In computing, a full-screen writing program[1] or distraction-free editor[2][3][4] is a text editor that occupies the full display with the purpose of isolating the writer from the operating system (OS) and other applications. In this way, one should be able to focus on the writing alone, with no distractions from the OS and a cluttered interface.[2][5][6][7] Often, distraction-free editors feature a dark background and a text field, with lighter colored text. However, most distraction-free editors include customisable user interfaces.[8] Some editors support rich text editing.

List of full screen editors

Free and open-source

NameLicenseLinuxOther supported operating systemsProgramming languageToolkitSpell checkerSyntax highlightingWYSIWYGNotable aspects, references
AcmeLPLPlan 9, Mac OS, WindowsMouse chording; supports sending selected text through pipelines of programs; extensible & scriptable via any language.
CodeRoomGPLv3Mac OS, WindowsC++QtSupports syntax highlighting.[9]
GNU EmacsGPLv3Unix, Mac OS, WindowsC, Emacs Lispcurses, GTK+Supports syntax highlighting, programmable, several distraction-free packages available.[10][11][12][13]
FocusWriterGPLv3Linux, Mac OS WindowsC++QtHighly customizable, has basic .odt format support.[14]
geditGPLv2Cross-platformCGTK+Full-screen with F11; part of GNOME Core Applications.
KoalaWriterGPLv3Mac OS, WindowsC++QtClone of OmmWriter.[15]
MaraveGPLv2PythonQtSimilar to OmmWriter, CreaWriter.[16]
PyRoomGPLv3Mac OSPythonGTK+[17]
QuiEditGPLv3WindowsPythonQtMarkdownBasic text formatting.[18]
RubyRoomGPLv2Ruby[19]GTK+Latest version from 2009.
TextRoomGPLv3Mac OS, WindowsC++Qt (+GLib)Supports rich text.[20]
THEGPLv2Mac OS X, OS/2, Unix, WindowsRexx
VimVim LicenseCross-platformCDistraction-free plugins available.[21]

Freeware

NameOperating system supportNotable aspects, references
Calmly WriterChromeOS, Google Chrome browserWYSIWYG, image embedding, OpenDyslexic mode.[22]
FORCEdraftWindowsText editor that won't exit until the user's goal is reached.[23]
DarkRoomWindowsClone of WriteRoom for Windows .NET.[24]
JDarkRoomLinux, Mac OS, WindowsClone of DarkRoom written in Java.[25]
PoeWindows 8 (only)Word count goals, writing timers, auto-correct and resource links.[26]
WritemonkeyWindowsSupports Markdown Extra, Textile, WikiCreole.[27] Donors can access plugins including corkboard, timer.

Proprietary

NameOperating system supportNotable aspects, references
Bloom EditorWindowsUses 3D rendering for special effects and dynamic visual themes. Has a free limited version.[28]
CreaWriterWindowsClone of OmmWriter for Windows; has limited free version.[29]
FrostMac OS, WindowsPlays thematic ambient music, free to use, live word counter, downloading option.[30]
iA WriterMac OS, Windows, AndroidLightweight, has iCloud and Dropbox integration, iPad and iPhone version, Focus Mode, and Markdown support, light and dark writing modes, live rendering/preview, syntax highlighting, style check.
ISPFMVS through z/OS, VM/SP through z/VM, z/VSELatest version of Structured Programming Facility (SPF).[31]
MoopatoMac OS and WindowsMarkdown editor and e-book publishing app.[32]
NaNoScriBeWindowsRich text, on-screen word count, goals and timers. Built-in NaNoWriMo stats page.[33]
OmmWriterMac OS, WindowsSupports images as backgrounds, and a player for ambient music.[34]
Prime DraftMac OS, WindowsWriting mode that ensures forward progress and the avoidance of pre-emptive editing. Built-in calendar and writing target tracking.[35]
SPFOS/VS2, VM/SPEarly full screen editor for IBM mainframes.[36] Predecessor to ISPF.
Sublime TextLinux, Mac OS, WindowsCustomisable, for programmers,[37][38] has free trial version.[39]
WonderPenWindows, macOS, Linux
Write!WindowsMarkdown, spell-checker, cloud storage, sessions and folders scheme, RTL support.[40]
Write Onward!WindowsFullscreen writing software disallowing editing, copying or pasting text to let writers focus solely on the writing process.[41]
WriteRoomMac OSSimple.[42][43][44]
XEDITVM/SP through z/VMSuccessor to EDGAR and current z/VM editor.[45][46]
Xiosis ScribeWindows
ZenWriterWindowsSimple, with background images and ambient music.[47]

Features

Rich text support

Some distraction-free editors support rich text editing. These include CreaWriter, TextRoom, and WriteRoom.[20][29][48] In some cases, this feature turned off per default and must be set by a user.[48]

Syntax highlighting

Currently, only a few distraction-free editors support syntax highlighting. CodeRoom is an open source project with the purpose of creating a distraction-free code editor with customisable highlighting schemes.[9] The latest version of Marave supports syntax highlighting.[16] Sublime Text supports a distraction-free full-screen view.[37][38] Packages exist for GNU Emacs that turn off various features and reformat the display to a distraction-free layout while retaining syntax highlighting and other features familiar to Emacs users.

