Setup

Text Forge currently supports Linux and Windows (You can use it on other platforms with build it from source), Just download latest and install it! (or download portable version and extract it anywhere you want)

Now you can run Text Forge:

Install Modes

Now, you have a very lightweight editor, it's more like a core. There is a lot of plugged modules like action scripts, panel, etc. but you need another type of module too for work with you editor. This type is Mode, you can find more about modes here, but for now let's get your modes from official mode library!

Download Modes or Mode Kits

You can go here to find and download modes you want. Just click on name of mode you want and read setup guide in mode repository.

Then, you have one (or more) .zip or .tfmode file, you can import them with Settings > Mode Manager > Import Mode / Mode Kit, If everything done well, you will receive an info notification that says "Load mode / mode kit completed" and you can use your new modes now without restart editor.

Open A File

You have a ready code editor! Let's open a file:

• In top left of editor you have a list of menus. Click on File menu in top left.
• Click on Open and select your file in opened file dialog.
• Based on your file type (extension), Text Forge will open it in one of these ways:
  1. You have one installed mode for this file: Here, Text Forge will use mode to load file in editor and loads syntax highlighter from mode.
  2. You have some installed mode for this file: A popup will show, and you can select a mode to open file, then we have first situation.
  3. You haven't any installed mode for this file: Text Forge will send a warning (You can see it in notification panel) and open file using UTF-8 encoding. With this behavior you can open any file type that encoded with UTF-8 without any mode (It means a lot of files!) but there is no syntax highlighter for these files.
• Well done!