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1994-10-16
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This is Info file jade.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the input
file jade.texi.
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Jade: (jade). An editor for X11 and AmigaDOS
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
This is Edition 1.3, last updated 7 October 1994, of `The Jade
Manual', for Jade, Version 3.2.
Jade is a text editor for X11 (on Unix) and the Amiga.
Copyright 1993, 1994 John Harper.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that
the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.
File: jade.info, Node: Top, Next: Copying, Prev: (dir), Up: (dir)
Jade is a highly flexible Emacs-style text editor for X11 (on Unix)
and AmigaDOS.
This is Edition 1.3 of its documentation, last updated 7 October
1994 for Jade version 3.2.
* Menu:
* Copying:: Distribution conditions
* Introduction:: Brief introduction to Jade
* News:: New features in this release
* Systems Supported:: The operating systems Jade supports
* Editor Concepts:: Some ideas you should understand
* Key Names:: How keys are described in this manual
* Starting Jade:: How to start the editor
* Using Jade:: Instructions for using the editor
* Programming Jade:: How to extend Jade -- its Lisp system
* Reporting Bugs:: How to contact me
* Function Index:: Menu of all documented functions
* Variable Index:: All variables which have been mentioned
* Key Index:: Menu of all key bindings
* Concept Index:: Main index, references to all sections
File: jade.info, Node: Copying, Next: Introduction, Prev: Top, Up: Top
Copying
*******
Jade is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public
License, this basically means that you can give it to anyone for any
price as long as full source code is included. For the actual legalese
see the file `COPYING' in the distribution. I reserve the right to use
a different licence in future releases.
The only parts of Jade which are not my own work are the regexp
code, this is by Henry Spencer (though I have made some small
modifications) and is distributed under his conditions, and the ARexx
interface in the Amiga version which is based on `MinRexx' by Radical
Eye Software.
Be aware that there is absolutely NO WARRANTY for this program, you
use it at your own risk. Obviously I hope there are no bugs, but I make
no promises regarding the reliability of this software.
File: jade.info, Node: Introduction, Next: News, Prev: Copying, Up: Top
Introduction
************
Jade is a text editor primarily designed for programmers. It is
easily customised through a Lisp-style extension language and can be
tailored to the user's own requirements.
Jade is designed to run under a graphical windowing system, systems
currently supported are the Commodore Amiga and the X Window System
version 11 (but only under Unix).
It is the successor to the editor `Jed 2.10' which I released for the
Amiga in early 1993. I have decided to rename it now that I have made an
X11 version since there is already an editor called `Jed' available
(there is no connection between the two, I haven't even looked at the
other one). "Jade" is an anagram of "A Jed", if you want an acronym you
could use "Just Another Damn Editor", if you can think of anything
better please tell me.
Jade is compatible with GNU Emacs in terms of key presses and
command names to a certain extent but it is not intended as a simple
copy of Emacs (indeed, when I started this I had never actually used
Emacs!). I have tried to take my favourite aspects of all the editors I
have used as well as adding features that I have not found elsewhere.
Consequently, it is very much the editor that *I* want -- you may not
find it so appealing.
File: jade.info, Node: News, Next: Systems Supported, Prev: Introduction, Up: Top
This chapter lists the major changes to Jade and which release they
occurred in. Only changes relevant to you, the user, are detailed; for
more explicit history see the `ChangeLog' files with the sources.
Version 3.2
===========
* The programmer's manual has finally be written.
* Undo; devote as much memory as you want to keep track of all
modifications to a buffer which can then be wound back.
* Arguments can be given to commands as they're invoked.
* Buffer menu for interactive buffer manipulation.
* An Emacs-style local variables section can be embedded in a file;
replaces the naff `::jade-code::' thing.
* `Ctrl-k' (`kill-line') works at last.
* Now possible to interrupt jade while it's working (i.e. to let you
kill infinite loops).
* The Help system now has commands to list key bindings, display
what is bound to any key sequence.
* Use of the Latin-1 character set is now controlled by the minor
mode `latin-1-mode'.
* Can load and save compressed (compress or gzip) files into/out of
buffers transparently when running on Unix.
* Transposing commands; `transpose-chars', `transpose-words',
`transpose-exps'. Bound to `Ctrl-t', `Meta-t' and `Ctrl-Meta-t'
respectively.
* Can now run a shell in an editor buffer, very basic (no
completion) but it works okay.
* Support for using gdb through the shell interface, the current
frame's source code is highlighted in a separate window.
* `Ctrl-z' moves to `Ctrl-W' so that `Ctrl-z' can (de)iconify the
current window.
* Some programs written for the previous incarnation will need to be
altered; all will have to be recompiled.
Version 3.1
===========
* Now properly supports characters which print as more than one
character (i.e. proper tabs, `^L', `\123', etc...). In general any
character can print as any sequence of up to four character-images.
* Doesn't expand tabs to spaces anymore, this means that loading and
saving of largish files is noticeably quicker.
* Files containing NUL characters can be edited (more or less)
successfully. Some commands (notably the regexp matcher) still
don't like these characters but, in the main, binary files can be
edited successfully.
