with Simple Text, can you see color

[jcarter]

I am not quite sure of how to say this, but when we view the code with Firefox(not Safari), we can view everything in color and this helps me immensly in my class and making my pages.  Is there any way to get Simple Text to do this? Like this screenshot from the weather channnel with Firefox.


We are supposed to use only it and not other text editors in class.
Thanks,
Jane

[FLASH1296]

I just copied and pasted your colorful graphic into TextEdit
I had no problem reproducing it precisely and colorfully

I fail to see what your problem is
Are you using an old version of Text Edit ?
Current is  v. 1.4 (build220)

[Paddy]

Jane, AFAIK, no, TextEdit - and I assume you mean this, not SimpleText which is OS 9 or earlier - doesn't do this. I'm also assuming that you're talking about writing HTML, not simply copying and pasting it into an editor.

TextWrangler (free from Barebones) does, as do all the apps mentioned in this thread (some of them free, some of them shareware):

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=308144

Why is the instructor limiting your choice? I think you could make an excellent case for any of the freeware apps mentioned. Smultron and Taco look interesting.

[jcarter]

Oh, I did mean Text Edit. I had been reading something earlier in a magazine about Simple Text, so my brain got stuck.

The version of Text Edit that Im using is 1.4(220), on my Tiger machine. I just copied and pasted another PageSource in from Firefox, and it reverted it to just b+w, no color.
Here is a screenshot of the preferences, do you think that my problem is here, that I should have Rich Text checked?  We were instructed to leave it on Plain Text in class.
I have Text Wrangler, the newest version, but the instructor said please use only Text Edit, I dont know why though.
Now that I am making my own pages all the time outside of class, I sure should switch to TextWrangler, need learn how to use it first though.
Thank you again,
Jane

[tacit]

TextEdit is not intended to be an HTML editor (though it works just fine for this), and it does not do HTML syntax hilighting, which is what you're asking for. (Syntax hilighting is when a text editor automatically "recognizes" a markup or computer programming language and changes the color, spacing, or indent level of elements in the text to make them easier to read.)

I would suggest talking to your instructor. Most likely, your instructor wants you to use only TextEdit in order to make sure you are not using a WYSIWYG HTML editor like GoLive or Dreamweaver to make the HTML for you. Tell your instructor "I understand why you want us to use only a text editor, but TextEdit does not do syntax hilighting and TextWrangler does. Text Wrangler is a plain text editor, not a WYSIWYG HTML editor, but it does syntax hilighting. For that reason, I would prefer to use it."

[jcarter]

Hi Tacit, Thank you!
I certainly will ask for that, thats probably just the reason she told us not to use anything but TextEdit.  (How did Flash get it to work?)
So now I will get right to work learning TextWrangler, soon as we get home from Maine and New Hampshire.  


While Ive got your help,,,,,,do you know why I cannot seem to ever color my text using mac Mail program version 1.3.11 (v622/624) on this Panther machine?  It looks fine while composing but when I send it, the color is gone.
Ive got a newer version of Mail on my Tiger machine, but I use this one for communications and that one for my photo work and my art stuff.
If that new version works with color text, I will start to use it.
Thanks again,
Jane

[tacit]

QUOTE(jcarter @ Sep 17 2007, 04:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While Ive got your help,,,,,,do you know why I cannot seem to ever color my text using mac Mail program version 1.3.11 (v622/624) on this Panther machine?  It looks fine while composing but when I send it, the color is gone.
Ive got a newer version of Mail on my Tiger machine, but I use this one for communications and that one for my photo work and my art stuff.
If that new version works with color text, I will start to use it.
Thanks again,
Jane

Do you have your mail program set to send plain text? If so, that's all you get--no fonts, no colors.

[jcarter]

I sure wish I had it on plain text, but it is set on Rich Text, see screenshot as Ive got it set.  
Its version mac Mail program version 1.3.11 (v622/624) here on my Panther machine, perhaps this is not possible on this version?
Its frustrating, as my PC classmates ask me why I cannot send email in color on a Mac. Tried it with Gmail, but I dont want to abandon Mac Mail.
Thank you again,
Jane

[FLASH1296]

YOU did set your Text edit prefs to RICH TEXT, didn't you?

L O L

[jcarter]

Hi Flash,
 Did you see the screen shot, eh?
I think its the version thats giving us the problem.
Jane

[Paddy]

Jane, have a look at this thread on the Apple forums:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?m...76&#5042876

Although I suspect that you're trying to send more than one color already and this doesn't perhaps apply, it was interesting and might have some relevance. I certainly didn't know this about Mail!!

[jcarter]

Hi Paddy, Thank you!
  Now I understand the problem, first, my mail version is old, and second, it wont work even with the new version most of the time.  And they explained there why.  So thats that.
I will use my gmail account if I need to send in color and different fonts.  Sometimes its a requirement in one of my web classes, we need the questions in dark blue and the answers in red.  And its sometimes fun to 'dress up' an email once in a while like when I send a birthday card or something like that to a relative or a friend.  But screenshots can suffice too.
Jane