In this article, I will tell you about "Caret", one of the Chrome extensions.
Mainly for Chromebook users.
"Caret" is one of the Chrome extensions.
It has many features and can be configured according to your (programming) language and operating environment.
Now, suppose you create a text file as Notepad.
Let's assume that you have taken notes about PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Action Cycle).
This time, save the file containing this memo as "PDCA_cycle.txt" in a folder named "Text Files".
On the Files app, it was displayed like the image above.
Next, open this file in your default text editor, "Text".
*Please note: Depending on your device, "Text" may not be the default text editor [for Chromebook(s)].
What is the difference between these two text editors?
- The answer is that "Caret" has more features than "Text".
First, please watch the following video.
Did you understand the benefits of using "Caret"?
It can be autofilled to some degree depending on the (programming) language used.
It is certain that this function is at least more complete than "Text".
As mentioned earlier, "Caret" is multifunctional, but, it does not have 100% of the functionality you need.
For example, compared to Visual Studio Code for Windows and its Web version, Visual Studio Code for the Web, it clearly lacks functionality.
I believe this is unavoidable, as Caret is only one of the Chrome extensions.
However, Caret has one more serious problem.
The problem is that in some models, some or all of the files stored in the PC's internal storage disappear when the PC is rebooted.
In fact, the problem occurred frequently on the Chromebook used by the author of this article.
Also, as of October 23, 2024, this extension has never been updated since 2020, so there is no prospect of this problem being fundamentally resolved.
This is an image representing the storage location mentioned earlier.
However, after rebooting the PC and looking at its storage location, it sometimes looked like the following image:
The image above shows that the file "PDCA_Cycle.txt" that was just saved has disappeared.
Let's look deeper into the internal storage to see if the files have really disappeared.
First, enable "Show hidden files" in the File app, as shown in the image above.
Next, open the hidden files folder ".Trash".
In this case, two folders "files" and "info" appeared.
These images show that "PDCA_cycle.txt" has been completely deleted from the device.
As with the previous steps, I checked to see if this file had been moved to another folder, but could not find it.
Also, no hits were found using the search function of the file app.
Therefore, it was proven that files created using "Caret" could be lost when the device is rebooted if they are saved to the device's internal storage.
There are three ways to avoid having files created with "Caret" disappear when the device is rebooted.
(1) Save files to Google Drive or other cloud storage
(2) Before rebooting the device, open the file created in "Caret" with "Text" and save it again
(3) Edit using other text editors (including "Text") instead of "Caret"
(1) and (2) are ways to use "Caret" functionality, while (3) is a way to circumvent "Caret" vulnerabilities.
Which option would you choose?
In the next section, I will present individual approaches to those who chose each option.
If you chose (1) or (2) in the previous question, click the green button below to install the "Caret" extension.
Next, if you chose (2) and you are using a device that does not have "Text" installed as the default text editor, please click the blue button below to install the "Text" extension.
Finally, if you chose (3), please click the orange button below to find and install your favorite text editor.
Similarly to those who chose (2), if you are using a device that does not have "Text" installed as the default text editor and would like to use it, click the blue button above to install it.
Green button: Chrome Web Store - Caret
Blue button: Chrome Web Store - Text
Orange button: Chrome Web Store - Top Page
I have introduced "Caret" so far, how would you feel about using it?
The answer is different for everyone, but if you are interested in developing with Chrome extensions, please refer to this article and try "Caret" once.
It is especially recommended for Chromebook users.
As mentioned earlier, when using this extension, it is important not to save directly from "Caret" to internal storage.
As long as this is taken care of, you can use this extension as a somewhat full-featured text editor.
I hope that the contents of this article will be of some help to you in your future development and other activities.
Thank you for reading to the end.