* Searching and replacing has changed, it's easier to use now and
replacing globally is built in.
* Many improvements to the Info viewer, not least, the dir file
doesn't have to have a tag-table anymore.
* Client editing. This lets you load files into a running editor
from a shell. For example, if your mailer runs an editor on the
message you're writing you can use the client to edit the message
in a Jade that you are running.
* The buffer prompt's completion is now controllable by the mouse as
well as the keyboard. Click the right button to complete the
current word. Double-clicking the left mouse button on one of the
lines under the `::Completions::' line selects that completion.
* `text-mode' and `indented-text-mode' major-modes for editing
English language (as opposed to programming languages).
* Minor-modes. These provide small variations to the major-modes.
For example, `overwrite-mode' makes typed keys overwrite
whatever's under the cursor. Also included is a minor mode to do
auto-filling (word wrap).
* On Unix, a tilde (`~') in a filename is handled properly in most
cases
* It is now possible to Meta qualify a key press and it will pretend
that you pressed ESC then the un-Meta'd key.
File: jade.info, Node: Systems Supported, Next: Editor Concepts, Prev: News, Up: Top
Requirements
************
Jade will only run on certain operating systems, this chapter
details just what it needs as well as some notes relevant to each
system.
Amiga Jade
==========
The only real requirement for Jade running on an Amiga is that it
must run an operating system revision of at least V37 (thats V2.04) and
have about 300K free memory available.
It also needs more stack than the average Amiga application. For
normal use 20K should be okay. If you want to use the Lisp compiler 50K
would be a better bet.
It assumes that its directory is pointed to by the `JADE:'
assignment. This means that the main Lisp files are stored in
`JADE:lisp/' and the file of doc-strings is `JADE:DOC'.
X11 Jade
========
Jade will only run on version 11 of X, it has absolutely no support
for character terminals or different windowing systems. As long as it
compiles it should work on your system.
One problem you might find is that the Backspace and Delete keys
don't work properly. As far as I have been able to find out, most X
terminals map both the Backspace (normally at the top-right of the
alpha-keyboard) and the Delete (normally somewhere above the cursor
keys) keys to the `Delete' keysym. Obviously, since I want these keys
to have different effects (1) this is no good. What I decided to do
about this was two things,
1. Use `xmodmap' to map the Delete key to the `Backspace' keysym.
This may sound backwards but most programs seem to use the
`Delete' keysym as what I call `Backspace' so mapping as I
described doesn't break this.
To do this, I have the following in my `.Xmodmap' file
keycode 107 = Backspace
Note that the `107' is the Delete key's key code on *my* keyboard,
your keyboard may, and probably will, be different.
2. In the function which binds descriptions of key presses to Lisp
forms, swap the meanings of the `Backspace' and `Delete' keysyms.
This means that everything works okay! You can bind to Delete key
and it will work properly.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) Backspace should rub out the key before the cursor and Delete
should delete the character under the cursor
File: jade.info, Node: Editor Concepts, Next: Key Names, Prev: Systems Supported, Up: Top
Editor Concepts
***************
Before I describe the editor in detail there are several concepts
which you should be familiar with. Some will be explained in more
detail later.
"buffer"
Buffers are used by the editor to store the text that you are
editing. Broadly speaking, each buffer holds the contents of one
text-file loaded into the editor (it is not necessary for each
buffer to be associated with a file, some buffers exist for other
purposes for example the `*jade*' buffer is used to interact with
the Lisp system).
"current buffer"
The buffer being edited in the current window (see below), most
editor commands work on this buffer unless told otherwise.
"window"
Corresponds to a window in the window-system. Each window can
display one buffer at a single time (although a buffer may be
displayed in more than one window at once).
"current window"
Jade always keeps track of which one of its windows is active. It
is called the current window. Whenever you type a key or press a
mouse button in one of Jade's windows, that window automatically
becomes the current window. Amongst other things, all messages
from the editor are displayed in the status line of the current
window.
"cursor"
The cursor marks your current position in the current buffer (see
above), when you type something it is inserted into the buffer
between the cursor and the character preceding it (unless you type
a command).
"status line"
One line in a window is devoted to displaying messages from the
editor, *Note Using Windows::.
"Lisp"
The programming language which Jade uses, although the internals
of the editor are written in C, all commands are written in a
dialect of Lisp (even if the command only calls a C function).
Jade contains an interpreter, compiler and debugger for this
language. *Note Programming Jade::.
"variable"
Variables are used to store Lisp values, each variable has a
unique name. Note that unlike many programming languages
variables in Lisp are *not* typed, the data values themselves have
a type associated with them.
"form"
A form is a single Lisp expression. For example, all of these are
forms:
foo
42
"hello"
(setq foo 200)
"command"
A command is a sequence of Lisp forms which may be called
interactively (i.e. from the keyboard). It may be a key sequence
(such as `Ctrl-x Ctrl-f') or a Lisp function to evaluate (such as
`find-file').
"regular expression"
A regular expression is a string which is used to match against
other strings. It has a special syntax which allows you to form a
kind of template against which the other strings can be matched.
They are used extensively by the editor, but you -- the user --
will mainly encounter them when searching and replacing strings in
buffers.
