NoteTab Pro: When HTML Coding Speed Matters Additional Tools and Features Lee Underwood
Additional Tools and Features
A thesaurus and spell checker are also included in the program. When rushing to meet a deadline, I frequently have to enter text into a page manually. The spell check feature helps tremendously when fingers fly a little too fast. Words can be added to the spell checker to customize it for your particular needs.
File management is a breeze. Multiple files can be opened at once and are displayed with tabs across the top of the editing area. A quick [CTRL]+[TAB] switches between open files. Press [F6] and a window opens on the side of the screen. From there you can browse the directory you are using, or open another one and access files directly. Files can be saved in several formats, including DOS/Windows, UNIX, Mac, and EBCDIC.
One of the program's many handy features is the ability to expand "shortcuts." These are useful for rewriting text that is commonly used. For instance, in writing a tutorial on JavaScript, instead of repeatedly writing "JavaScript interpreter," I just type "jsi" (without the quotes), press [F2] and NoteTab promptly replaces it with "JavaScript interpreter." I use this for many different phrases on a regular basis. (You can keep a list of the codes on an index card for future reference. It's still faster than entering the entire phrase. You could also keep the clip library open and just click on the shortcut.)
There's also an "auto-replace mode." When this is turned on, you enter the shortcut and press a designated key (e.g., [SPACE] or [TAB]) and the phrase is inserted. It also works with the UltimaShell Autocompletion Server. This utility provides smart autocompletion and can learn new words as you type. A free version is available to NoteTab users.
In addition, NoteTab Pro includes many other features: links can be opened in the default browser, mathematical expressions can be calculated right in the document, and multiple undos and redos are supported, as as are word wrapping, converting files between ASCII and ANSI, and sending documents as e-mail. The program also includes outline capabilities as well as an extensive help file and a program manual (also available in PDF format).
NoteTab Pro can also act as a replacement for the Windows Notepad program. Instead of opening two programs, you can edit HTML files and text files simultaneously, one of the advantages being that files can be unlimited in size. Line numbers can also be shown.
Don't let the price fool you — this program performs like a more expensive application. You can download NoteTab Light and activate the features found in the Pro version for a limited time to try it out. The program requires Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000 or higher, a Intel® Pentium processor, 4 MB of free disk space, and 16 MB of RAM (32 MB for NT).
Conclusion
As we mentioned at the beginning of this review, if you prefer hand coding over WYSIWYG editing then you should check out NoteTab Pro. Using the power of the clip libraries, you can customize this editor to your specifications. Its power is only limited by you.
