Tool for appending to an existing text file with a few keystrokes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Iain Cheyne
  • Start date Start date
I

Iain Cheyne

I read a pretty amusing blog called Lifehacker. Today there is a
request for a tool that can quickly add text to a text file. Is there a
Windows tool that can do this?

Here is the original post:

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/mac-os-x/add-to-text-files-quicksilver-style-033776.php

"Add to text files Quicksilver style
FILED UNDER MAC OS X

One of the most fun, time-saving functions of Mac productivity software
Quicksilver is the ability to append to an existing text file with a
few keystrokes.
Say you want to add "milk" to shoppinglist.txt. No more Finder,
point, click, open, type, save, close. Instead, invoke Quicksilver
(Command Space by default), press ., type "milk", tab, type
"app" (for append), tab, type "shop" (for shoppinglist.txt).
Hit return and you're done - Quicksilver opens shoppinglist.txt, adds
"milk," saves and closes for you.
The steps may sound complicated to the non-Quicksilver converted, but
consider: 1.) your fingers never leave the keyboard and 2.) you work in
the order the thought popped into your head: "Milk! Must add to the
shopping list!" The slick time-saving Quicksilver (free/Mac only) is
so very worth workflow re-tooling, especially for the .txt-lovers out
there. Just getting started with Quicksilver? Check out Dan
Dickinson's 10-minute tutorial and 43 Folders' Quicksilver posts.
Hey, Smartypants: do you know of a Windows app that does this? Do let
tips at lifehacker.com know. I pay in link love."

It would be good to get more link love to alt.comp.freeware. :o)
 
One of the most fun, time-saving functions of Mac productivity software
Quicksilver is the ability to append to an existing text file with a
few keystrokes.
Click to expand...
You don't need a tool for this, all you need is good old dos :-).
Say you want to add "milk" to shoppinglist.txt. No more Finder,
point, click, open, type, save, close. Instead, invoke Quicksilver
(Command Space by default), press ., type "milk", tab, type
"app" (for append), tab, type "shop" (for shoppinglist.txt).
Click to expand...
Under windows invoke the command line (windows + r, cmd (>Win2K) or command
(Win95 + Win98)). Type 'echo "milk" >> shoppinglist.txt'

Regards
Martin Fischer
 
Under windows invoke the command line (windows + r, cmd (>Win2K) or
command (Win95 + Win98)). Type 'echo "milk" >> shoppinglist.txt'
Click to expand...

Thanks Martin. That's neat.

When I open the command line, it always opens at my user's root directory.
How do I get the command line to remember my last directory or always start
in My Documents for instance?
 
Thanks Martin. That's neat.

When I open the command line, it always opens at my user's root directory.
How do I get the command line to remember my last directory or always start
in My Documents for instance?
Click to expand...

To start allways from the My Documents folder, you have to change the
HOMEPATH environment variable:
1 Open System from the Control Panel.
2 Click Advanced/Environment Variables
3 Under "User variables for <user>": Add the variable HOMEPATH (or change
it) to: C:\My Documents

Now the command line opens under the My Documents folder. I don't know an
easy method to remember the last directory.
 
An other way: Using a unix command in dos
the echo >>filename is much more elegant.

made with:
sort <con>mike.txt
numbers are sorted by default from the first column

0
1
2
33
55
7
789

made with:
sort <con>>mike.txt

The sort has no effect with the append command >>!
random number entries are *not* sorted.

3
34
5
56
879

added with :
today *.* >>mike.txt

TODAY, Copyright (c) by Prof. Timo Salmi, (Ver. 1.4) Thu 27-Jul-
2000
Department of Accounting and Business Finance, University of Vaasa,
Finland

Using mask E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\*.*
Recursively 0 days back
Tu-22-02-05 20:01 E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\APPEND.TXT
Tu-22-02-05 20:02 E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\SUE.TXT
Tu-22-02-05 20:24 E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\TODAY
Tu-22-02-05 20:11 E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\TEST.TXT
Tu-22-02-05 19:28 E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\P18A.TXT
Tu-22-02-05 20:19 E:\DOWNLO~1\TEXTFI~1\MIKE.TXT
6 files found

or maybe:

this is some text made with the command
copy con sue.txt
hit F6 when done.

apple
meat

added with tee -a append.txt<con
again hit F6 when done.
margarine
floor wax

added with sort <con>>sue.txt
a note [not entered in this order]
angel
cards
persimmons
quinine

Thanks Iain for starting this thread. I may never have realized
the strange behaviour of the dos sort command without your impetus.
 
Thanks Iain for starting this thread. I may never have realized
the strange behaviour of the dos sort command without your impetus.
Click to expand...

Errr... my pleasure.

;o)
 
I read a pretty amusing blog called Lifehacker. Today there is a
request for a tool that can quickly add text to a text file. Is there a
Windows tool that can do this?
Click to expand...

Instead, invoke Quicksilver
(Command Space by default), press ., type "milk", tab, type
"app" (for append), tab, type "shop" (for shoppinglist.txt).
Hit return and you're done - Quicksilver opens shoppinglist.txt, adds
"milk," saves and closes for you.
Click to expand...

< snip >

Add text quickly in windows ?

The above appears to be about six steps. That could be done in
windows too. Instead of installing something like Quicksilver one
makes a text shortcut on the desktop. Then the steps are .

Double click the shortcut. That one step opens up your shopping
list file. Or if you want to do it from the keyboard then give it a
shortcut key activation.

Type "milk"

Press "enter"

Then alt F4.

Then "s".

Seems as fast, or faster, than the MAC method. IIRC there are some
text editors that, by default, can save AND close (or was that close
and save ?) with the one instruction.

I cannot remember the name(s) of the windows editors that do that but
perhaps someone else here will remember ?

I expect some windows editors can be configured to "save on close".
Again, I cannot think of an example at the moment.

Regards, John.

--
****************************************************
,-._|\ (A.C.F FAQ) http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/faq.html
/ Oz \ John Fitzsimons - Melbourne, Australia.
\_,--.x/ http://www.vicnet.net.au/~johnf/welcome.htm
v http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/
 
< snip >

Add text quickly in windows ?

The above appears to be about six steps. That could be done in
windows too. Instead of installing something like Quicksilver one
makes a text shortcut on the desktop. Then the steps are .

Double click the shortcut. That one step opens up your shopping
list file. Or if you want to do it from the keyboard then give it
a shortcut key activation.

Type "milk"

Press "enter"

Then alt F4.

Then "s".

Seems as fast, or faster, than the MAC method. IIRC there are some
text editors that, by default, can save AND close (or was that
close and save ?) with the one instruction.

I cannot remember the name(s) of the windows editors that do that
but perhaps someone else here will remember ?

I expect some windows editors can be configured to "save on
close". Again, I cannot think of an example at the moment.
Click to expand...
Win32pad
http://www.gena01.com/win32pad/

close with requester on pressing Esc.

Emeditor
not freeware

Mempad 232 by Horst Schaeffer
http://home.mnet-online.de/horst.muc
close and exit with save on Esc.

Baikal Wordpad
Programs's HomePage: http://baikalsoft.virtualave.net
exit with prompt on Esc.

BDVnotepad
http://www.badevlad.hotmail.ru
exit with prompt on Esc.

EditHLA v 1.13
By Sevag Kekorian
One of the tiniest editors going!
auto save on exit without prompt may be set
use/not use of registry may be set
Opens large files.
One of my favorites.
http://www.geocities.com/kahlinor/EditHLA.html


Maybe someone will add to the list?
I have a lot more information than energy to share it.
 
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