File: jade.info, Node: Key Names, Next: Starting Jade, Prev: Editor Concepts, Up: Top
Key Names
*********
In this manual I have adopted a consistent notation for all key
presses, since most editor commands are invoked via a typed key
sequence it is very important that you can decipher this notation.
Note that the term `input event' (or `event') and the term `key
press' have been used interchangeably throughout this manual. A `key
press' may mean a mouse event, they don't always come from the keyboard.
Every key press has a set of "modifiers"; these are the keys such as
"Shift" or "Control" which don't actually produce a character when
typed, they only effect the rest of the keyboard. Each key, then, can
have one or more modifiers.
The name of an event consists of zero or more hyphen-separated
modifier names, followed by a hyphen and the name of the actual event.
Some commands are triggered by more than one of these key presses;
press each key (or do whatever is necessary to precipitate the input
event) in turn to invoke the command.
Note that the case of modifiers is not important, however some of
the keys *are*, so you should always specify them in their correct case.
* Menu:
* Modifiers:: Names of modifier keys
* Keys:: Names of actual keys
* Example Keys:: Some examples and what they mean
File: jade.info, Node: Modifiers, Next: Keys, Up: Key Names
Modifiers
=========
"Shift"
"SFT"
The shift key.
"Ctrl"
"CTL"
The control key, or its equivalent.
"Meta"
This depends on the window-system, on X11 it is the "Mod1"
modifier, on the Amiga the "Alt" key. When the `meta-sends-esc'
variable is non-nil the Meta modifier is treated specially,
- Variable: meta-sends-esc
When non-nil, any Meta-modified key presses are expanded into
a sequence of two key presses, ESC and the pressed key minus
its Meta modifier. For example typing `Meta-f' would expand
to `ESC f'. This feature is provided for compatibility with
GNU Emacs.
What this really means is that when the option is enabled (it
is by default) you can either type the key sequence `ESC X'
or the sequence `Meta-X' (where Meta is your keyboard's meta
key) to invoke a command described as `Meta-X'.
"LMB"
The left mouse button.
"MMB"
The middle mouse button.
"RMB"
The right mouse button.
As well as these, there are also some others, "Mod1" to "Mod5"
represent the X11 modifiers of the same name. "Button1" to "Button5"
also correspond to their X11 counterparts (Button1 to Button3 are LMB
to RMB). For Amiga users, "Amiga" corresponds to the Amiga key (this is
the same as Mod2).
File: jade.info, Node: Keys, Next: Example Keys, Prev: Modifiers, Up: Key Names
As far as possible each single character key-definition corresponds
to where that character is on the keyboard (a is `a', etc...).
When using an Amiga this should be true for *all* keys since the
Amiga's "keymap.library" makes it easy to look up what key a character
belongs to. However, this is not so easy on X11. All of the standard
ASCII character set should be okay, but the more esoteric characters
may have to be specified by the names of their X11 keysym (without the
`XK_' prefix). Look in the <X11/keysymdef.h> include file for all
keysyms, for example `XK_question' would have to be used for `?' if the
editor didn't treat it, and many others, specially.
Some keys which don't follow this pattern are
"SPC"
"Space"
The space bar.
"TAB"
The tab key.
"RET"
"Return"
The return key.
"ESC"
"Escape"
The escape key.
"Backspace"
The backspace key.
"DEL"
"Delete"
The delete key.
"Help"
The help key, not all keyboards have this.
The cursor up key.
"Down"
The cursor down key
"Left"
The cursor left key.
"Right"
The cursor right key.
"KP_Enter"
"KP_Multiply"
"KP_Divide"
"KP_Minus"
"KP_Add"
"KP_Decimal"
"KP_N"
Keys on the numeric keypad. For KP_N, N is a digit.
"Click1"
Single clicking a mouse button.
"Click2"
Double clicking a mouse button.
"Off"
Releasing a mouse button.
"Move"
Moving the mouse. This doesn't work on X11 yet.
File: jade.info, Node: Example Keys, Prev: Keys, Up: Key Names
Example Keys
============
Some examples of proper key names are,
`Ctrl-x'
Hold down Control, type x.
`Meta-Shift-RET'
Hold down Meta and Shift, then type the Return key, or
alternatively, type the Escape key then hold down Shift and type
Return.
`LMB-Click1'
Click the left mouse button once.
`Ctrl-RMB-Click1'
Hold down Ctrl then click the right mouse button once.
File: jade.info, Node: Starting Jade, Next: Using Jade, Prev: Key Names, Up: Top
Starting Jade
*************
This chapter describes Jade's initialisation process. This includes
how to start it, what options it will accept and what it actually does
after being started.
* Menu:
* Invocation:: How to start the editor
* Startup Options:: Arguments specified on the command line
* Startup Procedure:: What happens on startup
File: jade.info, Node: Invocation, Next: Startup Options, Up: Starting Jade
Invocation
==========
Since Jade supports two vastly different operating systems they both
need to be covered separately.
Amiga
-----
The normal way to start Jade on the Amiga is to type its name at the
Shell (or CLI) together with any options (*note Startup Options::.) you
want. Note that these options are in the traditional Unix style, a dash
followed by the option name and any arguments, not the standard
AmigaDOS method.
