Text editor is always used as default editor for Markdown files no matter what other applications are installed

[noe-spi]

When installing Nextcloud Markdown Editor (Link) and trying to open a xx.md or xx.mardown file the text editor opens.

To Reproduce

1. install Nextcloud Markdown Editor
2. Create a new file (or use an existing one) that shall be a markdown file (xx.md / xx.markdown)
3. Click on the newly created file to open
4. See error --> Text Editor will open and nor the Markdown Editor

Expected behavior
Markdown Editor shall open

Client details:

• OS: on each OS
• Browser: firefox, chrome, opera
• Device: Desktop

Text app version:
1.1.1

Operating system:
Linux (Ubuntu 18.04) running as docker image
Web server:
Apache
Database:
MySQL
PHP version:
7.2
Nextcloud version: (see Nextcloud admin page)
17.0.1

[rollanders]

Another problem - I deactivated Text, and had still Markdown editor activated, but now the md-file is not opened but the download windows opens.
I want the Markdown editor to edit my index.md files for PicoCMS. Especially the yaml-header. The Text-app destroys the header. As a workaround I can change the md-extension to txt and try open it in only office.

[ufgum]

Same problem here. The PicoCMS needs the yaml-header, but text destroys it.

[noe-spi]

see mitigation for a solution wrt markdown editor.
But the main problem is here I think: Nextclouds decision to focus on the new Text app and discontinue the development of the old plain text editor

[juliusknorr]

@jancborchardt Not sure what we should do here from a UX perspective. Should the markdown editor take precedence over the text app when installed?

[E1k3]

@juliushaertl As long as the markdown editor is even working (ie when the old text editor app is installed), it is possible to open a md file in the markdown editor via the context menu. While this is not perfect, it is something I could accept. In the long run, I would prefer a system, where you can select preferred apps for certain filetypes (maybe this exists already, I am certainly not using Nextcloud to its fullest potential right now).

The real problem right now is, that the old TextEditor App was taken off the store and without it, the markdown editor does not work at all.

[blvb]

It is necessary to change min-version to 17 in apps/files_texteditor/appinfo/info.xml
Seems to work properly now for NC 17.0.1

[jancborchardt]

So this doesn’t seem to be 1 big issue but several smaller ones which need to be treated separately and can be fixed separately too:

---

I want the Markdown editor to edit my index.md files for PicoCMS. Especially the yaml-header. The Text-app destroys the header.

@rollanders @ufgum this of course is an issue which should ideally be fixed in the Text app. Could you open a separate issue about this? → #439

---

@noe-spi @E1k3 @inpos @lanxu @blvb what are the actual issues you encounter with Nextcloud Text as Markdown editor which could possibly be fixed? :) Could you open separate issues about those too? → https://github.com/nextcloud/text/issues/new

---

The real problem right now is, that the old TextEditor App was taken off the store and without it, the markdown editor does not work at all.

@E1k3 this is an issue that should be fixed in the Markdown app → https://github.com/icewind1991/files_markdown cc @icewind1991

---

That leaves the question to decide:
When both Nextcloud Text (default) and the Markdown app are installed, what should open if you open a Markdown file?

• Text: Is the default, is collaborative.
• Markdown app: Is not collaborative, but when you specifically installed it you could argue that you would rather use this one? But why not disable the Text app then?

@juliushaertl Until these questions are resolved I’d prefer to keep the current state. But understand this is not set in stone – there’s just many small steps to take instead of one big fix. :)

[E1k3]

@E1k3 this is an issue that should be fixed in the Markdown app → https://github.com/icewind1991/files_markdown cc @icewind1991

As far as I understand, the Markdown app was just an extension of the old TextEditor app maintained by the Nextcloud team. While I agree, that this is not a problem related to the new Text app (so not one to discuss here, but in the TextEditor repo nextcloud/files_texteditor#185), I wouldn't call it a bug/problem of the Markdown app either. The TextEditor app vanishing from the store should not have to be fixed by the extensions that were developed for it.

@noe-spi @E1k3 @inpos @lanxu @blvb what are the actual issues you encounter with Nextcloud Text as Markdown editor which could possibly be fixed? :) Could you open separate issues about those too?

The only issue I have with the Text app, is that is cannot replace a raw + preview editor, but that is not something a WYSIWYG editor will ever do (or is supposed to do), so this doesn't qualify for "could possibly be fixed". The closest I could see for this would be an option to split the preview into a sidebar (but that would result pretty much in the old TextEditor).

[shankari]

I would also like the ability to have a non-rich text editor. I understand that most people want rich text, and the collaborative features are cool.

But sometimes, I just want to write notes to myself, and I already know markdown syntax, so I want to write in plain text so I don't have to take my hands off the keyboard.

The rich text editor has some quirks - e.g. if I type the #### and then <space>, then the hashes disappear, and if I want to go to a higher or lower heading level, then I have to use the dropdown menu. One of the benefits of markdown is that you can type it all as raw text without using the mouse and I would like to keep using that benefit.

I loved the previous plain text editor + preview on the side option, and would really appreciate the ability to configure my running instance to have it as an option.

[noe-spi]

So this doesn’t seem to be 1 big issue but several smaller ones which need to be treated separately and can be fixed separately too:

I want the Markdown editor to edit my index.md files for PicoCMS. Especially the yaml-header. The Text-app destroys the header.

