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When will the Unicode problem be fixed? or Is it fixed after 5.0?

Why don't you solve the "Unicode" problem similarly to "PSPad". It seems both elegant and robust as far as I can tell.

For those of you that don't know what I am talking about, if you open a UTF-8 (Unicode) file in TextPad, It will tell you that it must change some of the characters to '?' because the code page does not support them. Or something like that. Everyone seems to agree this is a pretty lousy solution.
Maybe there is a good workaround, but the Error message does not point you to it.

Thanks,
Robin

Having at least basic support for the Unicode BMP is so long overdue in TextPad it's just not funny anymore. Now that TextPad is based on DotNet, maybe we'll eventually see this - it can't be that hard to preserve undisplayable characters and to operate with 16 bit characters in a DotNet application.

But I would not hold my breath, not even on getting any feedback from Helios on this; historically they don't communicate at all about future development. So it could be next week, or next year or next decade... we won't know until it arrives.

What I do know is that they must be losing existing and potential customers in droves by now, since Unicode is becoming so critical to IT people's daily work. Perhaps it doesn't matter to others and perhaps the others are a large percentage of their user base... who can tell?

Update 2010-09-16: To provide a case-study: I have a set of files that store locale information for our application platform, encoded UTF-8, which I maintain with TextPad. Due to the inability to edit files which contain anything beyond Windows 1252, I have to escape everything over the code point 0x00FF. While that's workable for us, it leaves many of the native-language locale descriptions unreadable, because they are long strings of \uXXXX escape sequences. Come on Helios, it's time to at least preserve unrecognized characters between load and save.

I've been using TextPad for about 5 years and really liked it, but the UTF-8 problem sent me to a new editor.

I had a problem with an exported text file from Vertical Response (mass emailing service) and then a problem using Drupal with path transliteration ... anyway, I started searching for what the trouble was and found on here that it's a TextPad problem and TextPad has been aware of it for a long time and won't fix it.

Maybe my posting my defection will count toward them fixing it.

sdstevep wrote:I've been using TextPad for about 5 years and really liked it, but the UTF-8 problem sent me to a new editor.

I had a problem with an exported text file from Vertical Response (mass emailing service) and then a problem using Drupal with path transliteration ... anyway, I started searching for what the trouble was and found on here that it's a TextPad problem and TextPad has been aware of it for a long time and won't fix it.

Maybe my posting my defection will count toward them fixing it.

My company is using software that output text files in unicode with moderate frequency. This UTF-8 problem is starting to be a issue. I also defected to a different editor simply because I'm forced to. While I'm at it I'm becoming familier with the new editor.

I'm not naming the brand of editor due to a courtesey notice I read earlier somewhere. But if private messages are allowed and you wish to know what editor I'm trying, ask me via this private messages service.

Yes, this editor not only has editable macros but an editable script language based on Java.

I think I mentioned by name another editor I'm now using and they stripped it out of the post. I'm pretty happy with it, but thanks for the offer.

It is absolutely shocking that it has been so long that Textpad has not been fixed to work how it's users need it to work, and with so much competition from other editors that do support these code page features it makes me wonder how Textpad can continue at all to do business. The world is moving on, and Textpad is sitting still. It's just a shame.

HELIOS!! You need to open-source Textpad or just close up shop because you ARE NOT GETTING THE JOB DONE!!

neimad wrote:It is absolutely shocking that it has been so long that Textpad has not been fixed to work how it's users need it to work, and with so much competition from other editors that do support these code page features it makes me wonder how Textpad can continue at all to do business. The world is moving on, and Textpad is sitting still. It's just a shame.

Do you want them to support code pages or Unicode? They are two different things.

neimad wrote:HELIOS!! You need to open-source Textpad or just close up shop because you ARE NOT GETTING THE JOB DONE!!

It's a bit ridiculous to demand that they give away their source code and/or close up shop because they don't support a feature that you wish to have, don't you think?

I want them to support code pages AND Unicode. At this point it is rediculous to wait another 5 years for them to release a new version, which very likely will not support UTF8/16/Code Pages properly. How long is reasonable to wait? Forever? If Helios were the smallest bit worth trusting they would communicate to their users their intentions - but no - we never get anything, not any assurance that they will ever release another version ever again, or what features might they be working on to try to hold on to their user base. They are the most frustrating software publisher i've ever encountered in my 30 years working with computers. I do prefer to use textpad but my job demands that I support UTF8/16, so i really can't wait around hoping that maybe sometime in the next 10 years they might fix this feature that has been requested for the last 5 years.

It really seems like Helios would rather not develop Textpad any longer, it seems to the loyal users who have paid for this software that Helios would rather not update Textpad or communicate anything to their user base - so why is it unreasonable to suggest that they open-source the code so that we can fix it ourselves instead of having to guess if they might sometime in the next 10 years fix this issue. The VERY LEAST they could do is tell us that they are working on it - but instead we are treated LIKE CRAP by them, like we don't matter at all, and our requests go ignored for 5 years or more.

