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VDE.REF ------- Reference Manual for the VDE Editor: version 1.8D (30 Oct 1995) (c)1987-95, E. Meyer =============================== CONTENTS ================================== (For QUICK START, SYNTAX, GENERAL INFORMATION etc. see the file VDE.DOC) 6. COMMAND REFERENCE, alphabetically by topic: Auto format, Auto indent, Auto number, Auto save, Block commands, Column block mode, Cursor position, Data files, Deleting, Envelopes, Files, Find/replace, Foreign characters, Graphics, Header, Hyphenation, Information, Inserting, Justification, Line spacing, Margins, Matching files, MenuBars, Multiple files, Pagination, Paragraph indent, Place markers, Print preview, Print styles/codes, Printer drivers, Printing, Proportional spacing, Protected mode, Reformat, Ruler line, Run command/shell, Save/exit, Screen controls, Screen size, Spelling check, Splitting files, Tabs, Time/date, Undelete, Upper/lower case, Windows. 7. REVIEWS / ABOUT THE AUTHOR. (For detailed explanation of MACROS, see the file VMACRO.REF) (For use of the VINST installation utility, see the file VINST.REF) ========================= 6. COMMAND REFERENCE ============================ AUTO FORMAT (^OM) - Continuously keeps the paragraph of text you are working on properly formatted (margins and spacing), even as you add to or delete from the line; format changes are implemented instantly. (Auto format does NOT affect parts of the file you have not changed.) When off, the manual ^B command can still be used (see REFORMAT). Care must be taken in files with mixed formats, as the CURRENT settings of margins and spacing are always used. Note that with Auto Format on, certain keystrokes may have additional (or no) effects, due to immediate reformatting afterward; and some operations like Find/Replace may be somewhat slower. AUTO INDENT (^OA) - Causes wordwrap or the [Enter] key, upon moving to the next line, to indent to match any existing indentation on that line (with insert OFF) or the previous line (with insert ON). Thus any structured indentation you create is maintained. Useful as a temporary (paragraph) indent, or for outlines, program source code, etc. Works in all modes, including nondocument. Note: Indentation must be done with spaces or variable tabs, NOT with hard tabs. AUTO NUMBER (^K#) - VDE can automatically number items in a list. Just type a "#" character where each number should go: #. First item. #. Second item... You can then mark the list off as a block, and use the ^K# command; VDE will insert the numbers (1, 2, etc) in place of the "#" markers. You will be asked for the starting number; the default is 1. If auto format (^OM) is on, text will be realigned to compensate for varying length numbers. (Once numbering is done, the markers are gone. For frequently revised lists, leave the "#" markers in the file on disk; use ^K# just before printing, and do not save afterward.) AUTO SAVE (^KA) - Saves any changes you have made to disk automatically, at regular intervals. This ensures that you don't lose too much work if you make a mistake, have a power outage, etc. ^KA lets you set the interval (1 to 255 minutes), or turn this feature off entirely (0). Just press [Enter] to restore your default, normally 0 [set with VINST]. When auto save is on, changes you've made to any file may be saved to disk at any moment. If you don't want this to occur for a particular file, engage protected mode (^KO or option /R). Notes: Auto save will wait for an interval of keyboard inactivity. It cannot save "untitled" work. It will make a backup file only if the file had not been saved previously. BLOCK COMMANDS (^KB,^KK,^KH,^KZ,^KY,^KC,^KV,^KW; ^QB,^QK; ^KPB) - A block of text is delimited by two markers, set by ^KB (beginning) and ^KK (end), which remain in the text until reset elsewhere or deleted. Alternatively, you can mark a block simply by holding down Shift while using the [^,v,<,>,Home,End,PgUp,PgDn] keys to move the cursor, or pressing the main (left) button while moving with the mouse. Once marked, the block text displays in a contrasting color. ^KH unmarks the block, removing any marker(s) set. Normally a block is a continuous segment of the file; but VDE can also work with column blocks, rectangular regions with the block markers at opposite corners. For details, see COLUMN BLOCK MODE. The command behavior described below is for NORMAL block mode. The block move and print commands (^KV,^KPB) require a block to be fully marked before use. To save keystrokes, the other block commands (see also ^K#,^K",AltC), if used when only one block marker is present, will first mark the current cursor position as the other end of the block: ^KY goes to and deletes the block. (^QP may be used to return the cursor to its position before the deletion.) ^KV moves the marked block to the present cursor location; ^KC copies it there, leaving the original marked. (^QP will return to the former position of a moved block, or move to the end of the text just copied.) ^KZ "zooms into" a block: the rest of the text is inaccessible, and the block is temporarily treated as the entire file. This isolates one portion of a file for your attention, and also limits the scope of VDE commands (find/replace, word count, etc) to that part of the file. (Only saving to disk continues to involve the entire file.) Use ^KZ again to zoom back out. If no block markers exist, ^KZ will zoom into an empty block. In zoom mode, pagination is off; you can use block operations, though any block markers within will disappear when you zoom back to the whole file. ^KW writes the block text to a disk file; you will be asked for the filename (and optional mode). You can also choose to append the text to an existing file by typing a "+" before the filename, as in: Write to file: +GORT (If you don't specify "+", and the file already exists, VDE will ask whether you want to overwrite or append; press [Esc] or [Space] to cancel.) You cannot write to a file you are currently editing. ^QB moves the cursor to the block start (if marked); ^QK moves to the block end. ^KPB (^KP with B option) prints the block text only. (See PRINTING.) COLUMN BLOCK MODE (^KN,^KI) - ^KN toggles column blocking, and ^KI selects between normal (insert) and replace mode for column blocks; when on, you will see "CBl" (or "CRp" for replace) in the header. Normally, a block consists of the entire text stream between the block markers; see BLOCK COMMANDS. But a column block is only the rectangle with the start marker at the top left corner, and the end marker at the bottom right. Block highlighting will clearly show the difference between the two modes. The ending column must be greater than the starting column, otherwise a column block will not highlight (though the markers remain visible) and block operations will not work. Column mode, as its name suggests, is most useful in rearranging data arranged in columns, such as tables or parts of non-document files. It may also be used in documents; column block operations do not invoke auto- format. If printer codes or block markers make it difficult to judge column alignment, use preview (^OD). Many block commands work essentially the same in normal or column block mode, including ^KB, ^KK, ^KH, ^K", ^K', ^K^, ^KW, ^KPB, AltC, ^KY, and ^U. Two are invalid in column block mode: ^KZ, ^K#. (As a substitute, create a new empty file with AltL,^Enter and use AltC,AltP to copy the column block to it.) The block move/copy/read commands, ^KV, ^KC, ^KR, and AltP, can either insert text or replace existing text, depending on the mode selected with ^KI, to give you more flexibility in manipulating columnar data. In either case, the block text will appear at the cursor location (as top left corner); if some of its lines are shorter than others, spaces will be added to fill out the rectangle. Note that it is possible to Cut a block in column mode, then Paste in normal mode, etc. CURSOR POSITION (Mouse,Arrows; ^F,A,C,R; ^QE,X,S,D; ^QR,C; ^QI,L,N,P; AltO) - Simple cursor motion is accomplished with a mouse (or equivalent pointing device) if installed, or with the four PC arrow keys [^,v,<,>] or the WordStar "diamond" ^E,^X,^S,^D. These keys move the cursor one unit up, down, left, and right respectively; the mouse can also move diagonally, and at varying rates controlled by its mouse software. The mouse can move at will on the screen, and maintains horizontal position during vertical motion; the WordStar keys move only within the file text itself; the arrow keys are a sort of hybrid of the two. (See MOVING THE CURSOR.) Note that the mouse cannot be used to move the VDE cursor under Windows. While the cursor is temporarily pointing past the end of the line, you will see a ">" by the column in the header; if you add text at this location, spaces will be inserted first to allow inserting it there. ^F or ^[>] moves right, to the start of the next word; ^A or ^[<] moves left, to the start of the current, then the previous, word. ^C or [PgDn] scrolls forward (down) one screen; ^R or [PgUp] scrolls backward (up) one screen. Preceded by ^Q, many keys