@rollanders @ufgum this of course is an issue which should ideally be fixed in the Text app. Could you open a separate issue about this? → #439

@noe-spi @E1k3 @inpos @lanxu @blvb what are the actual issues you encounter with Nextcloud Text as Markdown editor which could possibly be fixed? :) Could you open separate issues about those too? → https://github.com/nextcloud/text/issues/new

The real problem right now is, that the old TextEditor App was taken off the store and without it, the markdown editor does not work at all.

@E1k3 this is an issue that should be fixed in the Markdown app → https://github.com/icewind1991/files_markdown cc @icewind1991

That leaves the question to decide:
When both Nextcloud Text (default) and the Markdown app are installed, what should open if you open a Markdown file?

* **Text:** Is the default, is collaborative.

* **Markdown app:** Is not collaborative, but when you specifically installed it you could argue that you would rather use this one? But why not disable the Text app then?

@juliushaertl Until these questions are resolved I’d prefer to keep the current state. But understand this is not set in stone – there’s just many small steps to take instead of one big fix. :)

... sorry to respond as late - it was not possible to me to react eralier.
Let me summarize from my point of view:

1. MarkDown Editor need the old TextEditor - not maintained anymore by Nextcloud

2. the new Text APP do not support the needs by Markdown Editor. Here I would ask if the Text App is the official replacement for TextEditor by Nextcloud? -> I think so

3. Text APP and TextEditor do not coexist in one Nextcloud Instance

4. Text APP opens automatically *.md / *.markdown files (even if MarkdownEditor &&-|| TextEditor are installed)

==> Conclusio:
I agree that this is not an issue in one direction (neither MarkDown nor Text APP), but:

• as MarkdownEditor builds on TextEditor (need TextEditor) why did the two groups do not know from each other and their dependencies? Especially if there is the decision to replace TextEditor with Text APP.

• as the Text APP is a kind of "simple" WHSIWYG Editor - why does this APP automatically open .md/.markdown files and supersede other possible coexisting Editors (at least that is what I experienced)??? For me it is not comprehensible why Text APP open files with well known endings that - for sure - do not belong to Text APP and overrule with that coexisting editors?
  And THIS was my initial question (as the headline of this issue express)

For me it is not clear whom to talk to. On the one hand I would like to use the MarkdownEditor further on but this would mean that both groups are talking to each other.
Especially I would be interested in what the developers of MarkdownEditor are guessing as they have that strong dependency to the old TextEditor (which is not supported any more) - are they planning to implement the Text-Engine on their own? Do they talk to Text APP developpers about their need of a text app that is capable to provide raw&preview editor?
And I would be interested in the reason why the Text APP developers implement the Text APP the way that it overrules other editors and opens files with file extensions that surely do not belong to them.

[noe-spi]

one question to the round ( and thanks for your engagement - especially to @E1k3 who helped me with his work around ;-) :
shall I close this issue or leave it open for further discussions?

[E1k3]

4. Text APP opens automatically *.md / *.markdown files (even if MarkdownEditor &&-|| TextEditor are installed)

• as the Text APP is a kind of "simple" WHSIWYG Editor - why does this APP automatically open .md/.markdown files and supersede other possible coexisting Editors (at least that is what I experienced)??? For me it is not comprehensible why Text APP open files with well known endings that - for sure - do not belong to Text APP and overrule with that coexisting editors?
  And THIS was my initial question (as the headline of this issue

Even though the new Text app is a WYSIWYG editor, all of the formatting is done via markdown, so the Text app saves files as .md and is the default app to open .md files as well.

According to the README.md, this is done to enable other editors to edit your documents via markdown as a universal format. Especially on desktops where you want to edit the files in a native text editor instead of the web view, this makes a lot of sense.

As far as I know, it's still possible to edit .md files using another editor plugin/app while "Text" is enabled, using the context menu (right click the file, choose edit with ...). You could test that, by enabling both Text and files_texteditor (the old text editor). I would prefer if there was an option to chose the default app for certain file types though.

Personally, I would prefer a way to split the view of the new Text app into raw and preview panels. This way, this style of editing would remain possible and would be enriched by the new collaboration feature.

[E1k3]

@shankari wrote

The rich text editor has some quirks - e.g. if I type the #### and then , then the hashes disappear, and if I want to go to a higher or lower heading level, then I have to use the dropdown menu. One of the benefits of markdown is that you can type it all as raw text without using the mouse and I would like to keep using that benefit.

I agree, that this is counter intuitive, but the Text app is really a markdown editor. It just renders the text differently. So when your # characters disappear, they are still there, changing the heading level of the following text and you can still remove heading levels by pressing backspace. They are just not rendered.

This is really weird because, for example, you can only guess the current heading level by the font size.

[shankari]

@E1k3

So when your # characters disappear, they are still there, changing the heading level of the following text and you can still remove heading levels by pressing backspace.

I know that they are still there, but it is jarring and unintutitive. I guess my real issue is that I don't like WSYWIG editors. I prefer to edit the raw text. I understand that I am in a minority, but given that I am running my own instance of nextcloud, I would really be able to configure it in a way that I prefer.