I just found a handy tool named Txtcollector, which merges multiple text files into one, with insertion of filenames and separator lines:

https://bluefive.pairsite.com/txtcollector.htm

I have folders of many small text files, and I need to go through them all and edit each one. This is made especially tedious by the limitations of the file managers I use. For each file I have to: (1) highlight the file in the file list pane; (2) load the file in a text editor (double-click or press F4); (3) edit the file; (4) save the file (Ctrl+S, or using mouse); (5) close the editor (Esc or other key); (6) move highlight to next file. Repeat for all files.

I would like to find a file manager with a viewer pane that is also an editor - anybody know of one? Ideally after highlighting the file in the file list pane, I could tab to the editor pane, make my edits, then tab back to the list pane, saving the edits automatically. Anybody know of any such a file manager?

Even better, it would be great I could find a text editor into which I could load many files at once, with all files appearing consecutively in a single window, with some kind of visual indication of the boundary between each file. Each file could then be edited by browsing through the single "virtual file" and making edits. When the "virtual file" is saved, the changes would be saved to each of the individual text files that makes up the "virtual file". I seem to recall that the Sense editor had some kind of capability like this? Anybody know about this, or any other such editor?

I haven't checked yet, but perhaps the author of Txtcollector has a companion utility to write a merged file made by Txtcollector back to separate files. If not I'll suggest it.

You can try the Atom Editor (https://atom.io or if you are on macOS i recommend XCode.

Programmer editors are pretty good for this because programming means working with lots of small files.
But if you aren't a programmer, it might be a bit confusing to get started.

On Atom just start the program and then use "Add Project Directory" from the File menu.

ResophNotes?

1) Txt editor as you prescribed:

That text editor might not exist. Because you want multi files to be pulled in as a single file. Then changes for different sections saved to original multi files. The big new file is a temporary file, either not saved &/or saved as a new big file. That's the problem.

You might try database viewers which have nice text editing Windows/panes with regular txt editing functions (usual editor goodies). Then dynamically link the txt files as fields. Or as cells in a spreadsheet that has the same editor niceties. But it'll be quicker otherwise.

My route is there other way. I have large note files on the phone separated by lines made of any number of:
_______
or
------------
or
========

Then I use an app to cut the big file into multi files where the above line characters occur. Can sort groups of them into relevant subfolders.

What you want would need invisible placeholders to remember which paragraphs belong to what file. Doesn't exist IMHO. It'll need rule sets of how to behave too, boundaries might change in editing.

You can look into scripts that pipe text files into editors. But I don't think they maintain live relationships from chunks to extremal files, again a new big file is created as temp and/or a new big saved file.



2) File manager as you specified:
For Which platform: Windows, Mac, Linux?

This is from my outliner bookmarks folder, haven't tried it yet, don't need it really.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/multitexteditor/

Keeps files separate though, not as you want merged yet not merged paradox!

Again, ResophNotes. It does everything you seem to want to do.

The OP listed what he’s looking for:
I have folders of many small text files, and I need to go through them all and edit each one. This is made especially tedious by the limitations of the file managers I use. For each file I have to: (1) highlight the file in the file list pane; (2) load the file in a text editor (double-click or press F4); (3) edit the file; (4) save the file (Ctrl+S, or using mouse); (5) close the editor (Esc or other key); (6) move highlight to next file. Repeat for all files.
—-I would like to find a file manager with a viewer pane that is also an editor - anybody know of one? Ideally after highlighting the file in the file list pane, I could tab to the editor pane, make my edits, then tab back to the list pane, saving the edits automatically. Anybody know of any such a file manager?—-

ResophNotes:
You can enter tons of individual text files. Just drag them into the Resoph folder.
(This requires the option “to be kept as single files” to be toggled on)
It loads them all into a list on the left side.
Whichever note is highlighted on the left is shown in the right pane - and editable!
Quickly move on to the next note.
The notes can then be exported as one large file with lines separating each note.
At that point, everything you asked for is almost exactly as you defined the software you are looking for!

Here is an old review.
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ditch-notepad-organize-all-your-scattered-notes-neatly-on-resophnotes-windows/

Ignore the Simplenote synching as it sounds like that’s not necessary for your needs.

https://resoph.com

Good luck!

I obviously meant “everything THEY” looked for, not “you.”
Sorry.

Thanks for the link to Txtcollector; it may well prove handy!

jimspoon wrote:

I would like to find a file manager with a viewer pane that is also an
editor - anybody know of one?

I assume that you are in WIndows (since Txtcollector is a Windows programme). I know that Xplorer2 https://www.zabkat.com/x2facts.htm offers this functionality. There may well be others.

The alternative is to find a text editor with an integrated file manager pane. Some have already been mentioned above. Indeed, "projects" in programmers' editors represent whole trees of files, directly accessible and editable. You may want to check out Visual Studio in this regard https://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/8060/0/visual-studio-code-for-outlining-and-crimping

If you find the above a bit too heavy, you may want to check out TextPad https://www.textpad.com/ It's not free, but its price is quite moderate, particularly given the current GBP exchange rate (the reasons of which are not suitable for discussing at a civil forum such as this one...)

