WordGrinder is a lightweight, Unicode-aware word processor designed to let you concentrate on writing rather than formatting. It runs directly in a terminal, offering a predominantly keyboard-driven interface with menus that make commands accessible without having to memorise complicated keyboard shortcuts.
Unlike conventional word processors, WordGrinder is not a WYSIWYG editor or desktop publishing application. Its emphasis is on creating and editing text, with enough formatting capabilities to organise longer documents without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Documents can contain headings, lists, basic paragraph styles, and character formatting. Multiple documents can be stored within a single document set, making it practical to organise related writing projects. A table of contents provides navigation between headings, while word and page counts help track writing progress.
WordGrinder uses a text-based native file format that works with standard diff tools. It also supports importing and exporting documents in several common formats. An optional OpenGL graphical interface provides an alternative to the terminal environment.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Unicode-aware word processing with a keyboard-driven interface.
- Basic character formatting, including bold, italic, and underline.
- Paragraph styles supporting headings, lists, and other document structures.
- Multiple documents within a single document set.
- Table of contents navigation for structured documents.
- Import plain text, OpenDocument, HTML, and Markdown documents.
- Export to plain text, OpenDocument, HTML, Markdown, LaTeX, troff, and Emacs Org mode.
- Undo and redo, search and replace, and text selection.
- Word and page counts, including counts for selected text.
- Spell checking with support for system and user dictionaries.
- Configurable automatic saving of timestamped document snapshots.
- Customisable keyboard shortcuts and reusable document templates.
- Support for smart quotes, mouse input, and multiple scrolling modes.
- Command-line scripting through the embedded Luau interpreter.
- Optional OpenGL graphical interface with configurable fonts and colours.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Website: github.com/davidgiven/wordgrinder
Support:
Developer: David Given
License: MIT License
WordGrinder uses Luau, a derivative of Lua. Learn Lua with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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