KeenWrite – Java-based desktop text editor

A text editor is software used for editing plain text files. It has many different uses such as modifying system configuration files, writing programming language source code, jotting down thoughts, or even making a grocery list.

Whatever the level of sophistication of the editor, they typically have a common set of functionality, such as searching/replacing text, formatting text, undo/redo, importing files, as well as moving text within the file. However, some editors have interesting features. KeenWrite is an example of a text editor that stands out from the crowd.

Installation

As this is Java-based software, KeenWrite runs on many platforms. The developer provides a binary for both Linux and Windows. And there’s the full source code available.

There’s also a jar available from the developer. You’ll need to install a Java Runtime Environment that includes JavaFX, a next generation client application platform.

We tested the software exclusively with the developer’s Linux binary.

For the PDF export options, you’ll need to install typesetter. On Linux, you’ll need to download and install ConTeXt.

Install ConTeXt on Ubuntu with the command:

$ sudo apt install context

You’ll also need to install a theme before exporting.

In Operation

Here’s an image of KeenWrite in action showing the program’s customizable user interface which offers detachable tabs.

There’s also dark, custom, and responsive user interface skins which let you change the user interface appearance.

One of the main features that sets this Markdown editor apart from the plethora of other text editors available for Linux is that it offers string interpolation to separate and modularize a document’s text content (as opposed to its presentation and layout). The image above shows three panes, with the centre pane being the traditional editor, the right hand pane offers a real-time preview of the output, and the left pane holding variables.

The left pane lets you assign key and value pairs within a YAML-formatted document which is then referenced in the Markdown document. Combine this with auto-complete variable names based on variable values.

There’s lots of traditional text editor features such as real-time spell checking, interactive document outline, together with an integrated file manager.

KeenWrite also supports R integration. The application uses an interpreter known as Renjin to integrate with R.

There’s also good support for real-time rendering of math using TeX, a popular means of typesetting complex mathematical formulae.

The text editor offers the following export options:

• PDF;
• Joined PDF;
• HTML and SVG;
• HTML and TeX;
• XHTML and TeX;
• Markdown.

Other features of the text editor include real-time document statistics, support for diagrams including GraphViz, UML, Mermaid and more. There’s internationalization support, and Pandoc’s fenced div extended attribute syntax.

Summary

KeenWrite is a competent Markdown text editor, but it faces stiff competition from more mature programs.

Many Linux users have long settled on their favourite text editor, and convincing them to move to a different editor is a challenging task.

String interpolation is common in many programming languages but not found in text editors. It makes KeenWrite akin to a simple programmer’s development environment than a simple text editor.

KeenWrite is definitely a work-in-progress. It would benefit from real-time collaboration functionality, thesaurus, autocomplete, and more besides.

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