Even better, it would be great I could find a text editor into which I
could load many files at once, with all files appearing consecutively in
a single window, with some kind of visual indication of the boundary
between each file. Each file could then be edited by browsing through
the single "virtual file" and making edits. When the "virtual file" is
saved, the changes would be saved to each of the individual text files
that makes up the "virtual file". I seem to recall that the Sense
editor had some kind of capability like this?

It's quite interesting that such a wish --or variations thereof-- appears here once in a decade or so, and the answer remains the same... See here for more:
https://www.outlinersoftware.com/messages/viewm/19171

What the Sense editor can do is rather different, i.e. to show various views of the same document.

@jimspoon

Our Easy Data Transform software for Windows and Mac can do some of what you want and it is currently *free*:
https://www.easydatatransform.com

3 minute video:
https://www.screencast.com/t/EkvJ4XhhsX

But currently:
-you will have to drag all the files into it (the ability to add folders recursively would be a useful addition)
-it won't add delimiters between the files (this would also be a useful addition)

Also it will create a new aggregated file. But it won't modify the originals. That is by design and is unlikely to change.

I am keen to get feedback. If you try it, let me know how you get on:
https://www.easydatatransform.com/contact.html

Thanks for everybody for the replies! The first thing I'm going to try is ResophNotes. I had forgotten about it!

Meanwhile, I'm embarrassed to say that when I actually tried TxtCollector, I couldn't get it to work. I haven't yet had time to troubleshoot it.

Meanwhile - I found some other solutions on this page:

5 Ways To Combine or Merge Multiple Text Files • Raymond.CC - https://www.raymond.cc/blog/combine-or-merge-all-text-files-with-txtcollector/

Here are links to some programs mentioned there -

Text Merge and Text Split - http://www.maliska.net/mal/

Text File Joiners - https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/Text-File-Joiner.shtml

Notepad++ Combine plugin - http://www.scout-soft.com/combine/

washere wrote:

1) Txt editor as you prescribed:

That text editor might not exist. Because you want multi files to be
pulled in as a single file. Then changes for different sections saved to
original multi files. The big new file is a temporary file, either not
saved &/or saved as a new big file. That's the problem.

I don't really see why it would a problem, seems eminently possible from a programming standpoint. The viewer/editor would show all the loaded text files in a single stream, with say, a dotted line (not an actual part of the text, but just a display element) marking the boundary between the content of one file and another. You could freely move text to a location between two particular dotted lines (the text of file A), to a location between two other dotted lines (the text of file B). Then you could do a save operation. And File A would be saved with the text so deleted, and File B would be saved with the text so added to it.

You might try database viewers which have nice text editing
Windows/panes with regular txt editing functions (usual editor goodies).
Then dynamically link the txt files as fields. Or as cells in a
spreadsheet that has the same editor niceties. But it'll be quicker
otherwise.

Not quite sure I understand how this would work.

My route is there other way. I have large note files on the phone
separated by lines made of any number of:
_______
or
------------
or
========

Then I use an app to cut the big file into multi files where the above
line characters occur. Can sort groups of them into relevant subfolders.

That is a good strategy, and sometimes I use it myself.

What you want would need invisible placeholders to remember which
paragraphs belong to what file. Doesn't exist IMHO. It'll need rule sets
of how to behave too, boundaries might change in editing.

You can look into scripts that pipe text files into editors. But I don't
think they maintain live relationships from chunks to extremal files,
again a new big file is created as temp and/or a new big saved file.

2) File manager as you specified:
For Which platform: Windows, Mac, Linux?

Windows.

jimspoon wrote:

Even better, it would be great I could find a text editor into which I
could load many files at once, with all files appearing consecutively in
a single window, with some kind of visual indication of the boundary
between each file. Each file could then be edited by browsing through
the single "virtual file" and making edits. When the "virtual file" is
saved, the changes would be saved to each of the individual text files
that makes up the "virtual file". I seem to recall that the Sense
editor had some kind of capability like this? Anybody know about this,
or any other such editor?

Just an update on this part of my inquiry - I had forgotten about Depeche View, which does display many files in a single stream, with delimiters between each file. I didn't think it had editing functions too, I need to look into that - here's the link:

http://stahlworks.com/dev/depeche-view.html?r=dvinfo-61-2

Thanks for this, very useful!

jimspoon wrote:

Just an update on this part of my inquiry - I had forgotten about
Depeche View, which does display many files in a single stream, with
delimiters between each file.

Also it seems that Depeche View may indeed be able to save edits to many different text files (loaded all into a single stream), all at once! If I am reading this right:

http://stahlworks.com/dev/doc/dviewhelp.html#Chapter_9_Pro_The_Integrated_Text_Editor

"While editing text, as soon as you typed in text changes,
you see two buttons at the right top, "Save" and "Revert".

- when you click on "Save", all changes of all edited files
are saved to disk, and all open editors are closed
(DView goes back to search mode)."

I remember trying DepecheView in the past, but I was just put off by the interface. And the very different way of working with files. (Sorry Depeche View developer! But it might be worth another look.)