The Google drive file type grays out files, so you cannot open them in iPad Textastic.

1. Files uploaded that can be changed to Google Docs will get the Google file type. Textastic will not open those files (show up as grayed out). Even a plain text *.txt file will be changed to Google file type and then you cannot open in Textastic.

2. Coding files, in plain text, has all kinds of crazy extensions. Google doesn't know those so it sets the file type as Binary. Textastic grays those files out so you cannot open them from Google Drive.

(horrible) workaround: change the file extension to .xml then upload. It is okay to remove the .xml extension in Drive after as the file type will not change.

If you upload .txt then you must uncheck the option "convert to Google Docs format" beforehand.

In both cases the exact same file will open fine locally on the iPad

Basically, it is an annoyance from Google. But I would much rather that you let me try to open a file first, rather than block me from opening. They are all text files.

I want to use Textastic for coding, and this would be a big help using Google Drive to open files

The following is copied from Apple's documentation. Please send crash reports to support@textasticapp.com.

Sending Crash Reports to a Developer

When the application you’re testing crashes, iOS creates a record of that event. The next time you connect your device to iTunes, iTunes downloads those records (known as crash logs) to your computer. To help get the problem fixed, you should send crash logs of the application you’re testing to its developer.

Sending Crash Reports from Macs

To send crash logs to developers:

1. In the Finder, open a new window.

2. Choose Go > Go to Folder.

3. Enter ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/MobileDevice.
   

4. Open the folder named after your device’s name.

5. Select the crash logs named after the application you’re testing.

6. Choose Finder > Services > Mail > Send File.

7. In the New Message window, enter the developer’s email address in the To field and <application_name> crash logs from <your_name> (for example, MyTestApp crash logs from Anna Haro) in the Subject field.
   

8. Choose Message > Send.

9. In the Finder, you may delete the crash logs you sent to avoid sending duplicate reports later.

Sending Crash Reports from Windows

To send crash logs to developers, enter the crash log directory (<user_name> with your Windows user name.

Listing 9-1 Crash log storage on Windows Vista

C:\Users\<user_name>\AppData\Roaming\Apple computer\Logs\CrashReporter/MobileDevice 

Listing 9-2 Crash log storage on Windows XP

C:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Application Data\Apple computer\Logs\CrashReporter 

Open the folder named after your device’s name and send the crash logs for the application you’re testing in an email message using the subject-text format <application_name> crash logs from <your_name> (for example, MyTestApp crash logs from Anna Haro) to the application’s developer.

I've noticed that when I try to select a variable name with underscores in it, by default on one alphanumeric section of the variable is selected, and then I have to use the drag bars to select the whole variable name.  It would be more logical to select the whole variable name by default.  The file type I saw this with was VHDL--I'm not sure if it happens with other languages or not.