move more Quickly: thus ^QE, ^QX go to the top or bottom of the screen; ^QS, ^QD to the left or right end of the line. Similarly, ^QR and ^QC jump to the beginning or end of the file. ^QI moves directly to the specified page (for documents) or line (for non-documents); see also "[_]" option, under SYNTAX. In documents, ^QL and ^QN move to the start of the Last or Next page, respectively. ^QP generally returns the cursor to its Previous position, before the last large motion occurred. So it is effectively an "undo" for commands like ^B, ^QR/C, ^QF/A, ^QM/B/K, AltM, AltO. ^QP can be repeated to cycle between two positions in a file. ^QP also has special uses following certain block operations; see ^KY, ^KV, ^KC, ^KR, AltP. For example, ^QP moves to the end of text just read/copied/pasted in, so if after reading in a file (^KR) you realize you didn't want it there after all, you can remove it with the commands: ^KB ^QP ^KK ^KY. AltO displays an Overview ("scroll") bar at the top of the screen. The length of the bar corresponds to the file's size. You can move the cursor left or right with the arrow keys; a marker remains to designate the original (current) position. To move to the indicated position, press [Enter]; press [Esc] instead to cancel. DATA FILES (AltU) - AltU allows you to change many VDE settings by Using (loading or saving) specific types of data files. .VDF files can be Loaded and Saved - see KEY DEFINITION FILES. .VDG files can be Saved - see GRAPHICS. .VDP,C,I files can be Loaded - see PRINTER DRIVERS, CHARACTER WIDTHS, USER OPTIONS. Any of these may also be loaded with a semicolon on the command line (see SYNTAX). If no directory is specified, files must be in the current or VDE directory (see DIRECTORIES). Note: .VDG files can be loaded, and .VDP,C,I files saved, by VINST. In the event that VDE cannot load a data file created by an earlier version, VINST can usually convert it by reading the old file and writing it back to disk in the new format. DELETING ([BkSp],[Del],^[BkSp],^[Del],^G,^T,^Y; ^QY,^Q[BkSp],^QT) - ^G or [Del] deletes the character at the cursor. [BkSp] deletes the previous one. ^T deletes a word to the right (from the cursor to the end of the word). ^[BkSp] deletes a word to the left. ^[Del] deletes the entire current word. ^Y deletes the entire current line. ^QY deletes just the part of the line to the right of the cursor; ^Q[BkSp] deletes the part to the left. ^QT, followed by a character, deletes everything up until the next occurrence of that character. EXAMPLE: ^QT. (period) deletes to the end of the sentence. Special cases: ^QT[Enter] deletes to the next HARD CR, the end of the paragraph; ^QT^Z deletes to the end of the file. Unintended deletions can be recovered (see UNDELETING). ENVELOPES (^KPA) - VDE provides an easy way to print a single envelope to accompany a letter, via the "A"ddress option of the print command: 1. Begin by moving the cursor to the address of the recipient, and marking this as a block (see BLOCK COMMANDS): {Chester Fludd 193 Lakota St "{}" = block markers Norman, OK 73069} 2. Then use the print command (^KP), and at the options prompt, type "A", followed by "1" or "2" to specify the envelope size: 1 for smaller (letter) size envelopes, about 3.625 x 6.5"; 2 for larger (business) size, 4.25 x 9.5". 3. Optionally, you may include a return address for the upper left corner of the envelope: enter this in "double quotes", using a backslash (\) to mark the beginning of a new line. Example: Options: A2"C. Fludd\193 Lakota St\Norman, OK 73069" (You may find it convenient to set up envelope printing with your usual return address as a FUNCTION KEY, if you will use it often.) 4. Load the envelope correctly in your printer, and press [Enter] to print it. Then you can continue to edit or print the letter itself. NOTES: Printers handle envelope feeding in various ways. With some you can feed in a single envelope, and manually position it on the platen; with some others, a separate tray is available for envelopes, and you will need to install special codes to select the proper tray. Many laser printers expect to feed envelopes lengthwise, so you will need codes to print in a landscape font. [To install control codes to prepare your printer for an envelope, see PRINTER INSTALLATION.] Vertical positioning of text on the envelope can easily be changed by adding linefeeds to the initialization string. Horizontal positioning can be changed with the "L" print option. Because of the way laser printers operate in landscape mode, VDE prints both envelope sizes with