TextEdit is a simple, open source word processor and text editor, first
featured in NeXT's NeXTSTEP and OpenStep. It is now distributed with OS
X since Apple Inc.'s acquisition of NeXT, and available as a GNUstep
application for other Unix-like operating systems such as Linux. It is
powered by Apple Advanced Typography and has many advanced typography features.
Implementation TextEdit replaced the text editor of
previous Macintosh operating systems, SimpleText. TextEdit uses the Cocoa text
system to read and write documents in Rich Text Format, Rich Text Format
Directory, plain text, and HTML formats, and can open old SimpleText files. It
also has access to the operating system's built-in spell-checking
service. The version included in Mac OS X v10.3 added the ability to read and
write documents in Word format, and the version in Mac OS X v10.4 added the
ability to read and write Word XML documents. The version included in Mac
OS X v10.5 added read and write support for Office Open XML and OpenDocument
Text. The version included in Mac OS X v10.6 added automatic spelling
correction, support for data detectors, and text transformations. The version
included in Mac OS X v10.7 added versioning of files, and Autosave
similar to iOS. Formatted text, justification, and even
the inclusion of graphics and other multimedia elements are supported by
TextEdit, as well as the ability to read and write to different character
encodings, including Unicode. TextEdit automatically adjusts letter spacing in
addition to word spacing while justifying text. TextEdit does not
support multiple columns of text. The high-resolution TextEdit 1.5 icon
found in Mac OS X versions starting with 10.5 features an extract from Apple's
"Think Different" ad campaign. This was replaced by a blank sheet of note paper
in 10.10. Source code
Apple distributes TextEdit's source code as part of the documentation of its
integrated development environment Xcode. On the Internet, the source code
of TextEdit can be found in Apple's Mac Developer Library. The following quote
is from the characteristic part of the New BSD-compliant license text included
in the source code: […] In consideration of your agreement
to abide by the following terms, and subject to these terms, Apple grants you
a personal, non-exclusive license, under Apple's copyrights in this original
Apple software, to use, reproduce, modify and redistribute the Apple
Software, with or without modifications, in source and/or binary forms; provided
that if you redistribute the Apple Software in its entirety and without
modifications, you must retain this notice and the following text and
disclaimers in all such redistributions of the Apple Software. Neither the name,
trademarks, service marks or logos of Apple Computer, Inc. may be used to
endorse or promote products derived from the Apple Software without specific
prior written permission from Apple. Except as expressly stated in this
notice, no other rights or licenses, express or implied, are granted by Apple
herein, including but not limited to any patent rights that may be infringed by
your derivative works or by other works in which the Apple Software may be
incorporated.[…] See also
List of word processors Comparison of word processors
Office Open XML software OpenDocument software
TextEdit References
External links TextEdit in Mac Developer Library
c2: TextEdit Enhanced TextEdit from WWDC presentation