Command shortcuts can be modified to taste, with emulations provided for WordStar, BRIEF, and Microsoft applications. In-context help is available for all commands, and in-context menus pop-up with the right mouse button. Use of the standard Multiple Document Interface (MDI) allows many files to be edited simultaneously, with up to 4 views on each file. Text can be dragged and dropped between files, and to other applications.

In addition to the usual cut and paste facilities, you can correct the most common typing errors with commands to change case, and transpose words, characters and lines. Other commands let you indent blocks of text, reformat paragraphs, and insert whole files. Any change can be undone or redone, right back to the first one made. Visible bookmarks can be put on lines, and edit commands can be applied to all lines with bookmarks. Frequently used combinations of commands can be saved as keystroke macros.

The spelling checker has dictionaries for 13 languages, and additional dictionaries can be created from word list files. Words can be added to the standard dictionaries, as they arise, or can be imported from a word list file.

For purposes such as software development, TextPad has a customizable tools menu, and integral file compare and search commands. The output of user defined tools can optionally be captured in the Command Results window. By defining an appropriate search pattern to match the error output of tools such as compilers, the source file can be opened at the corresponding line, by double clicking the error message.

Requirements:
TextPad 4.1 requires Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 3.51 or later.

Registration:
$27 USD for a single-user license.

Author:
Helios Software Solutions, PO Box 619, LONGRIDGE, PR3 2GW, England