FOSSPicks

Minimal text editor

micro

Keeping with the minimalist theme, micro attempts to do the same for text editing as Min attempts to do with web browsing. Launching it from the command line gives you the first clue: It runs within your terminal environment, just like Vim or Nano, rather than in an application window like Gedit or Kate. It's also a static binary that can be run in place if you're happy to trust the build; this means you can keep it on a USB stick or email attachment and simply execute this single file when you need its text editing abilities. Like Vim and unlike Nano, though, you can't immediately see how it performs simple operations, such as quit, but this is easily discoverable by pressing the F1 key to access the built-in help. How to quit is mentioned in the first paragraph (Ctrl+Q). The help documentation is short, but comprehensive, and even includes a tutorial.

A minimal interface doesn't mean minimal functionality. Split views are easily accessed via the autocompleting command mode, and micro has support for more than 75 languages. The syntax highlighting for these languages appears instantly and happens automatically, depending on the file type you're editing. Even though typing and editing speed is difficult to measure and can often be subjective, micro feels very quick indeed. Because the key bindings can be modified easily, it can be made to feel almost like any familiar editor. LUA-written plugins can even be used to add features, such as code snippets, spelling, in-line editor configuration, and version control changes, and it's easy to write your own. Micro might not replace something like Vim or Emacs, but it's a very useful addition when you need a small editor that doesn't compromise on speed or function. The only editor that gets close to this functionality and form is Textadept.

Project Website

https://micro-editor.github.io

Excellent split view and syntax highlighting functionality in a static binary smaller than 10MB.

Minimalist text editor

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