their RIGHT edge in the same place. This means that on other printers, the LEFT edge of the smaller envelope must be placed 3" (30 columns) in from the left margin. If this is inconvenient, it can be overridden by specifying the left margin option (e.g. "L0") AFTER the "A1" option. FILES (^KL,^KR,^KJ,^KF) - ^KL Loads new file(s) to edit, REPLACING the current one. (If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you mean to abandon it. To save the file first, use ^KD instead; to load file(s) in ADDITION to the current one, use AltL instead.) You can enter any number of filenames, with optional line/page numbers and modes (see SYNTAX). ^KR Reads in the contents of a single disk file, inserting the text at the current cursor position as a marked block. (Note that the effect depends on whether column block mode is engaged. Also, ^QP can be used to move to the end of the text just read in.) ^KJ deletes any disk file you specify. (If you need more complex file utilities, remember that you can run any DOS command with AltR.) All these commands prompt for specific filenames. If you are unsure, and want to pick a name from a directory listing, you can call up the "file browser" display by pressing [Enter] alone for *.*, or typing any filename with wildcards, like *.LTR. (Note: if you mean to load an "untitled" work area, press ^[Enter] instead of [Enter], at the ^KL prompt. See PROMPTS for other control key usage.) Files display alphabetically in uppercase, then directories in lowercase (beginning with the parent directory ".."). If there are more items than will fit on screen, you will see "..." at the top or bottom to indicate this. Hidden or System files will not display and cannot be edited with VDE. [Note: VINST can also specify several filetypes (like unreadable .COM or .EXE files) to exclude; they will not display unless specified explicitly, and cannot be edited.] You can move the cursor through the list with the arrow keys, [PgUp,Dn], or [Home,End]; additionally, a letter "A-Z" may be typed to go to the next file beginning with that letter, or "\" to go to the next subdirectory. When the cursor is on a subdirectory, pressing [Enter] allows you to view its contents in turn; when it is on a file, pressing [Enter] selects that file to complete your command. If you are loading files, you can also press "+" to "tag" files, marking them as a group, and then press [F4] to load them all at once. Pressing "+" again will untag a file, or [Esc] will untag all. You can quit by pressing ^[Break], or clear the display and return to the directory prompt by pressing [Esc] or [Space]. ^KF brings up the full-featured File browser; you may specify a drive, directory, and/or filename mask, and the contents will be alphabetically listed. (The default, if you just press [Enter], is the directory shown at the ">dir" prompt, and all files *.*.) Below you will see, in addition to the cursor motions already described, a full complement of operations to apply to the file the cursor is on: [F1] LOAD an additional file to edit; [F2] replace the current file with a NEW one; [F3] READ a file into the current file; [Del] DELETE the file (be careful, deletion is immediate). If the file you want to load or read requires a different file mode, you can first press "/" and the correct mode letter (D,N, etc). When the cursor is on a directory, you can press [Del] to REMOVE it (if empty), or [Enter] to view its contents. (This returns you to the ">dir" prompt, where you can actually specify any new drive/directory.) You can also press "+" to tag files, marking them as a group, and then press [F4] to load them all at once. (Other operations cannot be performed while tagging.) Pressing "+" again will untag a file, or [Esc] will untag all. You can quit by pressing ^[Break], or clear the display and return to the directory prompt by pressing [Esc] or [Space]. FIND/REPLACE (^QF,^QA; ^L,^H) - ^QF is the command to FIND a string. (See also "[_]" option, under SYNTAX.) The search normally proceeds from the cursor position forward, and is case (upper-lower) sensitive. In document modes, it allows for extra whitespace (spaces, soft CR) between words in the event of wordwrap. Special codes: Graphic characters can be entered with AltG. ^_ (Ctrl-underline) functions as a wildcard, matching any single character. Use the single code ^M (CR) to match the end of a line (CR,LF); in documents, a string STARTING with ^M will match a HARD CR (without preceding space) only. Use the special code ^^ (Ctrl-caret) to find line overstrikes created by ^PM. Examples: Find: ^MLABEL matches "LABEL" at start of line only; Find: M^_. matches "Mr.", "Ms.", etc. ^QA is the REPLACE command. It asks for a string to find, as above, then what to change it to. Normally, the cursor will move to each occurrence of the string, and you will be asked ("Chg?") whether to change it; answer "Y"es or "N"o, or "*" to change all the rest without asking individually, or press [Esc] to quit. There are several options for find/replace: "B" = search Backward for the specified string; "C" = Case insensitive search (upper/lower are equivalent); "W" = whole Word only (skip instances part of a larger word); "G" = search Globally (from start or end of current file); "M" = Multi-file search (continues through all files being edited); "N" = No query: replace all instances without asking. To skip the options prompt, finish entry of the find string (for ^QF) or replace string (for ^QA) by typing ^[Enter] instead of [Enter]. ^L instantly repeats the last find or replace (^QF/^QA) operation once more; the "B,C,W,M" options remain as last specified. ^H also repeats, but in the reverse direction. NOTES: Replacing will cause reformatting if auto format (^OM) is on. (Be careful with this in a file with varying margins.) "N"o query is assumed whenever ^QA is used in a macro. [VINST can set "C"ase insensi- tive as your default, so that specifying "C" then means case sensitive.] FOREIGN CHARACTERS - Characters in the upper ASCII range (80-FF or 128-255), such as foreign letters and accents, can be entered directly into text using either standard DOS method: one of the DOS KEYBxx keyboard map utilities, or the [Alt] key and numeric keypad (hold down [Alt] while pressing keypad 1,5,5 for character 155). VDE treats these characters as "graphics": you are limited to a total of 32 such codes at a time, and any that you have used may be found in the menu brought up by the AltG command. See GRAPHICS. GRAPHICS (AltG) - You can enter a PC graphic (or foreign) character into the file either directly from the keyboard, via [Alt] and the numeric keypad, or with the AltG command. You will be presented with a menu of up to 32 characters (labeled A-Z,1-6) to choose from; the default set contains some useful box drawing parts, and has room free for other characters that might be loaded. [It can also be modified with VINST.] In addition, any individual menu entry can be redefined: type "=", then the code (A-6) to change. (If a graphic definition is present in any file being edited, you cannot change it.) You can then select the desired character from the complete graphics set, by moving the cursor to it and pressing [Enter]. Alternatively, if you press [Tab], you may enter the extended ASCII code in either hex (2 digits 80-FF) or decimal (3 digits 128-255) format. Example: the Greek alpha can either be picked off the menu, or entered as "E0" hex or "224" decimal. Once defined, the graphic can be entered into the file by pressing its menu letter. As a further convenience, you can type "-" to clear all entries not needed for graphics already present in your files. Graphics are stored in disk files in accord with the current file mode. Printing of graphics depends on whether your printer driver is designated [see PRINTER INSTALLATION] as PC graphics (PC8) or Roman8, or neither, in which case VDE will "emulate" them, choosing standard ASCII character overstrikes that come as close as possible. This usually works well, especially for the foreign language characters. NOTE: a few "control codes" in the ASCII range 00-1F,7F, if entered into a file with ^P, will also appear in the graphics table, because of the way VDE represents them internally. CAUTION: If you load a file containing many graphics (or binary data that will be interpreted as graphics), VDE will try to add each in turn to the table. If the graphics table fills up, any further graphics will be replaced by spaces. You will see the "Graphics overflow" error message, and protected mode (R/O) will engage, to guard against saving to disk and corrupting the file. (The most common cause of this error is attempting to read a file containing binary data, including a word processor file in the wrong file mode.) HEADER (^OQ) - The "header" at the top of the screen can be toggled on and off with ^OQ. It provides useful information, but can be removed if you prefer a screen showing nothing but your text. It looks like this: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ + VDE.DOC /A P 14 L 11 C 48 Ins Col AF DS J+ PS ! ^K_ or (NP,BZ) (>) (WIn,R/O)(CRp)(AI,HR) (MR) (?,") ----------------------------------------------------------------------- '+' = Multi-file flag indicates other file(s) are also being edited. 