> And it turns out that "text editing" looks really simple, and gets really not simple really fast.
Text editing is really simple. The problem is that plain text editors are mostly only used by coders. (Non-coders who want to write text use Word.) And coders want features like syntax coloring, autocompletion, split views, multi-file management, etc. Features that would be of no use to someone writing a quick email or jotting down a cake recipe. Basically, what coders want is a program that looks as simple and feels as lightweight as a plain text editor, but gives them many of the features of a full fledged IDE.
Totally agree with you there. I've been reading over the Unicode spec and some of it makes my head spin. I would have never imagined the required level of complexity beforehand.
Text editing is really simple. The problem is that plain text editors are mostly only used by coders. (Non-coders who want to write text use Word.) And coders want features like syntax coloring, autocompletion, split views, multi-file management, etc. Features that would be of no use to someone writing a quick email or jotting down a cake recipe. Basically, what coders want is a program that looks as simple and feels as lightweight as a plain text editor, but gives them many of the features of a full fledged IDE.