It is also possible to invoke the editor from the Workbench, simply
double clicking on its icon will cause Jade to open its initial window.
Unfortunately there is no support for passing arguments via Tool Types,
nor is there any way to create icons with saved files. This is largely
due to the fact that I rarely use the Workbench -- if enough people
complain about this I will probably fix it. Jade doesn't have an icon
yet, you'll have to make one yourself.
Jade should be started like most other Unix programs, type its name
and any arguments to a shell. It must be able to connect to an X server
(preferably the one controlling your terminal), the `-display' option
can be used if needed.
File: jade.info, Node: Startup Options, Next: Startup Procedure, Prev: Invocation, Up: Starting Jade
Startup Options
===============
The acceptable options can be split into three classes. Note that
they must be specified on the command line in order of their class.
This means that, for example, the `-rc' option must be after the `-font'
option.
So, the general usage pattern is
jade [SYSTEM-DEPENDENT-OPTIONS] [STANDARD-OPTIONS] [LISP-OPTIONS]
Note that the LISP-OPTIONS may include files to be loaded.
1. System dependent options.
* Options for the Amiga system.
`-pubscreen SCREEN-NAME'
Defines the name of the public screen on which the first
window is opened. By default (or if SCREEN-NAME doesn't
exits) the `Workbench' screen is used.
`-font FONT-STRING'
Defines the font used in the first window. FONT-STRING
is the font to use, it is the name of the font (for
example, `topaz.font'), followed by a hyphen and the
point size to use. For example, a FONT-STRING of
`topaz.font-8' gives 8-point topaz. This is the default.
`-stack STACK-SIZE'
When this argument is given Jade allocates a new stack.
STACK-SIZE is a decimal number defining the size (in
bytes) of the new stack.
If this argument is not given Jade simply uses the stack
that AmigaDOS gave it.
* Options for X11.
There are two types of options to the X11 version of the
editor, those specified on the command line and those defined
in the resource database (i.e. in your `.Xdefaults' file).
Resources are looked for under two names, firstly the name
under which the editor was invoked (normally `jade'), if this
fails it tries again with the name `Jade'. Naturally, options
specified on the command line override those in the resource
database.
`-display DISPLAY-NAME'
Defines the name of the X display to open, by default
the contents of the environment variable `DISPLAY'. It
is a string of the form `HOST-NAME:NUMBER.SCREEN-NUMBER'.
`-name NAME'
The name to use when looking up resource values, this
replaces the base name of the executable (normally
`jade').
`-geometry GEOM-SPEC'
Specifies where to place the first window on the screen.
This is a standard X style geometry specification.
`-fg FOREGROUND-COLOUR'
Resource: `fg: FOREGROUND-COLOUR'
The colour of the window's foreground (i.e. the text).
`-bg BACKGROUND-COLOUR'
Resource: `bg: BACKGROUND-COLOUR'
The background colour of the window.
`-font FONT-NAME'
Resource: `font: FONT-NAME'
The name of the font used for all text in the initial
window.
2. Standard options.
`-rc LISP-FILE'
Load the Lisp script LISP-FILE instead of the normal
initialisation script (`init'). Warning: the editor depends
heavily on the normal file, if you change this without due
care the editor could be unusable -- no keys will be bound
and many standard functions won't exist.
`-v'
Print the version and revision numbers of this copy of the
editor then quit.
`-log-msgs'
This option makes all messages which are displayed in the
status line also be written to the standard error stream.
This is sometimes useful for debugging purposes.
3. All other options are passed to the Lisp initialisation process in
the variable `command-line-args', these are available to any Lisp
packages loaded in the initialisation script. Any left after that
are scanned for the following options,
`-f FUNCTION'
Call the Lisp function FUNCTION.
`-l FILE'
Load the Lisp file FILE.
`-q'
Quit cleanly.
`FILE'
Load the file of text FILE into a new buffer.
An example command line for starting Jade from a Unix shell could be
$ jade -fg white -bg black -log-msgs foo.c bar.jl
This means white text, black background, save messages and load the
files `foo.c' and `bar.jl'.
File: jade.info, Node: Startup Procedure, Prev: Startup Options, Up: Starting Jade
Startup Procedure
=================
This is a description of what happens when the editor initialises
itself.
1. Firstly lots of internal data structures are created, memory
pools, symbols and their symbol-table (including all the primitive
Lisp functions).
2. The window-system is initialised (parse the system-dependent
options, and the xrdb resources if in X).
3. Parse the standard options.
4. Create the initial window and the first buffer to display in it
(this is the buffer called `*jade*').
5. Load the initialisation script, this is either the Lisp file
called `init' or whatever was given to the `-rc' command line
option.
Some selected highlights of what the standard file does are,
* Load lots of Lisp files, some notable ones are
`autoload'
Initialise the autoload stubs.
`loadkeys'
Creates the standard keymaps and key bindings.
* Try to find the user's personal startup file, this is
normally the file `.jaderc' in their home directory (1).
* Load any files which were specified on the command line.
