Usenet 1994 October/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicoctober1994disk2.iso/unix/volume26/ee-1.23/part01/HELP-MANUAL

Text File | 1993-06-20 | 20KB | 449 lines

Easy-edit v1.22    by Larry Broda  Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Illinois

Scrolling this window
=====================
    The HELP window may be scrolled using the following commands:
    ESC f -  forward one page
    ESC F -  forward one line
    ESC > -  forward to next topic (in this Manual only)
    ESC b -  backward one page
    ESC B -  backward one line
    ESC < -  backward to previous topic (in this Manual only)

Introduction                        (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
============

    Easy-edit (or "ee") is  a simple text  editor  designed to  be
to be usable without any previous instruction.   Easy-edit splits your
screen into  two "windows",  one in which you edit   your file and the
other in which a list of editing commands is displayed.
    Type  in  text as with a word processor; line wraps will occur
automatically if  you  do not type carriage returns.  Editing commands
are of two types:

    1. Control commands (notated "^<key>"; e.g. ^A): Press the
       control key and the letter key together.

    2. Escape commands (notated "ESC <key>"; e.g. ESC A): Press
           and release "escape" key, then press the other key.

    In most  cases the case of the letter following "ESC" does not
matter  (that  is, an "ESC S" is  the same as "ESC  s");  but in a few
cases  (such as HELP window scrolling)  there is  a difference between
the upper and lower case version.

Exiting/Saving work                (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
===================
ESC S   -  Save and Exit

    To exit easy-edit and save your work, press ESC, the S.  This
will write your changes to the file and exit the editor.

ESC W   -  Save without exiting

    ESC W save your changes as in ESC S, but does not exit the editor.
This is useful for periodically saving your changes if you are worried
about a system crash or phone-line disconnection.

ESC Q   -  Abort
    To  quit  from  easy-edit without  saving the changes you have
made,  type ESC,  then Q.   You will be asked  if  you  really want to
cancel your changes;  answer "yes" to proceed with  the abort, or "no"
to continue editing.  If you are creating a new file and abort with an
ESC Q, the file will not be created.

ESC T  -  Save to a different file and Exit

    ESC T allows you to save your editing to a different file from
the one you originally began editing.  The  original file will be left
unchanged.   You will  be asked for the new  filename and if it  is an
existing file, you will be warned and asked whether you really want to
replace the  current file.  ESC T will  fail if you try  to write to a
file  that you  do  not have read  access to  or create   a  file in a
directory that you do not have write access to.


Moving the cursor                   (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
================
^P / up arrow
^N / down arrow
^F / right arrow
^B / left arrow

    When  you type  text,  it  will  be  inserted  at  the cursor
position; likewise,  the  effect of editing commands is determined by
the cursor position.
    On most  terminals or PCs, the arrow keys may be  used to move
the cursor  around  within  the file one character  or line at a time.
Alternatively, the control keys listed above may be used.  To move the
cursor  by more than  one character or line  at  a time, the following
commands may be used:

   ^G - move forward (right) one word
   ^B - move backwards (left) one word
   ^D - move forward one screenfull
   ^U - move backwards one screenfull
   ^A - move to the beginning of the line
   ^E - move to the end of the line
ESC A - move to the beginning of the file.
ESC E - move to the end of the file
ESC G - move to a particular line number (it will ask you for the
        number).

Overwrite/Insert                   (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
===============
ESC N   -   Overwrite/Insert mode toggle

    When you  initially  enter easy-edit, you  are in insert mode,
and text you type in is inserted into the file at the cursor location.
The text to  the right of  the cursor is pushed over  to make room for
the new text.  The ESC N command switches  you into overwrite mode, so
that text you  type in is written *over*  the current text,  replacing
it.  ESC N is a toggle switch; whichever typing mode you are in, ESC N
will switch to the other mode.

