We just released Slugline 1.2.0 to the App Store. Along with some important bug fixes, it has two exciting new features.

Support for the .highland Format

Highland 2 is a new and lovely Mac screenwriting app from screenwriter and Fountain co-creator John August. Although it is based on Fountain, it has its own file format with an extension of .highland. Slugline for iOS 1.2 can open and edit these files, making it the perfect mobile companion for Highland writers.

Files App

We also added support for Apple’s Files app in this update. You can enable Slugline as a location in Files, and browse/edit/move/rename your files there. You can also open Fountain (or .highland) screenplays in Slugline from any location in the Files app, and Slugline will edit them in place.

Bug Fixes

This update fixes a rare but nasty issue where text could get scrambled when returning to Slugline from another app. Slugline could also sometimes display gibberish when scrolling through very long documents, which is also now fixed.

If you write with an attached keyboard, Ctrl + Delete once again properly deletes what’s in front of the cursor.

Slugline 1.1.0 for iOS is available now in the App Store, with fixes for crashes, better syncing, and an easier way to type Character names.

Crash Less. Sync More.

Based on your feedback, we fixed several crashing bugs. These bugs were very rare (only about a dozen crashes total), but for the writers who were experiencing them, they were extremely serious. Stability and reliability is our first priority, so we dug deep on this one and made several fixes.

Along those lines, we also found a few ways we could be more resilient to funky conditions with Dropbox and iCloud sync.

Forcing a Save

A few writers have asked about how to force Slugline to save a file. Slugline for iOS is always saving and syncing in the background, but we do this on Apple’s schedule, at times when we won’t interrupt your writing. Sometimes you want the peace of mind of knowing for certain that those last few brilliant lines are committed to the cloud right away.

The simple trick here is that Slugline for iOS saves whenever you change views. So if you exit your document, we save — even if you open it again right away. We also save when you Preview your printed screenplay with the 👁 button. So if you’re looking for an iOS-equivalent for your Mac ⌘ S habit, there are two options for you.

Oh, and if we ever have any unresolvable trouble saving to iCloud or Dropbox, we fall back to saving a backup copy locally. If your writing helicopter ducks into a tunnel, check your Slugline local storage for a SyncBackups folder. Because that folder was obviously named by a programmer, you can be sure it’s there to help.

Bug fixes are clearly the headline of this release, but we couldn’t help sneaking in a cool new feature too:

Lowercase Character Names

Slugline automatically recognizes Character names when you type them in uppercase. But we felt we could do better, so now Slugline for iOS will recognize any previously-used character, even if you type it in lowercase. Just type the name and press Return, and Slugline will uppercase the name for you and set you up for Dialogue.

We Say it Every Time, But it’s True

We read every review and rapidly respond to every support request, and this update is entirely driven by your feedback. Thanks for helping make Slugline better!

The reaction to Slugline for iOS has been amazing, and we are immensely grateful to those who jumped in right away to start using it. You gave us some great feedback, some kind reviews, and yes, you found some bugs. So here we are just a week later with our very first update.

Here’s what’s new:

• You can swipe back from your screenplay to the file browser, like every other reasonable app.
• We added a switch to turn off the extra keyboard buttons if you don't want them.
• It’s now easier to reveal the top bar on iPhone X. Just tap anywhere near the top of that glorious screen.
• If you’re a keyboard user, you can now use ⌘ Y for notes and ⌘ / for omissions. Remember, if you’re curious what other keyboard shortcuts there are, just hold down the ⌘ for a moment to see the list.

And the bug fixes:

• Dropbox and iCloud files now save more frequently as you write.
• Certain kinds of text deletions no longer cause a crash on iOS 11.
• Writers who use iOS accessibility should be able to reasonably use speech-to-text now.
• The keyboard buttons are now more readable in very narrow layouts.

We are always grateful when you share your feedback with us, either here, on Twitter, or by writing a review!