replace (in a directory / in all open files)
- incremental search with text emphasizing
- regular expressions (posix, perl compatible)

You see, Textpad is dead!

[Drxenos]

I think you are making assumes about what constitutes a major release that are not necessarily true. I don't think you can determine the quantity of new features by the change in release numbers. A major version change usually indicates a significant change in the code base. My assumption (though I too can be wrong!) is that Helios rolled the major revision because this is a rewrite to take advantage of newer tools such as .net. I think that when it becomes stable enough (say around 5.1) Helios will start adding major feature additions.

Another thought: if this had been a "major" release as you envision, I doubt it would have been a free upgrade. I think the 5.x versions thus far have been free because they do not have much in the way of new features.

Just my guess...

DrX

[inco]

Ok,
"...the last thing you need is to waste time having to learn yet another computer application.
Your experience with other tools should be relevant to each new application,
making it possible to sit down and use that new application right away"

That is well done and Textpad 5x seems to be also stable as 4.7.3 is!

Textpad supports some uncommon features even Ultraedit does not like
block selection and insertion or
keystroke compatibility to Microsoft Applications, what may be secondary,
but if you work with Microsoft Applications,
this is necessary as you don't want to change reference for usual commands each time.


Nevertheless there are many features which are usual meanwhile like

expand/collapse blocks of text
export/import settings
show matching brackets
auto complete
improved binary file support
find and replace also linefeeds in all open files
support for Perl5/JavaScript regular expressions
method list of current file


Besides these my major suggestions are

- extensive plugin management for customizable extensions
- editable macros
- context help, keyword search of marked words via F1
- customisable help: select help files which are scanned for marked words
- improved mixed code support (php+html+css+js+...)
- templates for supported file types
- zoom
- markers (notes, questions etc. associated with bookmarks) like "syn" saved in an external comment file
- final code formatting (not only by automatic block indent / outdent)
- converting (special) chars to entities
- tag and attribute case converting
- implemented (x|ht)ml tidy tool
- incremental search with text emphasizing


minor ones are for instance
- block select mode should turn off word wrap automatically
- when you configure tools in the tools tree (preferences panel)
Textpad tells you it couldn't find formerly entered (meanwhile wrong) path
when you leave the old entry, not when you open it
- width of column for line numbers increases if line numbers get higher than 32 but keep lower than 100 (?)
- "auto hide" configuration gets lost by turning of docking search result window

Helios Software Solutions should talk about enhancements on this board.
Many changes are not superficial like configurable environment variables and should be commented,
e.g. more than in Textpad help file "How to Customize Environment Variables".
Users should be told why enhancing Textpad takes longer than expected (compared to other editors).
"What's new" like 64 bit compatibility, rewriting source code "to take advantage of newer tools such as .net"
should be explained and not only be mentioned in release notes.

This editor has loyal fans for several reasons, but fans also have questions, which should be answered.
In this community asking for an update wasn't answered for a very long time and
asking for specific enhancements mostly isn't yet.

@drxenos
Also you only "think" that "when it becomes stable enough (say around 5.1) Helios will start adding major feature additions"

[Drxenos]

There is certainly nothing wrong with talking about enhancements. That's exactly what this forum is for. My point was that you seem to be making the mistaken assumption that a new major revision number must somehow equal greater "goodness." Goodness, in this case, equaling increased features.

Users should be told why enhancing Textpad takes longer than expected (compared to other editors).

It certainly isn't taking longer than I expect. I've been a Software Engineer for going on twenty years now. Writing good software is never easy. Helios isn't Microsoft. I doubt if they have more than two people writing software. And I seriously doubt if it pays the bills enough to be a full time job. Trying to work a day job and maintain and enhance TextPad must be Hell.

@drxenos
Also you only "think" that "when it becomes stable enough (say around 5.1) Helios will start adding major feature additions"

Yes, that is what I think. It's why I used the word "think." You quote me, but make no commentary. Was there a point you wanted to make?

DrX

[inco]

I doubt if they have more than two people writing software. And I seriously doubt if it pays the bills enough to be a full time job.

Well, this could really explain some issues, e.g. that suggestions are almost not commented by Helios, no dates, no details. Hence some of us could wonder, what suggestions are for.

I am no software programmer, but I am developing databases, thereby I quite believe that it's hard work. Nevertheless commenting lags of time and queries for enhancements is part of quality.
More and more community members advise other editors in this forum.