6. Start the top-level recursive edit, this doesn't exit until the
editor does.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) The Amiga has no notion of a user's home directory, Jade uses
the contents of the environment variable `HOME', or if this doesn't
exist the `SYS:' assignment.
File: jade.info, Node: Using Jade, Next: Programming Jade, Prev: Starting Jade, Up: Top
Using Jade
**********
This chapter of the manual is meant to teach you to *use* the editor,
because of this I have attempted to reduce references to the Lisp
extension language to an absolute minimum.
* Menu:
* Invoking Commands:: How to use the commands and key-sequences
described in this manual.
* Command Arguments:: Many commands can be modified by prefixing
them with a numeric argument
* The Help System:: Online help facilities
* Loading and Saving Files:: Manipulating files
* Editing Buffers:: Simple editing commands
* Moving Around Buffers:: Commands for moving the cursor
* Undo:: Go back in time
* Editing Units:: Characters, words, lines, etc...
* Cutting And Pasting:: How to insert text from the clipboard
* Using Blocks:: Highlighting regions to manipulate
* Killing:: Deleting text for later insertion
* Searching and Replacing:: Searching the buffer for a regexp
* Editing Modes:: Editing different types of files
* Minor Modes:: Small alterations to editing modes
* Using Buffers:: Selecting & deleting buffers
* Using Windows:: Opening new windows
* Using the Prompt:: Entering strings and completion
* Using Marks:: Recording positions in files
* Interrupting Jade:: Breaking out of commands
* Recursive Editing:: Editing within a command
* Character Images:: How to get a Latin1 character set
* Client Editing:: Using Jade from other programs
* Compiling Programs:: Help for developing programs
* Info Mode:: Reading Info files with Jade
* Shell:: Using a shell inside a buffer
* Simple Customisation:: Configuring Jade
File: jade.info, Node: Invoking Commands, Next: Command Arguments, Up: Using Jade
Invoking Commands
=================
Throughout this manual I have documented the key sequences you have
to enter to make the editor perform a certain action. In fact, the key
sequences are mapped to "commands" when they are typed and it is the
*command* which performs the action.
Commands are simply pieces of Lisp code, usually with a unique name
associated with that command. If you know the name of a command it is
possible to invoke it using the `Meta-x' key sequence; simply type
`Meta-x COMMAND RET' where COMMAND is the name of the command you wish
to invoke.
`Meta-x'
Prompt for the name of a command (completion is available) then
invoke it.
For the sake of simplicity I have often referred to key sequences as
commands; what I actually mean is that the key sequence is bound to the
command. For example the key sequence `Ctrl-x Ctrl-f' opens a file, in
fact the key sequence `Ctrl-x Ctrl-f' is bound to the command
`find-file', this Lisp function actually loads the file.
More detailed information about commands is available in the
programmer's manual, see *Note Programming Jade::.
File: jade.info, Node: Command Arguments, Next: The Help System, Prev: Invoking Commands, Up: Using Jade
Command Arguments
=================
The actions of many commands can be altered by giving them a numeric
argument, this argument is entered immediately prior to invoking the
command (they are technically called prefix arguments).
Each argument is built using a number of special key sequences,
`Meta-0' to `Meta-9'
Append a digit to the end of the current prefix argument. Use a
sequence of these keys to build up a decimal number. For example
typing `Meta-1 Meta-0 Meta-0' creates an argument of 100 for the
following command.
`Meta--'
(That's `Meta-minus'.) Negates the value of current argument, if
the command is invoked after a single `Meta--' prefix the actual
argument is -1.
`Ctrl-u'
Successive `Ctrl-u' key presses multiply the argument by 4 each
time. Note that any existing argument entered by the numeric or
minus commands (described above) is discarded with the first
`Ctrl-u'.
File: jade.info, Node: The Help System, Next: Loading and Saving Files, Prev: Command Arguments, Up: Using Jade
The Help System
===============
To invoke the help system type the key sequence `Ctrl-h' or if your
keyboard has it the `HELP' key.
A prompt will be displayed in the status line showing you which keys
you can press next to enter one of the main options of the help system
explained below. Alternatively, you can type either `Ctrl-h' or `HELP'
again to display some text telling you more about the help system and
how to use it.
The help system is exited after successfully invoking one of the
commands described below or typing anything which is not a recognised
command to the help system.
To list all function names matching REGEXP, type `a REGEXP RET'
when in the help system.
Prints all key bindings and their associated commands which are
installed in the current buffer.
Similarly to the `a' command, to list all variable names matching
REGEXP, type `e REGEXP RET' when in the help system.
Displays the online documentation for a function. After invoking
this option type the name of the function.
Shows some helpful text describing how to use the help system.
Enters the Info viewer. This allows you to browse through files
written in the Info hypertext format. For more information see
*Note Info Mode::, for more information on Info files in general
see *Note Info: (info)Top.
Displays the command (with its documentation) for a key sequence.
After typing `Ctrl-h k' enter the key sequence you want documented
as if you were going to invoke the command.
Display the documentation for the current major mode.
Displays the online documentation and current value of a variable.
Type the name of the variable after invoking this option.