'VDE.DOC /A' = Current filename and mode. The full directory information, along with other files being edited, can be displayed with the AltK command (see INFORMATION). 'P 14...' = Cursor position in file by page (in document modes), line, column. If past end of line, column displays as "C>nn". If pagination off (^OP0), 'NP' displays instead of a page number; in block zoom mode (^KZ), 'BZ' displays. 'Ins','WIn' = Insert (^V) or Word Insert (^Ins) on. 'R/O' = Read/Only, protected mode (^KO) on. 'Col','CRp' = Column block (^KN,I) modes. 'AF' = Auto Format (^OM) on. (Documents only) 'AI' = Auto Indent (^OA) on. 'HR' = Hard Reform (^OY) on. (Documents only) 'DS' = Double spacing (^OS) on. 'J+','J-' = Right Justification (^OJ) modes. (Documents only) 'MR' = Margins released (^OX). (Documents only) 'PS' = Proportional spacing (^OK) on. '!','?','"' = Macro is executing, awaiting input, or being recorded. '^K_' = Command key prefixes (and some prompts) display here. In 40-column mode, an abbreviated header is shown: ---------------------------------------- + VDE.DOC /A I! P 14 L 11 C 48 "I,W" = Insert, Word Insert or (W,R)(?,") (^K_) "R" = Read/Only ---------------------------------------- HYPHENATION (^OH,^P-) - VDE can't hyphenate automatically, but it can recognize hyphens that you type in the text, treating them as a legitimate place to break a line. ^OH toggles hyphenation on and off. If off, hyphens are not treated as wordbreaks. [The default can be changed.] In addition to ordinary hyphens, "-", there are "soft hyphens", which you can enter by typing ^P- (^P,hyphen), and which display in a different color. Soft hyphens indicate optional places to break a long word: they print as a hyphen when they fall at the end of the line, but not if they wind up in mid-line. (Note: only file modes /D,W,S,P,F store soft hyphens as such; when saving to disk in other modes, as in printing, they either become hyphens or disappear, as appropriate.) INFORMATION (AltK,AltI) - The file/memory information command AltK displays a message telling you: - The full name (including directory) of the current file; - When it was last saved, and whether (Y/N) it has now been changed; - Whether any print toggles (^B,^D,^S etc) are unpaired in a document; - A word count for document files; - The current size of the file in bytes or k (1k = 1024 bytes); - Bytes of memory used in this text segment, and percentage full; - The total amount of memory free to edit further files; - The names of all other files being edited. If more files are being edited, the cursor will be positioned on the second one listed; the Up/Down arrow keys can be used to select any file, and pressing [Enter] will take you to it. Press [Esc] to exit. AltI displays the VDE version, date, and copyright. (An uninstalled copy of VDE does this automatically on startup.) INSERTING (^V,[Ins],^[Ins],^_,^N,^\) - ^V or [Ins] toggles Insert mode on/off, and ^[Ins] toggles Word Insert. When on, you will see "Ins" or "WdI" in the header. When both are OFF, VDE is in Overwrite mode: when you type a character, it replaces the one the cursor is on; when you press [Enter], the cursor advances to the beginning of the next line of text. With Insert (^V) ON, when you type a character, it is inserted into the text, while any characters that were already there are carried to the right; when you press [Enter], a return is inserted into the text, causing the beginning of a new line. Word Insert is a hybrid of the two modes: mostly it behaves like Overwrite mode, so you can replace an existing word; but when the cursor reaches the end of the word, it starts to behave like Insert mode, so you can continue typing without overwriting the next word. This is handy for revising existing text. The ^_ and ^N commands (insert space, insert CR) are most useful in Overwrite mode (avoiding the need to turn Insert on and back off). The ^\ command copies the character above the cursor (in the previous line), making it easy to duplicate parts of lines. Handling of existing characters depends on the Insert mode. JUSTIFICATION (^OJ) - ^OJ controls right justification mode, cycling between three states: ADD. ("J+" in header.) Text paragraphs will be formatted with an even right margin, by inserting extra spaces between words as necessary. REMOVE. ("J-" in header.) Formatting will undo justification by removing any extra spaces between words, leaving an uneven right