Options for creating plain-text files include:
Notepad in Windows. Notepad should save plain text files by default.
WordPad in Windows. Use File → Save As... and select the option that allows you to save the file as a Text Document — rather than Rich Text Format (RTF), which is the default.
TextEdit on the Mac. Use the Make Plain Text command in the Format menu before saving the file.
Notes
If you are using TextEdit on a Mac, we encourage you to change your settings so that TextEdit uses plain-text by default. Open TextEdit, click on the name TextEdit in the menu bar, and select Preferences. Next, in the Format section of the Preferences window, choose Plain Text.
Some programs give you multiple options for plain text. If this is the case in your program, make sure that you do not select Unicode (UTF-16). Instead, choose another option for plain text like Text Document or UTF-8.
Important
Please check your files in Gradescope after you submit them. If you click on the link for a file in Gradescope and see special symbols, it means that the file format is not correct.
Last updated on April 24, 2025.