File: jade.info, Node: Loading and Saving Files, Next: Editing Buffers, Prev: The Help System, Up: Using Jade
Loading and Saving Files
========================
Since `Jade' is a text editor its main function is to edit files of
text. This means that you must be able to read the text contained in a
file into one of the editor's buffers, then save it back to disk when
you have finished editing it. That is what this section deals with.
* Menu:
* Commands To Load Files:: Key sequences to load files
* Commands To Save Files:: How to save a buffer
* File Variables:: Local variables defined in files
* Backup Files:: Making backups
* Auto-Saving Files:: Files can be saved periodically
* Accessing Compressed Files:: Reading and writing gzipped files
* Other File Commands:: How to delete, rename or copy files
File: jade.info, Node: Commands To Load Files, Next: Commands To Save Files, Up: Loading and Saving Files
Commands To Load Files
----------------------
There are several commands used to load files into buffers, these
`Ctrl-x Ctrl-f'
Prompts for the name of a file (using file-completion) and display
the buffer containing that file. If the file has not already been
loaded it will be read into a new buffer.
`Ctrl-x Ctrl-v'
Prompts for the name of a file, the current buffer is killed and
the buffer in which the prompted-for file is being edited is
displayed. As in `find-file' it will be read into a new buffer if
it is not already in memory.
`Ctrl-x Ctrl-r'
Similar to `find-file' except that the buffer is marked as being
read-only. This means that no modifications can be made to the
buffer.
`Ctrl-x i'
Prompts for a file, then inserts it into the current buffer at the
cursor position.
You can use the prompt's completion feature to expand abbreviated
filenames typed to the prompt, for more information see *Note The
Buffer Prompt::.
File: jade.info, Node: Commands To Save Files, Next: File Variables, Prev: Commands To Load Files, Up: Loading and Saving Files
Commands To Save Files
----------------------
These are the commands used to save buffers and the key sequences
associated with them,
`Ctrl-x Ctrl-s'
Saves the current buffer to the file that it is associated with
(this is either the file that it was loaded from or something else
set by the function `set-file-name'). If no modifications have
been made to the file since it was loaded it won't be saved (a
message will be displayed warning you of this).
`Ctrl-x Ctrl-w'
Prompts for a name to save the file as. The file associated with
this buffer is renamed and the file is saved as its new name.
`Ctrl-x s'
For each buffer which has been modified since it was loaded, ask
the user if it should be saved or not. If so, the command
`save-file' is used to save the file
File: jade.info, Node: File Variables, Next: Backup Files, Prev: Commands To Save Files, Up: Loading and Saving Files
File Variables
--------------
It is often useful to define `local' values of certain variables
which only come into effect when a particular file is being edited.
Jade allows you to include a special section in a file which, when the
file is loaded, is used to give the variables specified buffer-local
values. (For more information about buffer-local variables see *Note
Buffer-Local Variables::.)
The special section must be somewhere in the last twenty lines of a
file, and must be formatted as in the following example,
XXX Local Variables: YYY
XXX VARIABLE:VALUE YYY
...
XXX End: YYY
That is, the string `Local Variables:' followed by as many lines
defining local values as necessary then the string `End:'. The two
strings `XXX' and `YYY' may be anything (even nothing!) as long as they
are the same on each line. They are normally used to put the local
variable section into a comment in a source file.
For example, in a Texinfo source file the following piece of text at
the bottom of the file would set the column at which lines are broken to
74 (note that `@c' introduces a comment in Texinfo).
@c Local Variables:
@c fill-column:74
@c End:
Two pseudo-variables which can be set using a local variables section
are `mode' and `eval'. Setting the `mode' variable actually defines the
major mode to use with the file (*note Editing Modes::.) while setting
`eval' actually evaluates the Lisp form VALUE then discards its value.
For example,
/* Local Variables: */
/* mode:C */
/* eval:(message "How pointless!") */
/* End: */
This Forces the file to be edited with the C mode and displays a
pointless message. Note that no variables called `mode' or `eval' are
actually set.
Several variables are used to control how the local variables feature
works.
- Variable: enable-local-variables
Defines how to process the `Local Variables:' section of a file:
`nil' means to ignore it, `t' means process it as normal and
anything else means that each variable being set has to be
confirmed by the user. Its default value it `t'.
- Variable: enable-local-eval
This variable defines how the pseudo-variable `eval' is treated in
a local variables list, it works in the same way as the
`enable-local-variables' variable does. Its default value is
`maybe', making each form be confirmed before being evaluated.
- Variable: local-variable-lines
Defines how many lines at the bottom of a file are scanned for the
`Local Variables:' marker, by default it is 20.
Note that this feature is compatible with GNU Emacs, and since I have
tried to keep the names of variables compatible as well, there should
be few problems.
File: jade.info, Node: Backup Files, Next: Auto-Saving Files, Prev: File Variables, Up: Loading and Saving Files
Backup Files
------------
The editor can optionally preserve the previous contents of a file
when it is about to be overwritten by the saving of a buffer. It does
this by renaming the old file, `foo' as `foo~' (the original name plus
a tilde appended to it) before it is obliterated.