margin again. OFF. Formatting does not change spacing of text. Thus the Reform (^B) command can justify or de-justify text as desired. Right-justified text should not be saved to disk in file mode /U (which has no margin structure) or in modes /X,/M,/P, or /F (because XyWrite, MS Word, and WordPerfect will not recognize VDE's method of justification). Justification does not work with proportional spacing (^OK). LINE SPACING (^OS) - ^OS toggles between single and double line spacing. In double space mode, the following functions generate double carriage returns: [Enter], Insert CR (^N), Reform (^B), Wordwrap. You can easily mix single and double spacing; ^B can convert between the two. Note: a single-spaced file can also be printed out double-spaced with the "D" option of the ^KP command (see PRINTING). MARGINS (^OR,^OL,^OX,^OC,^OF) - ^OR sets the Right margin, and enables text formatting. At the prompt, enter the column number (up to 255), or just press [Enter] for the current cursor column. (Note: in proportional mode (^OK), the number is interpreted in 1/10" instead of characters.) ^OL similarly sets the Left margin column; the value must be less than the right margin. (^OL is normally used for indenting selected paragraphs. To leave blank space at the left of the page throughout when PRINTING, see the "L" option of the ^KP command, or the left margin setting in PRINTER INSTALLATION.) "Wordwrap" is automatic in all document modes whenever the margins are set: anything typed before the left margin will move up to it; anything typed past the right margin will wrap over to the next line. (See also REFORMAT and AUTO FORMAT.) Wordwrap and formatting are disabled if the right margin is set to 1, or while margins are released (^OX). (NOTES: Margins cannot be set in nondocument modes; a left margin cannot be set in /X, /U, or /M mode. For page top/bottom margins see PRINTING.) ^OX toggles margin release, allowing you to type outside the margins. Use ^OX again to cancel. ^OC Centers the current line with respect to the margins; ^OF sets the line Flush right. Afterward, the cursor advances to the next line. MATCHING FILES (AltM) - This command can locate small differences between two largely similar files (perhaps an earlier and a later revision of your work). You must first load these two files (AltL), then split the screen between them (AltW), and position the cursor in corresponding places in both files (for example, the top). Then press AltM. Starting from these positions, VDE searches for any difference between the files. If there is one, VDE will stop on those lines, showing the disagreeing passages side by side. If you want to continue, press AltM again. (If the difference was significant you may first need to reposition one cursor to match the other.) If the cursor winds up at the end of both files, they match. Note: in document modes, AltM compares word by word, ignoring mere formatting differences (margins, spacing etc). In nondocument modes, it is an exact character by character comparison. MENUBARS (^[Esc]) - ^[Esc] is used to call up the MenuBar. (LeftShift-Esc can also be used.) Press the hilighted letter to select a submenu, then select again to perform a command. You can press [Esc] or [Space] to back up to the main menu, or ^[Break] to abort. The ^[Esc] command can also be used in a macro definition; if entered at the Esc[ prompt, it displays as a hilighted "!", and should be followed by one or two letters for menu selections. (This feature is used in the WordPerfect compatibility macros contained in WP.VDF, to present menu choices; see DEFAULT FUNCTION KEYS.) MULTIPLE FILES (AltL,AltB,AltN,AltX,AltQ,AltC,AltP) - VDE allows you to edit up to 8 files simultaneously, if you have enough memory. This can be done from the command line, by giving a list of several filenames. Otherwise, to Load additional files, press AltL. You can enter any number of filenames, with optional line/page numbers and modes (see SYNTAX); for an "untitled" work area, press ^[Enter]. You can also access the file browser with [Enter] or wildcards (see FILES). (You will get an error message if you run out of memory, or are already editing the named file, or 8 files.) Once multiple files are in use, AltB and AltN can be used to cycle back and forth through the files being edited. If you Quit or Exit (^KQ,^KX) from one file, you will be returned to the previous one. It is possible to view two files on screen at once (see WINDOWS). For convenience, AltX exits ALL files immediately, saving any changes made. AltQ quits ALL