Dropbox App text in monospace font on iOS

[Cardinal2B]

The Dropbox App file display / editor is a welcome tool on mobile devices. However, it displays text files (.txt) in a proportional font. If you are only going to show one font it should be monospaced for text files.

Please change the text editor to use a fixed width font like text editors usually do, or add an option to show text files with a fixed width font. 

[Jay]

This idea has been closed as it has reached the end of the Share an Idea process.

[chrisberkvens]

Hi Walter,

Thank you for your quick response.

I use version 172.4.4 on my iPhone, it’s the most recent.
I cleared the cache but it stays the same.
All the txt files in my dropbox have the same proportional spacing.

I think it is just a choice that Dropbox made on how txt files are shown.
I use dropbox some 5 years now for displaying simple txt files that are updated every 15 minutes.

Drobox has had several changes in time on how they display txt files.
3 years ago f.i., there was even a short time (few months) where repeated spaces were shown as just one space.

It would be handy if one could choose between monospaced letter type’s and proportional letter type’s. (as a setting)

Kind regards,
Chris Berkvens

[chrisberkvens]

[chrisberkvens]

On a pc (and until a few months ago also on my iphone) it looks like this.

[Walter]

Ah, I see now; thanks for the clarifications and providing a visual too @chrisberkvens!

I've moved your post to the 'Share an Idea' section of our Community again so other users can upvote it if they like.

Let me know if you have any more questions or feedback! 

[Daphne]

This idea is going to need a bit more support.

We've updated the status to encourage more users to back you up!

[Robert W.3]

Thank you for your response, Daphne. Just to clarify, quite often text files contain multiple columns or simple tables. For these cases, a monospaced font is necessary for proper alignment. I have tested a few other cloud-storage apps to see how they handle text files. The Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Adobe Creative Cloud apps all display text files with a monospaced font.

[Cardinal2B]

The alignment from line to line that Robert speaks of is exactly why fixed-width font(s) are so useful. Anyone who plays guitar, ukelele, banjo, madolin, etc is familiar with chord charts where the chord on the upper line is directly over the lyric on which it occurs.

IME, .txt files are almoast synonymous with fixed-width fonts (as in Notepad for example) and looks like your competition (Google, Microsoft, Adobe) all agree. When I make a file in Notepad that is in fixed-width (Courier) I expect it to appear that way... as it does in my browser (Chrome) or if I download it and open it in Notepad. It is only in your App that it doesn't.

Perhaps you don't like musicians?  

[Cardinal2B]

Here's someone else complaining about the same thing on this forum - in a differwent thread.

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox/text-file-monospaced-lettertype-like-courier/idc-p/392903#M5...

You say you need more votes, so maybe a perusal of this forum's existing threads is in order?

[kenpow]

Yes, add my +1, too.

I routinely create text files in BBedit, using Courier fixed-pitch and 4-column tabs.  This (or others like it) is real common for coders.  Looking at these on my iPhone comes out whacky.  Proportional font and probably some other tabbing stops.  Plus, the font size is so big that even short lines wrap in landscape aspect.  Yuck.

We need either controls for changing proportional/fixed font, the font size, and the tab span; or just one toggle to switch between what you currently have vs. 'Courier-10 with 4 column tabs'.  Thanks for listening.

[egbegb]

I should be able to edit .txt files on my iPhone. Unfortunately, they are displayed in a variable width font which prevents the fastest and most efficient text editors from formatting anything that can be communicated to Dropbox customers. Could Dropbox please provide an option for always using a fixed width font?
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