- Variable: make-backup-files
This variable controls whether or not backups are made of files
about to overwritten by the function `write-buffer' (i.e. the
commands `save-file' and `save-file-as'). When non-nil the old
instance of the file is renamed so that it has a tilde appended to
its old name.
- Variable: backup-by-copying
When non-nil all backups are made by copying the original file
instead of renaming it as the backup file. This is slower but less
destructive.
- Variable: else-backup-by-copying
If `backup-by-copying' is `nil' and renaming the original file
would not be a good idea (i.e. it might break a link or something)
and this variable is non-`nil' the backup will be made by copying
the original file.
File: jade.info, Node: Auto-Saving Files, Next: Accessing Compressed Files, Prev: Backup Files, Up: Loading and Saving Files
Auto-Saving Files
-----------------
Jade is able to save snapshots of a buffer's contents at set time
intervals. When this time interval expires and the buffer has been
modified since it was last (auto-) saved to disk (and the editor is
idle) the buffer is saved to a special file (usually the base component
of the file's name surrounded by `#' characters in the file's
directory).
- Variable: auto-save-p
When non-nil this makes the function `open-file' (and therefore the
commands `find-file', etc) flag that the file it just read should
be auto saved regularly.
- Variable: default-auto-save-interval
This is the default number of seconds between each auto save. This
variable is only referenced when each file is opened.
Its standard value is 120 seconds.
- Variable: auto-save-interval
This buffer-local variable controls the number of seconds between
each auto-save of the buffer it belongs to. A value of zero means
never auto-save.
When the buffer is saved properly (i.e. with `save-file' and
friends) its auto-save file is deleted. Note that this doesn't happen
when you kill a buffer and an auto-save file exists (in case you didn't
mean to kill the buffer).
To recover an auto-saved file (i.e. after an editor crash or
something!) use the command `recover-file'.
`Meta-x recover-file'
Loads the auto-saved copy of the file stored in this buffer
overwriting its current contents (if any changes are to be lost
you will have to agree to losing them).
File: jade.info, Node: Accessing Compressed Files, Next: Other File Commands, Prev: Auto-Saving Files, Up: Loading and Saving Files
Accessing Compressed Files
--------------------------
Jade contains basic support for reading, inserting and writing
buffers which have been compressed using the `gzip' or `compress'
compression programs. When this feature is enabled such files are
transparently decompressed when loaded into the buffer and compressed
when saved back to a file.
Unfortunately this doesn't work on Amigas yet. To install it the
Lisp form,
(require 'gzip)
should be in your `.jaderc' file (or you can do this by hand in the
`*jade*' buffer if you want).
After the `gzip' package has been installed any files loaded into
buffers whose filename end in `.gz' or `.Z' are uncompressed, this
suffix is stripped when searching for a major mode to install in the
buffer but otherwise the buffer's filename is left intact.
Any buffer saved whose filename ends in one of the above suffixes is
automatically compressed (`.gz' is compressed by `gzip', `.Z' by
`compress').
File: jade.info, Node: Other File Commands, Prev: Accessing Compressed Files, Up: Loading and Saving Files
Other File Commands
-------------------
`Meta-x delete-file RET FILE-NAME RET'
Deletes the file called FILE-NAME.
`Meta-x rename-file RET SOURCE RET DEST RET'
Renames the file called SOURCE as the file DEST.
`Meta-x copy-file RET SOURCE RET DEST RET'
Makes a copy of the file called SOURCE as the file DEST.
File: jade.info, Node: Editing Buffers, Next: Moving Around Buffers, Prev: Loading and Saving Files, Up: Using Jade
Editing Buffers
===============
The majority of keys when typed will simply insert themselves into
the buffer (this is not always true but it's a good assumption) since
they have not been bound. Typically this includes all normal characters
(i.e. alphanumeric, punctuation, etc) as well as any of the more obtuse
key-sequences which have not been bound to a function (`Ctrl-l' is one
of the more useful of these).
The behaviour of the TAB key is different to many other editors -- it
doesn't insert anything (unless a specific editing mode has bound it to
something else, like `c-mode' for example), generally it just moves the
cursor to the next tab stop. This is partly because Jade doesn't use
"proper" tabs and partly because it makes it easier to move around a
line (because the key sequence `Shift-TAB' moves to the previous tab
stop).
Some miscellaneous editing commands follow.
`RET'
This generally splits the line into two at the position of the
cursor, some editing modes may provide an option which
automatically indents the line after it's split.
`Backspace'
Deletes the character before the cursor.
`DEL'
`Ctrl-d'
Deletes the character under the cursor.
`Shift-Backspace'
Kills the characters between the start of the line and the cursor.
*Note Killing::.
`Shift-DEL'
Kills the characters from the cursor to the end of the line.
`Ctrl-DEL'
Kills the whole line.
`Ctrl-o'
Splits the line in two at the cursor, but leaves the cursor in its
original position.
`Meta-d'
`Meta-DEL'
Kills from the cursor to the end of the current word.
`Ctrl-k'
Kills from the cursor to the end of the line, or if the cursor is
at the end of the line from the cursor to the start of the next
line. Each successive `Ctrl-k' appends to the text in the kill
buffer.
