text editor software question

I don’t think my laptop has a text edit program pre-installed (i am a windows user)

It should do. Even the most basic Windows installs normally include NotePad. Notepad++ is a good text editor as is TextPad

the wordpress list of acceptable text edit programs does not include Notepad … so, i guess i should download notepad++? will i have to know how to use the features of notepad++ to be able to negotiate wordpress? thanks again! robin

NotePad is fine – it’s just that it doesn’t have all of the nice syntax highlighting and extra features that some of the other text editors do.

just to clarify, esmi’s recommendations are based on the assumption that you’ll be editing PHP/CSS code to create your own theme.

if you’re just looking for a text editor to write your content in, any program will do, or you can just type straight into the visual editor in the wordpress admin interface.

thank you very much… wordpress is now installed, and i’ll move on to the next wordpress forum … what to do next!

THAT SAID. If you edit your CONTENT in Word, there is a Paste From Word option you MUST use ?? Otherwise you will cry.

https://en.support.wordpress.com/visual-editor/

While the directions are for WordPress.com blogs, they are applicable here ?? This is not always the case!

Ok, so let me see if i understand you correctly, Ipstenu: what you are saying is that if i intend to upload text from MS Word onto wordpress, i need to be sure that the wordpress default is set to Visual. if i then click the icon for Paste From Word in the row below “Visual”, the text will then upload properly onto the wordpress template?

i installed wordpress through godaddy (they are hosting my website). when i am working from the wordpress template that has downloaded, i assume that i am working offline. if i follow the above instructions re: uploading text from MS Word, when i transfer the content from the wordpress template to my website, everything should format and transfer properly (at least in principle)?

Yes and no.

I was replying directly to this statement:

if you’re just looking for a text editor to write your content in, any program will do, or you can just type straight into the visual editor in the wordpress admin interface.

Which is only partly correct.

First you’re merging two separate ideas:

1) Content – The meat of your posts. The text you enter in a post to show to everyone.
2) Templates – Your theme.

Ne’er the twain should be confused ??

Edit templates in text editors ONLY. NEVER EVER in Word. EVER.

You can write your content in anything you want, BUT if you use Word, be aware of what I said.

i am up to choosing a template and then adding content … should i have questions going forward with those tasks (who am i kidding .. of course i will), should i post on this thread/discussion group or move on to another? thanks so much again.

Move to another.

1 question per thread. That keeps the discussion on topic, and makes it easier for others to search for questions similar to yours