I'd be willing to pay them more to fix this, but nothing seems to get them do anything, not even money. Open-sourcing Textpad really does seem like the only way that this very critical bug will ever get fixed. I'm sure as a community we could fix this and improve textpad lightyears before Helios ever will.

ALL WE WANT IS COMMUNICATION! Please Helios, just tell us you are working on it!

I just don't understand where all your hostility is coming from. If their product doesn't suit your needs, there are a thousand other ones to choose from. Yelling at them and banging your fist is not going to make them more inclined to implement the features that you desire. I also don't understand why you seem to think they "owe" this to you. You knew what features the editor supported when you purchased it. To insist that that entitles you to dictate what future features they choose to implement is just silly. I, for one, have no need for Unicode, but there are a few features I would love to have. Still, I'm not going to stomp my feet until I get my way.

There are plenty of other users of Textpad who are upset about Helios practices.. have you ever read the rest of this forum?? It is very upsetting to those of us who have been using Textpad for 10 years, to see it be neglected by the people who are developing it. I paid for the software, and i'd be willing to pay for upgrades, but there does not seem to be any motivation from Helios at all to keep developing the software. If you don't understand why this is frustrating to SO MANY users, then you are just an idiot. Why are you getting all butt-hurt over this anyway.. are you personally involved with Helios? If you don't like what i'm saying, then why attack me for having my opinions, unless you are somehow tied to Helios. I don't care, you are insignificant to me, and to the rest of the users of Textpad. I will in fact have to find a different solution because Helios won't fix these problems, but it is not something I want to do - if only Helios would communicate that they are working on it, they would keep a lot of their users.

Maybe you've heard the phrase, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'... well, the only way I can try to get this 5 year old request fulfilled is to be the squeaky wheel. I'll post this same tirade on various blogs, and spread the word around the internet not to use Textpad if I have to, and Helios should be warned that if they don't start taking their faithful users seriously, it will hurt their bottom line.

surely you don't approve of the lack of communication from Helios, sureley you don't like the lack of development of the product.. How else are we supposed to get the attention of Helios, how else are we supposed to let them know how upset we are that they ignore us, that they are so slow to fix an issue that has been requested for at least 5 years.. if at least they would let us know that there is someone driving this car, we wouldn't feel so left out in the cold.. I do not like having to shout, but since I feel I am being ignored by Helios, and many others feel the same, I think a little shouting is needed.

The biggest problem is that Textpad will not get recommended when someone asks what text editor they should use. I can't recommend Textpad anymore, if we can't expect anything from Helios. this wil hurt Helios bottom line, which is people paying for their software. I have recommended Textpad in the past to many people, but from now on I will have to recommend something else. It's a shame, and it is a shame that you can't understand this.

Helios have always made it very clear they will not speculate on future features. As I’ve said before that’s their right but cuts both ways. This can work to their advantage if they avoid advertising features or a roadmap they are not subsequently able to achieve. It works to their disadvantage if, because of this, they lose users because they can not see if features they require will ever come along.

If current users require a feature that is not currently provided they are free to look elsewhere. TextPad is Helios' baby and they can choose to develop it how they will, release the end result and let the market decide whether it is successful or not. This 'agreement' cuts both ways though; if current users require a feature that is not currently provided they are free to look elsewhere.

If TextPad is lacking a feature you require all I can recommend is you look at whether it is essential, evaluate the alternatives and move on if necessary.

I already have moved on, and it sucks because of all the work i've spent over the last decade building macros, and extending Textpad. I've also recommended Textpad to many, many students in the past, and driven sales towards textpad when possible, but that has also ended.

Textpad is sadly stuck in the past and the authors are unable or unwilling to do anything about that. They are also unwilling to communicate with their users. They really should put some info on their buy page that Textpad does not support editing of documents in modern formats, only ancient formats.

Helios has lost more than one customer in me, they've lost everyone I will ever recommend text editors to - which is quite a lot of people. In fact, I will have to warn people against Textpad whenever the topic comes up in blogs.

I am joining the ranks of moving on from TextPad.

My software now has critical and essential config that has to include BMP Unicode characters - to allow that I've installed NotePad++. Now assuming that over time as I get acquainted with NPP, I find that it does what I need it to for programming, it will progress as follows:

1. NPP is my secondary editor for Unicode config.
2. I realize NPP works at least as well as TextPad and so NPP becomes my primary editor for config and source files.
3. Shortly thereafter, NPP becomes my only editor.

I am only writing this in a last ditch attempt to get the message across to Helios - your completely closed approach is costing you customers. I would prefer not to ditch TextPad - I like it, and I've set it up to work the way I want. I would gladly pay an upgrade fee for Unicode support (call it 6.0).

But here's the point, I am now approaching the point where I HAVE NO CHOICE! Do you get that? I am a loyal and long term customer, and I'm being forced to drop your product due to circumstances outside of my control.

And all I *absolutely needed* was the ability to load a UTF-8 file, display it as best as can be done (even if that just means my Windows codepage), and preserve the undisplayable characters on save. As long as I can cut/paste or use an external IME to put Unicode characters in there.

In the slightly longer term, I must, of course, be able to edit in any Unicode characters and be able to see them.