Drafts v49 introduced a new “Modern” editor mode as an option. This post is a brief review on what is different about this mode, and why you might or might not want to enable it in your installation.
What is “Modern” editor mode?
Behind text controls on Apple platforms, the text itself is rendered on screen using Apple’s TextKit frameworks. Since it’s inception, Drafts’ editor has been based on TextKit 1, the older, but well-worn, version of these frameworks – on both iOS and Mac.
If you enable “Modern” mode, the editor will utilize the newer TextKit 2 framework.
Why would I want to enable “Modern” mode?
Most of the differences between TextKit 1 and 2 are pretty invisible. The most noticeable difference after enabling modern mode, is that the editor can participate in the “full” Writing Tools experience on an Apple Intelligence-capable device. The same tools are available in legacy mode, but a more advanced user interface that allows stepping through changes, etc., requires TextKit 2 and is, thus, only available in modern mode.
The modern mode may also benefit from some of TextKit 2’s other improvement, especially in rendering some less common script types.
Why would I not want to enable “Modern” mode?
TextKit 2 still has some glitches from time to time. Whether these are a problem depends on your usage. You may see poorer performance in some cases, particularly if you have very long drafts. We’re working on improving these things, and most would not notice them – but fall back to the legacy editor if you find functional differences.
If you have no interest in the modern Writing Tools UI, you are likely best remaining on the old legacy editor mode at this time – but it’s easy to change back and forth.
How do I change editor modes?
In Drafts v49 and up, running on a device that supports the new editor, there is a new “Advanced Settings” screen at the bottom of Editor Settings on both iOS and Mac. In this screen you can change modes. Changes to mode will not take effect until the next restart of the app.
Conclusion
The modern mode will likely eventually become the default mode in Drafts, but for now it’s in testing and if you try it out, please report and issues you find.