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Sudden View Reference Manual Beta Release November 20, 1991 by Rod Coleman Copyright 1991 Sudden Incorporated, Rod Coleman All rights reserved Table of Contents File Line Read Me First A Demo versus Personalized 46 Copying and Copyrights 94 Getting Started 119 Critical Hints 161 Sudden View Features 227 Known Incompatibilities 309 Introduction B Table of Contents 29 Sudden View?, and Credit Due 183 Live Editing 236 Sudden Tour C A Trip Around the Screen 29 Let's Do Something! 148 Dynamic Arrangement 217 More Block Types 262 Positioning the Cursor D Instant Access 40 Dynamic Scrolling 56 Fast Dynamic Scrolling 94 Tab Key 117 Cursor Keys 133 Clr/Home Key 160 Methods for Positioning the Cursor 174 Editing Text E Implied Editing Action 36 Deleting Text 79 Undo 129 Inserting Lines 157 Carriage Return 189 Backspace 235 Formatting Text F Implicit Formatting 18 Word Wrap 65 Adjusting Word Wrap 96 Re-wrapping 113 Adopting a Format 140 Adjusting a Format 160 Field Profile 213 Inserting Form Feeds 258 Arranging Text G Copy, Cut, Paste and Move 5 Selecting a Block 51 Copy and Cut 212 Paste 255 Paste Buffer Scrolling 426 Move 443 Ballistic Move 584 Locating Text H Last Change 30 Find 51 Case Sensitivity Imbedded Searches Search Patterns Replace 145 Managing Files I Opening Files 32 Saving Files 61 Backing Up Files 86 Clearing Files 108 Quitting Sudden View 128 Inserting Form Feed 151 Key Repeat Rate 166 Importing and Exporting Text 174 Selecting Functions J Power Menu 16 Menu Chart 102 Mouse Selection 186 Mouse Control Summary 202 Escaping 230 Keyboard Details K Data, Control and Power Keys 14 Dedicated Control Keys 55 Power Keys Definitions 99 Power Key Layout 146 Power Keys Functions 177 Configuration L Configuring Sudden View 5 Setting Workspace Size Key Repeat Rate AutoSave Suppress Accessory Versus Program Activating Sudden View 70 Favorite Recipes M Obvious Applications 18 Personal Address Book 33 Software Development Tool 51 Bulletin Board Support 87 Work Scheduler 104 Thought Processor 119 Customer Data Base 135 Price List 149 Proposal Generator 163 General Search Tool 173 Error Messages N Sudden Incorporated Policy P A Personal Relationship 44 Buying Sudden View 96 Sudden Support 158 Copying and Copyrights 179 Rewards 217 Limited Warranty 240 Sudden View?, and Credit Due There have always been a few things that frustrated me about text editing. If computers have random access memory (RAM), why can't we access whatever part of the file we want to, when we want to? Cut and Paste always seems more like typesetting; and when it comes to Insert and Replace, I was always in the wrong mode. With Sudden View, I have decided to challenge these and other fundamental aspects of text editing. In doing so, I discovered that the more direct and implicit a function was, the more it seemed like I was working with the text and not the editor. It's like after you have been doodling for a while, and you suddenly realize that you are working with the picture and not the pencil. I call this effect Live Editing; but more on that later. To present these ideas, I have defined a simple but useful product for editing ASCII text. I do not address the whole subject of file structure and graphics, so Sudden View is not a word processor or desktop publisher. It has limited use, but I hope it will help you to process thoughts more than words anyway. That's what Live Editing is all about. Before I get started with all of that, I would like to thank my wife Sheri as well as my sons Joshua and Travis for their cooperation during this last several months. But hold on here! It seems like I'm getting off too easy with just a simple thank you. If you've ever had to put up with anyone doing a "project", you may know what I mean. For the last five years, my wife Sheri and I have operated a retail computer store. For some time now, Sheri has successfully managed the store, leaving me free to pursue my ideas involving computer software. "Thank you" doesn't quite express it, but I guess it'll have to do. I hope they understand. I would also like to thank the other employees of Cimarron Computer, and even some of our customers, who have put up with me during this difficult time. A thanks also goes to Barry Workman at FTL for his help with his Modula-2 compiler. And of course, I don't want to forget John Eidsvoog, Chris Latham and J. Patton, who helped me with the GEM parts of this thing. There's also Kenn Johnson, Lynn Fuller, Bob Pistner and Jack Burkig, who are testing code right now. Thanks guys. And finally, I would like to dedicate Sudden View to Ryan Matthew, who was born just a few days ago on May 31st, 1991. Now you know why mom deserves so much more than just thanks. Any one of managing a computer store, having a baby or putting up with me while I write a new program, is a real challenge. But doing all three at once? Well, you get the idea. Thank you Sheri. Live Editing Some people are confused by Sudden View. They refer to it as fast, but a little strange; or maybe quick but quirky. It's true, Sudden View is a fast text editor; but what I really wanted to do, was make "Fast" irrelevant when editing text. For instance, it's not meaningful to measure the text scroll rate of Sudden View. If you can't measure it, you won't notice it. If you don't notice it, it's irrelevant. The point is: it doesn't get between you and your text. The object of Sudden View was to create an effect I call Live Editing. It's sort of like the sensation you