`Meta-l'
Makes the characters from the cursor to the end of the word lower
case.
`Meta-u'
Upper cases the characters from the cursor to the end of the word.
`Meta-c'
Capitalises the characters from the cursor to the end of the word,
this means make the first character upper case and the rest lower.
`Meta-Backspace'
Kills from the cursor to the beginning of the word.
File: jade.info, Node: Moving Around Buffers, Next: Undo, Prev: Editing Buffers, Up: Using Jade
Moving Around Buffers
=====================
Here is a selection of the most commonly used commands which move the
cursor around the current buffer.
`Ctrl-p'
Move one line up.
`Down'
`Ctrl-n'
Move one line down.
`Left'
Move one column to the left, stopping at the first column.
`Ctrl-b'
Move to the previous character, at the beginning of the line moves
to the end of the previous line.
`Right'
Move one column to the right. This keeps moving past the end of
the line.
`Ctrl-f'
Move to the next character, at the end of a line moves to the
start of the next line.
`Shift-Up'
Move to the first line in the buffer.
`Shift-Down'
Move to the last line in the buffer.
`Meta-<'
Move to the first character in the buffer.
`Meta->'
Move to the last character in the buffer.
`Shift-Left'
`Ctrl-a'
Move to the beginning of the current line.
`Shift-Right'
`Ctrl-e'
Move to the last character in the current line.
`Ctrl-Up'
`Meta-v'
Move to the previous screen of text.
`Ctrl-Down'
`Ctrl-v'
Move to the next screen of text.
`Meta-Left'
`Meta-b'
Move to the previous word.
`Meta-Right'
`Meta-f'
Move to the next word.
`Meta-Up'
`Meta-['
Move to the start of the previous paragraph.
`Meta-Down'
`Meta-]'
Move to the start of the next paragraph.
`TAB'
`Meta-i'
Insert a tab character, indenting the cursor to the next tab
position.
Note that some editing modes redefine TAB to make it indent the
current line to its correct depth.
`Shift-TAB'
Move to the position of the previous tab.
`Ctrl-TAB'
Move to the position of the next tab.
`Meta-j'
Prompt for a line number and go to it.
`Meta-m'
Move to the first non-space character in the current line.
File: jade.info, Node: Undo, Next: Editing Units, Prev: Moving Around Buffers, Up: Using Jade
Jade makes it very easy to undo changes to a buffer, this is very
useful when you realise that actually, *that wasn't* the part of the
file you wanted to delete!
Basically to undo the last command type either `Ctrl-_' or `Ctrl-x
u'. If the last thing you did was to type some text into the buffer
all the consecutively-typed characters count as one command.
To undo more than one command, simply type more than one `Ctrl-_' (or
`Ctrl-x u') consecutively; this will progressively work its way back
through the buffer's history. The first non-undo command cancels this
effect, so if you undo too far back invoke a command which doesn't
modify the buffer, then undo whatever you undid.
`Ctrl-_'
`Ctrl-x u'
Undo the previous command, or the last block of consecutively
typed characters. Successive undo commands work backwards though
the undo-history until a non-undo command is invoked.
The exact amount of undo-information kept for each buffer is
controlled by the `max-undo-size' variable. This defines the maximum
number of bytes which may be devoted to undo-information in a single
buffer, the default is 10000. No matter what this is set to, the last
command is *always* recoverable.
- Variable: max-undo-size
The maximum memory which may be devoted to recording
undo-information in each buffer.
File: jade.info, Node: Editing Units, Next: Cutting And Pasting, Prev: Undo, Up: Using Jade
Editing Units
=============
To make it easier to remember which key sequences do what Jade
provides a number of commands which are similar to one another but
operate on different "units" in the buffer. These related-commands are
bound to the same key but with a different prefix or modifier. For
example `Ctrl-f' moves forward one character while `Meta-f' moves
forward one word.
* Menu:
* Editing Characters:: Commands operating on characters,
* Editing Words:: words,
* Editing Expressions:: expressions,
* Editing Lines:: and lines.
File: jade.info, Node: Editing Characters, Next: Editing Words, Up: Editing Units
Editing Characters
------------------
These are the commands which operate on characters. Note that when an
argument (*note Command Arguments::.) is given to one of these commands
it actually operates on *number* of characters. For example, if you
want to delete the next 5 characters starting at the cursor type
`Meta-5 Ctrl-d'.
`Ctrl-f'
Move forward one character.
`Ctrl-b'
Move back one character.
`Right'
Move one character to the right, when the end of the line is
encountered it's ignored and the cursor keeps moving to the right.
`Left'
Move one character to the left, stops when the beginning of the
line is reached.
`Ctrl-d'
`DEL'
Deletes the character beneath the cursor.
`Backspace'
Deletes the character before the cursor.
`Ctrl-t'
Transposes the character before the cursor with the one under the
cursor. When given an argument the character before the cursor is
dragged forward over that many characters.
`Meta-SPC'
Delete all white space characters surrounding the cursor leaving a
single space in their place. If a prefix argument is given that
many spaces are left.
`Meta-\'
Delete all white space characters surrounding the cursor. This is
equivalent to the key sequence `Meta-0 Meta-SPC'.