Undo                              (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
====
ESC U  -  Undo

    The ESC U (undo)  command lets you correct editing mistakes or
by reversing the editing action.  The ESC U can command  repeatedly to
undo  earlier   changes;  each time  the  preceding  command  will  be
"undone".  There is a limit  to the number  of  commands  that can  be
reversed; this is dependent upon  the types of  commands they were, as
it takes varying amounts of  space to  store different commands in the
editor's memory.


HELP Window                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
===========
ESC F   -   Scroll HELP window forward one screenfull
ESC f   -   Scroll HELP window forward one line
ESC B   -   Scroll HELP window backward one screenfull
ESC b   -   Scroll HELP window backward one line

    The HELP Window lists the editing commands that  are available
to you.  Since there are more commands than can be  listed  at once in
the window, the ESC F  and  ESC B commands  may be used to  scroll the
HELP window  forward and backward, respectively.   Note that these are
among the only commands in which the case of the letter matters.

ESC V   -   Switch between regular HELP/ short HELP

    When  you  are more familiar  with easy-edit,  you may want to
switch the more  concise "advanced" HELP  window,  which in some cases
will  fit entirely  on one page.   You may switch between the standard
HELP window and  the advanced version  with the ESC  V command.  Also,
you may display the advanced HELP window on initial entry by following
the "ee" command with the "-e" option; e.g. ee -e filename.

ESC Z   -   Remove HELP window
ESC H   -   Restore HELP window
ESC J   -   Shrink HELP window (Enlarge EDIT window)

    If you  feel you do not need the HELP listing at all and would
like to have the entire screen space available for displaying the file
you are editing, use the ESC Z command to "zap" the HELP window.   The
command ESC H will bring the HELP window back.  If  you merely want to
shrink the size of the HELP window  to gain  additional  space for the
editing window, use the ESC J command.  Each time you  type ESC J, the
edit window will grow be one line, at the expense of  the HELP window.
ESC H may be used at any time to return the windows  to their original
sizes.
    You may also start ee with the HELP window turned off by giving
it a -z option (e.g. ee -z filename).

Deleting text                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
=============
Backspace / ^H   -  backspace over text

    A backspace  will move  the cursor backwards one character and
delete that character in the  usual fashion.   On some terminals (esp.
PCs), the backspace key may be redefined to be something else.  If the
backspace key does not work, you may use ^H instead;  the DEL key will
also work as a backspace on many keyboards.

^X - delete character
^W - delete word

    A character  may be deleted  by moving  the cursor over it and
typing ^X.  An entire word may be deleted by placing the cursor at the
beginning of the  word and  typing ^W.   If the cursor  is  not at the
beginning of the word, only  the  portion of the  word from the cursor
position to the end will be erased.

ESC L  -  delete line

    ESC L deletes the line that the cursor is on; the lines above
and below this line move together to fill in the space.

ESC X  -  delete to end of line

    ESC X  erases the  line that the  cursor is on from the cursor
position to the end of the line.  If the cursor is at the beginning of
the line, a blank line will remain.  If the line  is already blank, it
will be deleted as with an ESC L.

ESC K -  delete to end of file

    ESC K deletes everything from the cursor position to the end
of the file.  (Reminder: An ESC U (undo) will restore the text.)


Undeleting                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
=========

^Y  -  Undelete line/word

    ^Y Undeletes a line or word erased by ^W, ESC L, or ESC X.  If
done   immediately  after  the  delete, the   text is restored  in its
original location.  However, if the cursor has moved, the text will be
restored at the new cursor location.  In addition,  repeating  ^Y will
insert extra copies of the deleted text into the file; in  this way ^Y
can be used to copy or move segments of text in the file.
    If multiple ESC L, ESC X, or ^W commands were done in sequence
(with no cursor motion or other commands between), the ^Y will restore
everything that was deleted.
    Note  that for situations where ^Y does not restore deleted or
changed text  (for example, text deleted with  ^Xs),  the Undo (ESC U)
command can restore the file  to its  previous state.  Note  also that
unlike ^Y,  ESC U  will restore deleted  text to its original location
only  (it will  also  remove newly inserted   text;   Undo undoes  all
changes).


