Full-screen writing program

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
AcmeLPLYesPlan 9, Mac OS, WindowsMouse chording; supports sending selected text through pipelines of programs; extensible & scriptable via any language.
CodeRoomGPLv3YesMac OS, WindowsC++QtNoQSyntaxHighlighterSupports syntax highlighting.[9]
GNU EmacsGPLv3YesUnix, Mac OS, WindowsC, Emacs Lispcurses, GTK+YesYesYesSupports syntax highlighting, programmable, several distraction-free packages available.[10][11][12][13]
FocusWriterGPLv3YesMac OS, WindowsC++QtEnchantHighly customizable, has basic .odt format support.[14]
geditGPLv2YesCross-platformCGTK+EnchantGtkSourceViewUnicodeFull-screen with F11; part of GNOME Core Applications.
KoalaWriterGPLv3YesMac OS, WindowsC++QtNoNoNoClone of OmmWriter.[15]
MaraveGPLv2YesNoPythonQtEnchantGNU source-highlightSimilar to OmmWriter, CreaWriter.[16]
PyRoomGPLv3YesMac OSPythonGTK+NoNoNo[17]
QuiEditGPLv3YesWindowsPythonQtHunspellYesMarkdownBasic text formatting.[18]
RubyRoomGPLv2YesNoRuby[19]GTK+NoNoNoLatest version from 2009.
TextRoomGPLv3YesMac OS, WindowsC++Qt (+GLib)HunspellSupports rich text.[20]
THE GPLv2 Yes Mac OS X, OS/2, Unix, Windows Rexx Yes Yes No
Vim Vim LicenseYes Cross-platform C YesYes Distraction-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]
Q10WindowsPortable, has word count features.
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]
Frost Mac OS, Windows Plays 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.
ISPF MVS through z/OS, VM/SP through z/VM, z/VSE Latest 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]
SPF OS/VS2, VM/SP Early full screen editor for IBM mainframes.[36] Predecessor to ISPF.
Sublime TextLinux, Mac OS, WindowsCustomisable, for programmers,[37][38] has free trial version.[39]
WonderPen Windows, 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]
XEDIT VM/SP through z/VM Successor 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. 23 June 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  3. Choudhury, Rahul (18 May 2010). "5 innovations in text editing and IDEs". quplog. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  4. Fitzpatrick, Jason (14 November 2010). "Five Best Distraction-Free Writing Tools". Lifehacker. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022.
  5. Wax, Dustin. "Tips and Tricks for Distraction-Free Writing". Lifehack. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022.
  6. Brinkmann, Martin (24 May 2010). "Distraction Free Text Editor Zen Edit". Ghacks. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022.
  7. "Text editors for distraction free writing". Linux And Friends. 12 June 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. 7 February 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  9. "coderoom". Google Code Archive. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022.
  10. "WriteRoom". EmacsWiki. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021.
  11. Bastien (23 January 2014). "Emacs as a distraction free environment". Google Groups. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023.
  12. "GNU Emacs". GNU.org. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023.
  13. Magal, Ido. "tabula-rasa-mode". Marmalade. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017.
  14. "FocusWriter". Gott Code. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023.
  15. "KoalaWriter". Google Code Archive. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.
  16. "marave". Google Code Archives. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  17. "PyRoom". Archived from the original on 7 December 2022.
  18. Mathôt, Sebastiaan (13 August 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 from the original on 29 January 2023.
  21. junegunn. "goyo.vim". GitHub. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  22. "Calmly Writer". Archived from the original on 28 January 2023.
  23. "FORCEdraft".
  24. Fuller, Jeffrey (30 November 2020). "DarkRoom". Codex. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023.
  25. "JDarkRoom". CodeAlchemists.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022.
  26. "Poe". roryok.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013.
  27. "Features". WriteMonkey. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022.
  28. "Bloom Editor". Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  29. "CreaWriter". Archived from the original on 3 July 2022.
  30. "FROST - Minimalistic Writing App Set to Music". FROST. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  31. ISPF Edit and Edit Macros (PDF). 30 September 2021. SC19-3621-5. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  32. "Moopato eBook Writer". Archived from the original on 18 December 2022.
  33. "NaNoScriBe". roryok.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019.
  34. "Frequently Meditated Questions". OmmWriter. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  35. "Prime Draft". Archived from the original on 7 December 2022.
  36. Structured Programming Facility/Conversational Monitor System: Program Reference Manual - Program Number 5748-XT3 (PDF). IBM. September 1979. SH20-2409-0.
  37. Skinner, Jon (4 April 2008). "Distraction Free Editing". Sublime HQ. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023.
  38. "Features". Sublime Text. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011.
  39. "Download". Sublime Text. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023.
  40. "write app". Archived from the original on 12 January 2023.
  41. "Write Onward!". Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  42. "WriteRoom". Hog Bay Software. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023.
  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 (PDF). September 1983. SC24-5221-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  46. XEDIT User's Guide (PDF). 9 September 2020. SC24-6338-01. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  47. "ZenWriter 3". Beenokle. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023.
  48. Pelletier, Thomas (22 February 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 (20 January 2011). "Q10 is a Full Screen Writing Program". CyberNet News. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021.
  50. Comparison of Fullscreen text editors Archived 26 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
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