Difference between revisions of "TEXT"
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ExtendScript files are text files, and you can (and should) open them with a text editor. | ExtendScript files are text files, and you can (and should) open them with a text editor. | ||
| − | To make efficient use of this | + | |
| − | Because there are so many, I decided to select just two free text editors, and I’ll use these throughout the | + | To make efficient use of this wiki, you need a good text editor. |
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| + | Because there are so many, I decided to select just two free text editors, and I’ll use these throughout the wiki. | ||
| + | |||
On Mac, I’ll use TextWrangler (http://www.barebones.com). It is very powerful in its own right. Personally I don’t normally use TextWrangler; instead I use its big brother, BBEdit, also from Bare Bones. BBEdit is not free; it is a much enhanced version of TextWrangler. I highly recommend BBEdit, but for working through this book, TextWrangler will be just fine. | On Mac, I’ll use TextWrangler (http://www.barebones.com). It is very powerful in its own right. Personally I don’t normally use TextWrangler; instead I use its big brother, BBEdit, also from Bare Bones. BBEdit is not free; it is a much enhanced version of TextWrangler. I highly recommend BBEdit, but for working through this book, TextWrangler will be just fine. | ||
| + | |||
On Windows, I’ll use the free Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org). You can also use the basic Notepad editor that comes with Windows, but using NotePad is not too much fun. Notepad++ has a lot of ‘script-friendly’ features that NotePad lacks. | On Windows, I’ll use the free Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org). You can also use the basic Notepad editor that comes with Windows, but using NotePad is not too much fun. Notepad++ has a lot of ‘script-friendly’ features that NotePad lacks. | ||
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I don’t recommend using Microsoft Word or TextEdit (which comes with the Mac OS). It is all too easy to accidentally re-save a pure text file in some non-text format (for example, RTF). This makes the script unusable. | I don’t recommend using Microsoft Word or TextEdit (which comes with the Mac OS). It is all too easy to accidentally re-save a pure text file in some non-text format (for example, RTF). This makes the script unusable. | ||
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As a general rule: when re-saving a script after modifying it with a text editor, make sure you did not accidentally save into a different file format. | As a general rule: when re-saving a script after modifying it with a text editor, make sure you did not accidentally save into a different file format. | ||
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A second ‘gotcha’ is that sometimes people accidentally re-save a script with a .txt extension. | A second ‘gotcha’ is that sometimes people accidentally re-save a script with a .txt extension. | ||
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For example, the original file might be myscript.jsx, but after opening, it’s accidentally re-saved as myscript.jsx.txt. | For example, the original file might be myscript.jsx, but after opening, it’s accidentally re-saved as myscript.jsx.txt. | ||
| − | Computers are often configured not to show file name extensions - so the file seems to be called myscript.jsx because the trailing .txt is not shown. End result: the script will look OK, yet refuse to run. | + | |
| + | Computers are often configured not to show file name extensions - so the file seems to be called myscript.jsx because the trailing .txt is not shown. End result: the script will look OK, yet refuse to run. | ||
Latest revision as of 10:41, 20 January 2014
Text editors
ExtendScript files are text files, and you can (and should) open them with a text editor.
To make efficient use of this wiki, you need a good text editor.
Because there are so many, I decided to select just two free text editors, and I’ll use these throughout the wiki.
On Mac, I’ll use TextWrangler (http://www.barebones.com). It is very powerful in its own right. Personally I don’t normally use TextWrangler; instead I use its big brother, BBEdit, also from Bare Bones. BBEdit is not free; it is a much enhanced version of TextWrangler. I highly recommend BBEdit, but for working through this book, TextWrangler will be just fine.
On Windows, I’ll use the free Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus-plus.org). You can also use the basic Notepad editor that comes with Windows, but using NotePad is not too much fun. Notepad++ has a lot of ‘script-friendly’ features that NotePad lacks.
I don’t recommend using Microsoft Word or TextEdit (which comes with the Mac OS). It is all too easy to accidentally re-save a pure text file in some non-text format (for example, RTF). This makes the script unusable.
As a general rule: when re-saving a script after modifying it with a text editor, make sure you did not accidentally save into a different file format.
A second ‘gotcha’ is that sometimes people accidentally re-save a script with a .txt extension.
For example, the original file might be myscript.jsx, but after opening, it’s accidentally re-saved as myscript.jsx.txt.
Computers are often configured not to show file name extensions - so the file seems to be called myscript.jsx because the trailing .txt is not shown. End result: the script will look OK, yet refuse to run.
