Ask HN: Is there a grid style Notepad?

by vfinn on 5/25/2023, 1:13:48 PM with 5 comments
I'd like to be able to use a grid style text tool, similar to regular Notepad (or the likes), that would extend infinitely in all directions, and wouldn't require cumbersome linebreaks or spacings to reach a certain character point on the 2d grid/text. Instead of starting from the corner and having absolute coordinates, there would be a relative text center instead. Is there such a thing?

Usecase: I'd like to be able to write a history timeline in simple text, and if I did that in regular Notepad, it would be pure hell to navigate and level the text, if it had more than one line. There are most likely many tools for this, but I want it to be as simple and for as general use as possible, without any "graphical improvements/possibilities". Thank you.

Usecase 2: text style diagrams without pain :D.

edit: usecase 2, text changes.

  • by vhodges on 5/25/2023, 2:02:56 PM

    I saw the title and went to look up a bunch of paper notepads :-)... (and can share if anyone is interested)

    I tend to use Obsidian these days along with the excalidraw plugin (if you just want to try excalidraw without installing Obsidian: https://excalidraw.com/)

  • by CrypticShift on 5/25/2023, 1:54:45 PM

    As a "text editor", in MS Word (desktop), I know you can double-click anywhere and start writing (and rewriting on the same line won't affect the position of other inline "text cells").

    As an "infinite grid", there is https://strlen.com/treesheets/, but it is not exactly geared toward your aim (more like a spreadsheet/outliner combo, or "hierarchical spreadsheet").