In computing, a full-screen writing programFull Screen Writing Program (English translation) or distraction-free editor 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. 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. Some editors support rich text editing.

List of full screen editors

Free and open-source

Name License Linux Other supported operating systems Programming language Toolkit Spell checker Syntax highlighting WYSIWYG Notable aspects, references Acme LPL Plan 9, Mac OS, Windows Mouse chording; supports sending selected text through pipelines of programs; extensible & scriptable via any language. CodeRoom GPLv3 Mac OS, Windows C++ Qt Supports syntax highlighting. GNU Emacs GPLv3 Unix, Mac OS, Windows C, Emacs Lisp curses, GTK+ Supports syntax highlighting, programmable, several distraction-free packages available. FocusWriter GPLv3 Linux, Mac OS Windows C++ Qt Highly customizable, has basic .odt format support. gedit GPLv2 Cross-platform C GTK+ Full-screen with ; part of GNOME Core Applications. KoalaWriter GPLv3 Mac OS, Windows C++ Qt Clone of OmmWriter. Marave GPLv2 Python Qt Similar to OmmWriter, CreaWriter. PyRoom GPLv3 Mac OS Python GTK+ QuiEdit GPLv3 Windows Python Qt Markdown Basic text formatting. RubyRoom GPLv2 Ruby GTK+ Latest version from 2009. TextRoom GPLv3 Mac OS, Windows C++ Qt (+GLib) Supports rich text. THE GPLv2 Mac OS X, OS/2, Unix, Windows Rexx VimVim License Cross-platformC Distraction-free plugins available.

Freeware

Name Operating system support Notable aspects, references Calmly Writer ChromeOS, Google Chrome browser WYSIWYG, image embedding, OpenDyslexic mode. FORCEdraft Windows Text editor that won't exit until the user's goal is reached. DarkRoom Windows Clone of WriteRoom for Windows .NET. JDarkRoom Linux, Mac OS, Windows Clone of DarkRoom written in Java. Poe Windows 8 (only) Word count goals, writing timers, auto-correct and resource links. Writemonkey Windows Supports Markdown Extra, Textile, WikiCreole. Donors can access plugins including corkboard, timer.

Proprietary

Name Operating system support Notable aspects, references Bloom Editor Windows Uses 3D rendering for special effects and dynamic visual themes. Has a free limited version. CreaWriter Windows Clone of OmmWriter for Windows; has limited free version.FrostMac OS, WindowsPlays thematic ambient music, free to use, live word counter, downloading option. iA Writer Mac OS, Windows, Android Lightweight, 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). Moopato Mac OS and Windows Markdown editor and e-book publishing app. NaNoScriBe Windows Rich text, on-screen word count, goals and timers. Built-in NaNoWriMo stats page. OmmWriter Mac OS, Windows Supports images as backgrounds, and a player for ambient music. Prime Draft Mac OS, Windows Writing mode that ensures forward progress and the avoidance of pre-emptive editing. Built-in calendar and writing target tracking. SPF OS/VS2, VM/SP Early full screen editor for IBM mainframes. Predecessor to ISPF. Sublime Text Linux, Mac OS, Windows Customisable, for programmers, has free trial version.WonderPenWindows, macOS, Linux Write! Windows Markdown, spell-checker, cloud storage, sessions and folders scheme, RTL support. Write Onward! Windows Fullscreen writing software disallowing editing, copying or pasting text to let writers focus solely on the writing process. WriteRoom Mac OS Simple. XEDIT VM/SP through z/VM Successor to EDGAR and current z/VM editor. Xiosis Scribe Windows ZenWriter Windows Simple, with background images and ambient music.

Features

Rich text support

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

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. The latest version of Marave supports syntax highlighting. Sublime Text supports a distraction-free full-screen view. 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.

Other Features Many of the programs include timers to pace writing. FocusWriter and WriteMonkey, among others, include typewriter sound effects.Comparison of Fullscreen text editors

See also Text editor

References