Moving Blocks of Text           (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
=====================

ESC /  -  Mark block
ESC +  -  Insert block

    Although text can be moved by deleting and undeleting (or retyping
it), often it is more convenient to be able to mark a block of text and
move or copy it.  To move a block of text means to delete the block and
re-insert it somewhere else in the file.  To copy the block means that the
original block is left intact, but a copy of it is also inserted somewhere
else.
    To move or copy a block, position the cursor the beginning of the
block of text (it may be the middle of a line) and type ESC /.  Then move
the cursor to the other end of the block and type ESC / again.  This will
mark the block.  At this point you will be asked whether you want to move
or copy the block (see paragraph above).  If you choose "m" for move, the
original block will be deleted; if you choose "c", it will be left intact.
In either case, you may now insert the block where the cursor is located by
typing ESC +.  This may be done repeatedly; ee will remember the block
throughout the editing session until the next block is marked.


Searching                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
========

^S    -   Search forward
^Q    -   Search backward

    ^S searches for a  text string  (you will  be prompted for it)
from the cursor location to the end of the file.  ^Q searches from the
cursor location  backwards to the beginning  of the file.  If the text
is  found, the  cursor  is positioned   to  that location.  The search
ignores case.  If you merely  hit return when  prompted for the search
string, the previous search string will be used (if there was one).


Substituting                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
===========

ESC Y   -   Search/Replace

    ESC Y searches for and replaces every instance of a given string
with a new string.  The replacement is done from the current position to
the end of the file.  You will be asked for both strings, and then for
confirm or no confirm.  Without confirm, all replacements are done without
pause.  If you say "y" for confirm, the cursor will stop at each instance of
the search string and ask you to confirm before replacing it.  At this
point, the following options are available:

  y     - do the replacement and continue searching
  n     - don't replace, but continue searching
  .     - Replace this occurrence and stop
  q     - Don't replace, and stop
  !     - replace all occurrences from here on without confirming

    ESC or "n" will stop the search/replace at any time.  To replace only
one (or fewer than every) instance of the search string, use confirm, and
use the "n" option to skip those you don't want to replace.  Then use "."
to replace and stop when you reach the one you want to change.


Reformatting                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
============
ESC P   -   fill paragraph

    Typing ESC P reformats the paragraph in which the cursor rests,
 splitting lines which are too  long and  splicing short ones  together
until all the lines fill the width  of  the  page as well as possible.
The command is useful if editing changes have caused  you to have very
short or long lines.  The program considers  a paragraph to be a block
of lines separated by blank lines from the  surrounding  text; it does
*not* recognize indented lines as starting paragraphs.
    A  repeat count  has a special meaning if used with ESC P.  If
you use an ESC C to give ESC P a repeat count (the actual value of the
count will be ignored), it will justify the paragraph on both the left
and right margins.


Repeat                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
=====
ESC C    -  repeat command
ESC <number>
    ESC C  allows you  to   give a  "repeat"  argument  to   the
following command.  Some commands will  ignore the  argument; however,
motion and deletion commands will honor it.  To  use the command, type
ESC C  #  <command>, where # is the  repeat count and  <command>  is a
valid editing command.  ESC C has a special meaning for ESC P; see the
documentation on ESC P for details.
    ESC  followed   by  a number  has  the same   meaning as ESC C.
if the  ESC C  <number> or ESC  <number> is   followed by  a   regular
character, that character will be repeated as if you had typed in that
many times.

Examples:
    ESC C 12 ESC L       will delete 12 lines (a ^Y following this
                             will insert all 12 lines back into the file)
    ESC 18 ^X            will delete the next 18 characters
     ESC C 5  ^N          will move the cursor down 5 lines
    ESC 25 j             will insert 25 "j"s into the file


Inserting Files                     (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
==============
ESC I    -   Insert a file

    This  command allows you  to  insert  the   contents  of
another file into the file you are editing.  You will be asked for the
name of the file to insert.  If the file is  found, its  contents will
be inserted at the cursor position.