get when you take over the joystick after trying to show someone else how to play your favorite arcade game. No matter how well you explain it, or how well he plays it, there's nothing like the feel of doing it yourself. Most editors are like telling someone else how to play a game. They are indirect and remote. They present a metaphor that acts as an agent to carry out your commands. The metaphor makes it easier to understand how the commands work; but it is still a start/stop operation as you direct, and it responds to each command. To achieve Live Editing, Sudden View removes the metaphor that stands between the user and his information; and then replaces it with an instant response to the natural, and implicit actions of the user. I know this sounds a bit Zen, but let me explain. Computers are a new type of machine whose behavior is defined by its software. The question is, "How should a computer act?". Should it act like a typewriter, desktop, trash can or toaster? My conclusion is that it shouldn't act like anything else. A computer's true nature is to simply present a user's information, and then instantly respond to the user's natural actions. In text editing, this means that the computer and software should allow the user to edit and arrange text directly, and in a continuous fashion. The process should seem to be "live", as if the user were actually touching the text. Live Editing does not come easy. It requires learning various subtle controls, but once achieved, can make the editing process very effective. To achieve this "live" sensation, it is important to remove the command/response model completely. I have found through testing, that if you notice any response time at all, the software's to slow to create a continuous "feel". In order to achieve Live Editing, response time must be fast enough to not be noticed. If it's fast enough, "fast" becomes irrelevant. Conventional editing is like standing behind the glass at Baskin Robbins, and pointing to the goodies you want on your banana split. If you persist, you can get it just right; but explaining to someone else exactly how you want it, is a slow, frustrating, stop and start process. On the other hand, Sudden View has no metaphor, and dedicates no performance to entertaining the user with expanding boxes or speed lines. Its interface is the text itself; and the text responds quickly enough to be perceived as "live". Live Editing allows you to go BEHIND the counter, and make your own banana split. This occurs in one smooth and efficient operation. The scoop becomes an extension of your hand; and only you know how much chocolate to use, and just where to put the cherry. Focusing all processing power on the user's objective, as defined by his implicit actions, is what makes Live Editing work. The following features define how this is carried out in Sudden View. Instant Access will put you anywhere in the file, instantly. The speed of access is independent of file size or current position. This feature can also be used for block definition. Instead of positioning the window, Dynamic Scrolling positions the text. Instead of indirect control, it adjust the position of the text in a way that is proportional to mouse displacement. It quickly becomes a natural extension of your hand. Because of Implied Editing Action, Sudden View has no Insert or Replace mode. The user is never confused about what mode he is in. The editing action is determined by cursor placement, except as required. Text formatting is also implicit. The format of the text IS the text, so the user can have as many formats as he likes. Adoptive Formatting and Dynamic Word Wrap allow the user to replicate or alter any existing format. The control of the format responds to the actual text, and not the other way around. Dynamic Arrangement allows you to directly perform Copy, Cut, Paste, and Move operations without reference to any menus. If you want to move a block, just select it and move it. This feature tends to loosen the glue that holds the text to the screen, and is therefore one of the most important aspects of Live Editing. Sudden View assigns the most common editing functions to the user's most subtle implied actions. This allows the program to position, edit and arrange text directly. For the less common, but more involved functions, Sudden View uses the explicit Power Menu, which by the way, is also implicitly activated. By being sensitive to the user's movements, and responding quickly, Sudden View allows the editing process to become one smooth and continuous action. This leaves the user free to focus on his information; not on the software's metaphor. This is the essential nature of Live Editing. Just because Sudden View is only a simple text editor, and some of its actions are very natural, doesn't mean that it's necessarily easy to learn. Like other useful tools, its subtly requires study and practice. Sudden View is definitely not for the timid or conventional; you need to reach out and take control. Your first encounter with Sudden View is like driving a car for the first time: any little movement will put you all over the road. But don't worry, once you get the "feel" of it, you can make it go anywhere you like. Just like learning to drive, Sudden View is easier to do than explain. The Tour in the next file should get you started; but you have to do all the driving yourself. For those of you who just can't wait; be forewarned, there are subtleties that are only found in the details of the other sections.