Getting Started and File Management

Requirements

ETWriter runs in a browser with JavaScript enabled.

For the complete editing experience, the browser should support:

Modern JavaScript features
File selection and downloads
Browser file reading
CodeMirror and its supporting scripts

Direct file-system operations additionally require support for the File System Access API.

Browser compatibility affects how ETWriter opens and saves files.

Understanding the Interface

The toolbar includes the following controls.

Control	Purpose
Mode	Switch between Editor, Hex Editor, and Bulk
Open	Open a file or choose a source directory
Language	Choose automatic or manual syntax highlighting
Output File	Set the output filename in Editor or Hex Editor mode
Output Folder	Set the generated folder name in Bulk mode
Save	Save the current editor or hex content
Run	Execute bulk commands
Purge Data	Attempt to clear local site data

The information bar displays details such as the loaded filename, file size, and selected language.

Selecting an Operating Mode

Editor

Use Editor mode for readable text documents and source code.

This is the default mode shown by the interface.

Hex Editor

Use Hex Editor mode for inspecting or modifying the underlying bytes of a file.

Bulk

Use Bulk mode to apply text transformation commands across a collection of files.

When Bulk mode is selected, the primary action changes from Save to Run.

Opening a File

To open a file:

Select Editor or Hex Editor.
Click Open.
Choose a file using the browser's file picker.
Review the loaded information.
Begin editing.

ETWriter loads the selected file into memory.

The original bytes are available to the hex editor, while the text editor receives a UTF-8 decoded representation.

File Information

The interface displays:

Field	Meaning
Loaded	Name of the selected file
Size	File size, displayed in bytes, KB, or MB
Language	Current language or syntax-highlighting mode

Opening Binary Files

ETWriter can read files as bytes and display them in Hex Editor mode.

When opening a binary file in the text editor, some byte sequences may not correspond to valid UTF-8 text.

The text view uses a nonfatal UTF-8 decoder, so invalid byte sequences may appear as replacement characters.

For exact byte inspection and modification, use Hex Editor mode.

Warning: Do not assume that opening and saving arbitrary binary content through the text editor preserves the original bytes.

Saving a File

To save an edited file:

Enter the desired filename in Output File.
Click Save.
Choose the destination if prompted.
Confirm the browser's save action.

An output filename is required.

Example filenames:

notes.txt
index.html
config.json
script.js
data.bin

Direct Save

When the File System Access API is supported, ETWriter opens a save-file dialog and writes the generated content to the selected destination.

Download Fallback

In other browsers, ETWriter generates a downloadable file.

The browser may save the download automatically or ask where to place it, depending on its configuration.

Does Save Overwrite the Opened File?

ETWriter's implementation invokes a save picker or download operation when saving.

Opening a file does not automatically authorize overwriting it.

The actual destination is determined through the browser's saving workflow.

File Encoding

Editor mode saves text using UTF-8.

Text content → UTF-8 encoding → Output file

Hex Editor mode saves byte values parsed from the hexadecimal editor.

Hexadecimal input → Byte array → Output file

The distinction is important when working with binary files or non-UTF-8 encodings.

Browser Permissions

ETWriter requests access to files and directories through browser controls.

Browser permissions determine which files can be read or written.

A directory selected for Bulk processing is not automatically the destination for its results.

Troubleshooting

Open Does Not Work

Check whether your browser permits file selection and whether you canceled the picker.

Save Does Nothing

Ensure that the Output File field contains a filename.

Syntax Highlighting Is Missing

Verify that CodeMirror and the selected language mode are loaded.

Saved Text Has Unexpected Characters

The source file may use a different text encoding. ETWriter's text editor uses UTF-8 decoding and saving.

Saved File Has an Unexpected Extension

ETWriter uses the output filename you provide. Include the correct extension.

Next Steps

See Text Editor and Syntax Highlighting for language-specific editing features.