Aids to writing

Word count is a common feature in these editors. Other aids can include spell checkers, auto-corrections and quick text templates.[49]

Other Features

Many of the programs include timers to pace writing. FocusWriter and WriteMonkey, among others, include typewriter sound effects.[50]

See also

References

  1. ^ Full Screen Writing Program (English translation)
  2. ^ "Distraction-Free Text Editing". bweaver.net. June 23, 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  3. ^ Choudhury, Rahul (May 18, 2010). "5 innovations in text editing and IDEs". quplog. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  4. ^ Fitzpatrick, Jason (November 14, 2010). "Five Best Distraction-Free Writing Tools". Lifehacker. Archived 25 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Wax, Dustin. "Tips and Tricks for Distraction-Free Writing". Lifehack. Archived 28 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ Brinkmann, Martin (May 24, 2010). "Distraction Free Text Editor Zen Edit". Ghacks. Archived 14 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ "Text editors for distraction free writing". Linux And Friends. June 12, 2008. Archived from the original on 24 April 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  8. ^ "20 Fantastic Full Screen Text Editor for Distraction Free Writing". TechMalaya. February 7, 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  9. ^ "coderoom". Google Code Archive. Archived May 26, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ "WriteRoom". EmacsWiki. Archived 19 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Bastien (Jan 23, 2014). "Emacs as a distraction free environment". Google Groups. Archived 29 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ "GNU Emacs". GNU.org. Archived 27 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ^ Magal, Ido. "tabula-rasa-mode". Marmalade. Archived 26 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ "FocusWriter". Gott Code. Archived 29 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ^ "KoalaWriter". Google Code Archive. Archived 30 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ^ "marave". Google Code Archives. Archived May 25, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ^ "PyRoom". Archived 7 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ^ Mathôt, Sebastiaan (August 13, 2011). "QuiEdit". Cogsci.nl. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  19. ^ "RubyRoom". Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  20. ^ "TextRoom". Google Code Archives. Archived 29 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ^ junegunn. "goyo.vim". GitHub. Archived 9 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  22. ^ "Calmly Writer". Archived 28 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  23. ^ "FORCEdraft"
  24. ^ Fuller, Jeffrey (Nov 30, 2020). "DarkRoom". Codex. Archived 22 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  25. ^ "JDarkRoom". CodeAlchemists.com. Archived 13 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ^ "Poe". roryok.com. Archived 8 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ^ "Features". WriteMonkey. Archived 13 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  28. ^ "Bloom Editor". Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  29. ^ "CreaWriter". Archived 3 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  30. ^ "FROST - Minimalistic Writing App Set to Music". FROST. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  31. ^ "ISPF Edit and Edit Macros". z/OS 2.5. IBM. September 30, 2021. SC19-3621-5.
  32. ^ "Moopato eBook Writer". Archived 18 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  33. ^ "NaNoScriBe". roryok.com. Archived 11 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine.
  34. ^ "Frequently Meditated Questions". OmmWriter. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  35. ^ "Prime Draft". Archived 7 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  36. ^ Structured Programming Facility/Conversational Monitor System: Program Reference Manual - Program Number 5748-XT3. IBM. September 1979. SH20-2409-0.
  37. ^ Skinner, Jon (April 4, 2008). "Distraction Free Editing". Sublime HQ. Archived 3 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  38. ^ "Features". Sublime Text. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011.
  39. ^ "Download". Sublime Text. Archived 28 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  40. ^ "write app". Archived 12 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  41. ^ "Write Onward!". Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  42. ^ "WriteRoom". Hog Bay Software. Archived 22 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  43. ^ Eisenman, Bonnie (8 July 2010). "Writeroom Review". 148Apps. TrouserMac Industries. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  44. ^ Elliott, Amy-Mae (19 January 2011). "How to: Beat Writer's Block Online". Mashable. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  45. ^ "System Product Editor Command and Macro Reference - Release 3". Virtual Machine/System Product. Third ed. IBM. September 1983. SC24-5221-2.
  46. ^ "XEDIT User's Guide". z/VM Version 7 Release 2. IBM. September 9, 2020. SC24-6338-01.
  47. ^ "ZenWriter 3". Beenokle. Archived January 30, 2023 at the Wayback Machine.
  48. ^ Pelletier, Thomas (Feb 22, 2010). "Test of distraction-less text editors on OS X". Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  49. ^ Wagner, Ryan (January 20, 2011). "Q10 is a Full Screen Writing Program". CyberNet News. Archived 8 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
  50. ^ Comparison of Fullscreen text editors Archived 26 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine