Droptext Reviews are in!
Posted: July 9th, 2010 | Author: grant | Filed under: Uncategorized | 44 Comments »
Reviews for Droptext are streaming in from all over! Including a post on wired.com
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/07/droptext-adds-dropbox-text-editing-to-ios/
http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/07/droptext-lets-edit-dropbox-files-iphone-ipad/
http://www.cultofmac.com/droptext-allows-you-to-edit-dropbox-files-on-your-iphone/50107
Please add the possibility to Open/edit txt Files from within dropbox using droptext.
I am not sure I understand. Could you elaborate?
Hi,
This app, looks good to me, but to be sure, I’ve a question. From the website: “Droptext can edit any file with a text mime type (ex. TXT, HTML, PHP).”
I’m not really an ‘expert’ (mime-type??), can Droptext also open and edit RFT-files?
No there is no support for RTF. Droptext can only edit plain text files. RTF contain formatting information that Droptext is not designed to work with. A good rule of thumb is if Notepad can open the file then Droptext should.
Are you planning on adding ftp capabilities. Without ftp how are we supposed to get our edited file to the website?
I may not be understanding your question, but I will take a shot at it.
Droptext is a text editor for Dropbox. There are no plans to support other services. If you are trying to update your website you may be able to install the Dropbox client on your web server. I have heard of people doing this before, but I have never done it. Is this what you are asking about?
There is clearly a market for this. One must wonder why the official Dropbox app doesn’t do text-editing.
Alas, luckily other developers will fill the need. I got Droptext from the App Store, and it mostly works.
But as the liked-to reviews also mention, the app crashes a lot. I hope the developer will be quick to fix this.
There is an update waiting for Apples approval right now. It is currently sitting “In Review”. The update fixes the crashing and adds several requested features.
This is what I’ve been waiting for. Glad I bought it. Please keep adding features, I think lots of iPhone Dropboxers will want this (it was a very popular request on votebox)
Kevin,
Is there any way to open up Droptext development to the Dropbox community? If Droptext was open source, I bet it would very soon be a more popular iPhone Dropbox client than the one original app created by Dropbox.
Just a thought.
This is a nice app, and I think it fills a real need. Are there plans to add syntax highlighting for different languages (e.g., C++, Python, LaTeX)?
It is something to consider. Right now there are no plans to make it open source, but once Invisions is off the ground we may reconsider.
That is something I would love to see in the app. Unfortunately it is not a simple task. Editable text with any formatting, even just color, is very complex at this point. In other words I wouldn’t count on it anytime soon.
Okay, I officially dig this app. Three things I’d love to have, though:
1) Create and delete folders
2) Monospaced font option
3) A preview mode (if at all possible) with syntax highlighting as a way to get around the edit field limitations regarding formatting and whatnot (you should be able to do a web view and use existing JS syntax highlighters inside it – and maybe even allowing folk to add their own…)
Thanks. Don’t forget to review Droptext in the app store.
1. This should be doable for version 1.2.
2. I will have to look into this. I am trying to get Droptext to work on 3.1.3 and I am not sure what the font options are on 3.1.3.
3. Preview is in 1.1, but greatly improved in 1.2. The JS syntax highlighting is a great idea. I will work on that tonight.
1. Great!
2. The pre-loaded fonts on all iOS3 versions are exactly the same (I think they only added Helvetica Neue in OS 4, and even then they forgot the italics – for real). You can also look into including your own fonts in the app bundle (there are freely usable Android and Linux monospaced fonts, BTW)
3. I have a few syntax highlighters listed on http://the.taoofmac.com/space/dev/JavaScript, and this JS editor can also do markup rendering (for Markdown, Textile, etc.): http://markitup.jaysalvat.com/home/ – enjoy!
I want to say 3.2 is when they added APIs to bundle custom fonts. If this is the case the 3.1.3 users just wont get as many font choices. I should be able to add this feature pretty easily.
I will take a look at those syntax highlighters.
This app seems to really fit my needs (with syntax highlight, it would be perfect).
Is it possible to edit files while working offline?
Thanks
Great job !
I am working on both of these. Syntax highlighting will work when previewing files in the next update. At this point there are no plans for syntax highlighting while editing the files though. Offline previewing and editing of files is coming. It may not make it in the next update, but it is planned.
Nice app. Fills a simple requirement that was missing.
Up to now I was using goodreader to edit dropbox files but then had to deal with multiple copies on iPad and dropbox.
Does it have incremental search? Could this be the replacement for Simplenote? (I’m on Windows so no means of syncing to plain text files)
At this point Drobox doesn’t have any search APIs available. This makes it very impractical to do any searching.
You can edit plain text files on Windows. You just need a good text editor. Notepad or Wordpad should do the trick, but I would recommend something like Intype.
http://lifehacker.com/233976/early-adopter-download-of-the-day-intype-windows
What is the security of this app? Are the username and password as well as the content of files being edit encrypted when they go over the network.
By the way this application seems to fit my needs well.
Another suggestion would be to make it, or a second app, that works with text files on box.net.
The Dropbox APIs use https to transfer all data. So yes everything is encrypted.
His app hits he mark- thanks. Very useful. Some suggestions and sorry if they have been listed already.
- multiple dbox account support
- folder create and rename
- file rename
- file timestamp honors timezone
- simple sort – name, time
- simple search an replace – in file only
- offline mode – simple sandbox with move to dbox when online
Simple is good and the charm of this app. Yes there are a few bugs with the latest but those will be addressed I’m sure. Great app- keep up the good work.
Thanks for the comment. I am always glad to hear that people like Droptext.
Those are almost all new suggestions. Unfortunately I am at a point where I want to get this next update finished and out there. So these wont make it into the next version, but I agree with all of them. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of multiple Drobox accounts. I have 2 of them and switch back and forth all of the time. I like the idea of adding file management (create/rename/move/delete or both files and folders).
The offline support has been requested a few times. It will come eventually, but will take some time.
Don’t forget to leave feedback in the app store.
Thanks Kevin, I totally understand. Two more features for the future. 1) save without exit- adds that safety factor when dealing with long notes, 2) confirmation on cancel – too easy to hit cancel accidentally on a long note and lose your additions. Looking forward to your next version
Those are easy enough they may just make it in.
Hi, I have recently downloaded droptext but (maybe my mistake, not sure) I have problems with csv files created originally on a Mac, or text files created by droptext (and used later on the Mac).
In the first case it says “Error Could not read file” even if it’s plain ASCII with a .csv extension.
In the case of a file created using dropbox, when opened with TextWrangler it contains a long line without breaks.
Question: what does Droptext use as a EOL character? Would you consider making this configurable, assuming this is the actual problem?
Thanks!
There are some issues in the current version with ASCII files. These have been fixed for the next update that is coming very soon.
The current version uses Lf for line breaks. The next version will give you a choice.
Ok, I’ve purchased both Droptext (1.1), and Nebulous Notes for dropbox editing. Trying both out.
One problem with Droptext is that if you put a text file in your dropbox without an extension, then when you try to open it, you just get a spinner, and the file is not loaded. Maybe handle it better with a message (“not supported”), if that’s what you want it to do.
I will look into that. I know of at least one user that uses text files without an extension regularly.
very cool app. just to echo what some others have already said:
- save without exit;
- offline mode;
i used writeroom for iphone before, but the issue was it was syncing through simpletext (which is not windows-fiendly). that app had off-line mode, so i could go overseas (which is often) and still continue to use my text files without worrying about data roaming charges. when i am back in the country, then everything gets synchronized.
those ipad users with wifi-only set-up will benefit immensely.
thanks a lot!
These are both planned. Thanks for your support.
Please, a word count, pleaseeeeeee
Sure. I just need to figure out where to put it.
In the green bar at the top of the page when you are editing the document? Just after the name.
It it could be ‘live’ all the better, or just show the number of words in the last saved version with a star after it to remind us that it is not saved.
T
What I am planning is adding an info button that would give you info about that file. I am thinking character, word and line counts along with things like file size and created date.
If you are doing this frequency of word and total word count are the key for writers. Beyond this, length of sentence in words would be good.
From a programmers point of view, line count, file size, the ability to superimpose static line numbers on the display, but not the actual text, would also be a bonus on those larger files.
Also search, but this would move it more towards a full editor, may be not what you had envisioned.
My vote is simply to keep it plain text as it will save a lot of complication with hidden
characters.
Many thanks for being responsive, very reassuring.
The value for a dollar is truly amazing
T
Thanks. We believe its the best text editor for Dropbox.
Do you know of any examples of the word frequency counts? I am not a writer so I want to make sure I understand what your asking for.
Line numbers is coming in a future update and so is a find and replace.
Droptext will always be a plain text editor. I have big plans for future releases of Droptext and just hope that the sales continue and allow it to get to where I want it. We will be making some announcements about Droptext soon.
Kevin,
Look at docstats in the app store, buy the extension, load some text and then tap word frequency.
T
Thanks. I will take a look.
Hi,
I use the dropbox app. It already has an offline mode. All files I mark with the star, will be downloaded for offline viewing. Then I choose “open in”, and I am offered FileApp, GoodReader, DropCopy and your competition PlainText. But DropText is not in that list.
As far as I understand, DropText has to register itself as being able to open txt files. Then it should show up in the “open in” dialog of dropbox. No need to do more to get DropText offline-ready.
I am going on a 4 hour flight to Germany. And I will work offline with (free) Dropbox and (free) PlainText.
Puzzled why this Comments thread appears to stop suddenly over 4 months ago?
I just installed the app on my iPad and am looking for other current users who are having a similar issue to me, namely that some files do not get their edits saved.
Terry, UK