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orbitalquark

orbitalquark/textadept

A fast, minimalist, extensible cross-platform text editor for programmers, with GUI and terminal versions, scriptable in Lua.

Open-source alternative to:Sublime Text

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Last commit
2 months ago

What is it?

Textadept is a desktop text editor aimed at programmers. It is written in C, C++, and Lua, runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD, and ships as self-contained executables that need no installation. It offers both a graphical interface built on Qt or GTK and a terminal interface based on ncurses, with sensible defaults out of the box.

The editor supports over 100 programming languages and includes multiple carets and selections, unlimited split views, configurable key bindings with key chains and modes, and generic or language-specific snippets with nesting. Shell commands can be invoked to run code, build projects, or execute tests. Nearly every part of the editor can be scripted and customized in Lua.

Optional extra modules add language debuggers, file comparison, source formatting, a Language Server Protocol client, scratch buffers, and spell checking. The editor does not connect to the internet.

Key features

  • 01Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD as self-contained executables.
  • 02Provides both a GUI (Qt or GTK) and a terminal (ncurses) interface.
  • 03Supports over 100 programming languages.
  • 04Offers multiple carets, selections, and unlimited split views.
  • 05Allows configurable key bindings, snippets, and shell command execution.
  • 06Can be scripted and customized almost entirely in Lua.

Use cases

  • Editing code on a desktop or over SSH in a terminal without a heavy IDE.
  • Building a personalized editing environment through Lua scripts.
  • Running builds and tests directly from the editor with shell commands.
  • Adding an LSP client, debugger, or spell checker through optional modules.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the pre-built binary for your platform from the Download section

  2. 2

    Unpack the archive anywhere you have permission to and run the textadept executable

Things to know

  • Pre-built macOS binaries are for Apple Silicon only.
  • On Linux, the GUI version needs Qt 5 or GTK 3 installed, and the terminal version needs ncurses.
  • Optional modules are not loaded automatically and must be enabled with require() in preferences.

Topics

#text-editor#lua#cross-platform#terminal#scintilla#code-editor#curses#editor#gtk#qt

FAQ

What is textadept?
A fast, minimalist, extensible cross-platform text editor for programmers, with GUI and terminal versions, scriptable in Lua. Textadept is a desktop text editor aimed at programmers. It is written in C, C++, and Lua, runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD, and ships as self-contained executables that need no installation. It offers both a graphical interface built on Qt or GTK and a terminal interface based on ncurses, with sensible defaults out of the box.
Is textadept free to use? What license does it have?
textadept is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is textadept still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to textadept was on Sep 1, 2026.
What can I use textadept for?
Editing code on a desktop or over SSH in a terminal without a heavy IDE. Building a personalized editing environment through Lua scripts. Running builds and tests directly from the editor with shell commands. Adding an LSP client, debugger, or spell checker through optional modules.
How do I install textadept?
Download the pre-built binary for your platform from the Download section Unpack the archive anywhere you have permission to and run the textadept executable
Where can I get textadept?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/orbitalquark/textadept

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