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Introduction

I loved Windows Notepad! I wrote all my HTML, Jscript, CMD scripts, and much more in Notepad. It was my favorite text file editing tool for general software development purposes. It is fast and simple. So, why did I write a replacement program?

The primary purpose of the CryptPad program is to provide optional text file encryption. This is valuable for text files which contain sensitive information. Unlike many other encryption solutions, this one requires no installation, is very simple, and non-intrusive on the operating system. CryptPad only encrypts and decrypts one text file at save and open. There is never a decrypted version of the text file stored unless the operator specifies to remove the encryption. The text file can be stored multiple places and moved freely like any other text file, but always in encrypted form. Anyone who knows the encryption string can read the text file with this program.

You may refer to the section on Encryption for additional details.

It is important, for better security, to use different passwords on each website you visit. In order to maintain these multiple passwords, I have a text file with all the passwords in it that I use. This is also a security risk unless the text file is encrypted. I have examined many encryption solutions and none does exactly what I need. I need to be able to transport and store an encrypted text file anywhere I want. Encrypted drives are not what I need. The text file must never exist in decrypted form. Therefore I need a simple editor which opens, decrypts, edits, encrypts, and saves a text file.

I also want the encrypted text to remain plaintext and not binary so that the operator can use the encrypted text anywhere (such as by copy and paste) you can use plaintext. I also want the size of the data to remain as small as practical. Therefore, special encodings of binary encryptions do not serve my purposes.

You might notice my use of the word "operator". I am a little uncomfortable with the word "user". I am deeply steeped in the computer industry having worked over 40 years with computers since about 1971. I remember the use of the word "luser" (loser) by those educated ignoramuses who considered their priesthood as above the lowly computer user. There is also the unfortunate association with the phrase "drug user". Sensitivity may not be considered a "manly" trait but I treasure and practice this characteristic. I evaluate the use of words just as carefully as I evaluate the computer software I use and write.

Notice that I do not at any point describe CryptPad as a Notepad clone. A clone is an exact copy. Notepad has some very specific functionality, which I have not seen any simple Notepad clone duplicate completely. For example, the Undo function of Notepad has not been properly implemented in most claimed "clones". Undo is implemented wherever practical in CryptPad. I have also not seen a simple "clone" which properly implements UTF-8 and Unicode conversions or reads text files with ANSI characters as Notepad and CryptPad do. Major Notepad replacement programs such as Notepad++ will support these character encodings.

CryptPad is intended to be nearly the same as Windows 7 Notepad. I have chosen not to include the printing function. I almost never use paper or printing! Those rare occasions when I might want to print I can just use Notepad. CryptPad is not a "clone" but is close enough to be a useful replacement. Now that I have created the source code for a replacement for Notepad, I have been adding functions useful in my daily editing and general software development work.

I also have a major problem with Notepad because it allows a problem called parallel (or concurrent, or simultaneous) update. In parallel update, you already have a text file open with edits but it goes to the background when you switch windows. Later you open the text file again forgetting that you already had it open. You make new edits and close the text file. You switch to the old window later forgetting (Is this forgetting because I have been programming for over forty years?) you had changed it in a new window and save it again. Your previous edits are lost! There are several sequences of events that can lead to data loss. The situation is even worse if you edit a text file on a network share and somebody else edits the same text file!

Unlike Notepad, CryptPad maintains the text file in an opened state locked against parallel changes but shared with text file readers. This protects the text file against accidental parallel modification data loss problems. I have had this happen to me on occasion with Notepad. You can still lose changes but it will have to be by a deliberate sequence of actions and not by casual accident. CryptPad will open read-only when needed, but it will not allow the text file to be changed and saved.

Warning! I have discovered in rare cases that some network connections will not maintain the text file open/lock for very long. I do not have a clear understanding of this problem yet. It seems to happen with old file servers that also support web services. When you attempt to save and it fails, you will need to use Save As to save the text file. You are not protected against the parallel update problem.

CryptPad contains many small improvements and special tools beyond what Notepad provides useful for editing. The most significant other addition is the optional use of .NET Framework Regular Expression Syntax for Find and Replace.

I hope you find the CryptPad program useful. I am interested in any problems you may find in the program and in particular any incompatibility as a Notepad replacement. I intend to keep the program as small and simple as practical. CryptPad will always be a switchblade not a Swiss Army knife.

I continue to use, modify, and test the CryptPad program. I will return periodically (every other month or so) to update this article and the source code with the latest fixes, improvements, and tweaks.

source: https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/563711/Encrypting-Editor-Notepad-Replacement