encryption/decryption without files

[vedaal at nym.hush.com]

The discussion about 'safe' text editors brings about an 
interesting question:

Is an editor needed at all?

Why not just input text into gnupg and then encrypt the inputted 
txt without saving it as file at all ?

example:

$ printf "just a test" | gpg -c -a
gpg: using cipher TWOFISH
gpg: writing to stdout

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.11 (MingW32)
Comment: passphrase: sss

jA0ECgMIJajxa3ELSBlg0kABCUd+YIT+bTKfHTQk0wci13SWrk+8LcYh6AGA9Bnu
iu/ZE/7NH14hcUb8GEeGtwt6XNahGN6TSER7MYg0tLTY
=hEB7
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----

Is there any limitation to the size of such a text message that 
gnupg can handle when done this way, (or any other problems)?

TIA

vedaal