ESC D    -   List a directory

    This command is useful when you can't remember the name of the
file you want to insert.  It will  give you a  directory listing  in a
temporary window which  replaces the HELP  window.  You will be  asked
for the name of the directory to list, or you  may hit  return to list
your  current  working   directory.   While  the directory   window is
displayed, you are prompted for an f, b, or r command.  f and b scroll
the listing forward and backward, respectively (if it is longer than a
windowfull), and the   r  command  restores removes the    listing and
returns you to editing.


Unix Commands                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
============
ESC !    -    Execute a Unix command in window

    The ESC ! (exclamation point) command allows you to execute a
Unix command and display it in a window which temporarily replaces the
HELP window.  The   command  *must*   be  of the type   which    lists
information but does not require further input from  you; for example,
"who", "ls", "cat filename", or "date", are allowable; "Elm", "nn", or
"talk" are not, since you would be  required to type further input for
these commands. (See ^Z below for interactive unix commands).
    The results of the command are listed in a window identical to
the  ESC D  window,   with the same    options  for scrolling  and one
additional  choice:  an "i" command which  will insert the contents of
the window  (i.e.  the command  output) into your   file at the cursor
location.  For  example,  you  could use ESC  ! to  execute the "date"
command, and then insert the date into your file with an "i".


Refresh screen                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
==============
^R     -     Redraw the screen

    If extraneous messages such as notification of incoming mail
or  requests  to "talk" jumble   your editing display, type  a   ^R to
restore the screen.


Recovery                       (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
========
ESC R   -    Recover file from aborted edit session

    If you are editing a file and the editor is aborted (either
intentionally  with ESC   Q, or accidently due to   a system  crash or
disconnection),  your  editing session is  not  necessarily lost.  The
next time you edit this file with easy-edit, you  will probably  get a
message warning you  that a recovery file  exists and  suggesting that
you do  ESC R to recover.
     As you  edit, easy-edit periodically   saves your file  to  a
recovery file, and each time you edit  a file the editor  first checks
for a recovery file which is newer than the file itself.  If  you have
received the  warning message and want to  recover  your lost changes,
type ESC R.  The  editor will ask you if  you really want to  recover,
and if you answer "yes", the editor will read in  the recovery file in
place of  the  old version.  (Note  that the actual  file will  not be
changed until you exit with an  ESC S).  If,  upon seeing the recovery
file, you decide that you would rather keep the old version, simply do
an ESC U (undo) to undo the recovery, or abort the editor  with an ESC
Q.  However,   you will continue   to receive  the warning about   the
recovery file upon editing that file until you  modify the file and do
a save (ESC S) so  that the true  file becomes newer than the recovery
file.

Suspending the Editor               (ESC > next topic    ESC < previous topic)
====================
^Z  -   Suspend (temporarily) editor

    A ^Z will temporarily suspend easy-edit and return you to a
Unix prompt, where you may read  mail, or even  edit a different file.
When you wish to  resume the editing session  you suspended, type "fg"
(for  "foreground").  If you do  not  resume the suspended session and
attempt to logout, you will find that the system will not  log you off
and will warn you that you have "stopped jobs".


Status
======
^T  -   Edit status

    Type ^T to review the time, the name of the file you are editing,
and whether or not you have modified the file during this edit.

Easyedit license
================
ESC @  -  License Info

    ESC @ displays licensing informatin in a special window similar to
the directory window.  The information displayed is the same as follows:

Easy-edit novice screen editor for Unix systems with GNU emacs


     Easy-edit 1.22

     Copyright (C) 1992     Larry Broda
                            Department of Psychology
                            University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  This program
    is an extension of GNU emacs; See the GNU General Public License
    for more details.

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
    it under the same terms as the GNU General Public License as published by
    the Free Software Foundation either version 1, or (at your option)
    any later version.

       By Larry Broda
       Department of Psychology
       University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
       Email: [e-mail]
       4/13/92

    for GNU emacs information contact:
    Free Software Foundation
    675 Massachusetts Avenu
    Cambridge, MA 02139
    USA