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Edit a text (*.txt) file in Chrome browser
Hi there, I'm struggling to edit a TXT file in Chrome browser on Dropbox. I'm sure I've done it with a .docx file before. When I search for this feature, Google returns results asking for it ba...
Thanks Hannah.
Can you please share the response from your product team?
> We appreciate your feedback on this, however, and I will make sure that your comments are passed along to our team.
It's important to know if the inability to edit .TXT files is a honest mistake (since more complex file types are handled successfully, and text files like logs, code, .ini .cfg, ... can be seen as the basics of an operating system) or a voluntary decision (since there's no app to do this, even MS Word refuses to handle text documents that are not .doc(x)).
> Regarding what you see when you click on the "open in" button, do you see this behavior on other browsers/private browsing windows as well?
I observe that behavior with Chrome, on both MacOS and Windows.
Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorHi from me too, jb43!
As mentioned above, there isnât currently a built-in function to edit .txt files via your web browser. Weâve passed your feedback along to our team, but we canât share something more for the time being.
As per the âOpen inâ menu, can you please try to clear your browserâs cache, check if there are any pending updates on your browser and also, open an incognito window and let me know if you see any difference there?
- Thanks for the reply Nancy .> As mentioned above, there isnât currently a built-in function to edit .txt files via your web browser. Weâve passed your feedback along to our team, but we canât share something more for the time being.After some research, I found an app, StackEdit.io, a markdown editor, allowing me to edit Text Files in my Dropbox: https://stackedit.io/appIt's not part of the Dropbox App center (https://www.dropbox.com/apps). Since I connected with it, it appears in my connected apps at https://www.dropbox.com/account/connected_apps, but is it possible to get it to appear in the "Open With" menu when viewing a text file on Dropbox web?Incidentally, looking for web-based markdown editors syncing with Dropbox, I also learnt that Dropbox Paper is one of them! Likely built over Hackpad. However today, Dropbox Paper cannot open and edit text files already in my Dropbox. In my opinion it's a bit of a shame: Dropbox Paper is overlapping with Google Docs, with no "killer feature". It has actually dropped its differentiating feature, which is seemingly missing from the Dropbox App center: the ability to edit text files already in Dropbox.
> As per the âOpen inâ menu, can you please try to clear your browserâs cache, check if there are any pending updates on your browser and also, open an incognito window and let me know if you see any difference there?
Sure. I logged in in an incognito window (latest Chrome version on MacOS) and observed the same behavior happens (menu opens but is empty and shows a narrow line).- Jay
Hi jb43, we appreciate the feedback about how to improve the service.
Regarding the 'Open with' menu, it only applies to a few authorized apps, and it wouldn't be possible to manually add another app to that list.
Hi all,
Are you aware of any changes on this front?
I have noticed that, for .txt files in my Dropbox, using the latest Chrome browser versions:
- on iOS, the button "Open In" shows "Connect Apps" button, instead of nothing
- on Windows, the same button also shows "Connect Apps", and it now shows "Notepad" and "File Explorer". See screenshot.
Update: When changing my default application for TXT from Notepad to Notepad++, it also updates that menu on Dropbox website.
That's very good news!