files immediately, without saving; if any of them have been modified, you will be prompted (just once) to confirm this. The Cut(Copy) and Paste functions are designed to copy a block of text between two files; of course they also work within a single file, although ^KC is generally easier to use. AltC Cuts a marked block of text, placing it in a buffer for later recovery. [VINST lets you choose whether or not the cut block is also removed from its original position.] AltP Pastes in the previously cut text at the cursor position. ^QP can be used to move to the end of the text just pasted. PAGINATION (^OP,^PL) - The ^OP command sets the page length. Enter a value 0 to 255 lines, or just press [Enter] to restore the default. A nonzero value determines the page and line shown in the document header ("P xx L xx"), and all page functions in the Print routine (pagination, headers, start/stop at page) are enabled. A formfeed will be sent to eject each full page. [VDE does not send a formfeed before printing; install one in your printer initialization if you want.] When zero, pagination is off. The header will say "NP L xxxx", showing you the absolute line number in the file; printing occurs with no page breaks, though a formfeed is sent at the end of the file. (To skip even this, use the block print option "B", which allows you to print several small things on the same sheet or, in conjunction with the "*" option, multiple copies of index cards, labels, etc. See PRINTING.) The ^PL command embeds a formfeed (^L) in the text, to begin a new page; the best place to put it is at the beginning of a line. PARAGRAPH INDENT (^OG) - You can indent text simply by changing the left margin (^OL), but there are times when you want only a temporary indent. ^OG gives a "paragraph indent"; each time you use it, the left margin is reset to the next tab stop over (see TABS). The indentation lasts until you type the [Enter] at the end of the paragraph (or use the ^B or ^OL commands), at which time the original left margin is restored. PLACE MARKERS (^KM,^KU;^QM) - You can set any number of temporary place markers in the text with ^KM, when you want to return to a spot later. Place markers display as a highlighted "!", and can be deleted individually if no longer needed; they are NOT saved to disk. ^KU can be used to remove all markers from a file at once. ^QM moves the cursor to the next place marker in the file, cycling back to the top of the file as needed. PRINT PREVIEW (^OD) - This command shows you a preview of the text as it would print: with all non-printing codes (markers, ^P codes, etc) hidden, and page breaks indicated by a row of dotted lines. This is handy for making sure that text is aligned properly, and will help you avoid wasting time and paper on unacceptable printouts. You can scroll through the file in this mode with [PgUp,Dn] or ^R,^C; or move to the top or bottom, with ^[Home,End]. Press [Esc] to continue editing. PRINT STYLES/CODES (^P) - This command prefix is used to enter various "codes" in the ASCII range 00-1F,7Fh into the text, usually for purposes of printer control. Most codes are entered in a standard fashion: ^PA embeds ^A, etc. Those with defined functions in VDE documents display as highlighted letters, and always insert; the rest (all, in nondocuments or /A mode) display as graphics, and observe the current INSERT status. Several standard ASCII codes will seldom be needed: ^P[Esc] will enter the ESC code (1Bh), but these are most commonly used for printer control, and VDE offers a much easier way of doing this (see below). ^P[Del] enters the DEL code (7Fh). ^P^Z enters the code ^Z (1Ah), which normally should not be used because many programs (including MSDOS) treat it as an end of file (EOF) mark in a text file. Several other common control codes will produce special effects: ^P^I - tab - printers respond variously to this ^P^L - formfeed - causes a page break ^P^H - backspace - overstrikes previous character ^P^M - carriage return (without linefeed) causes overstruck line The further codes below do NOT operate in nondocuments or /A mode. ^P^G causes printing to pause immediately, until you press a key to continue ([Esc] will cancel). This allows you to adjust the paper position on some printers for printing forms. (Note: on many dot matrix printers, can only be used at the start of a line.) In place of complex "escape sequences" for print styles (underlining, etc), VDE lets you enter a single marker, which will be translated into the proper codes during printing. VDE supports a set of 13 codes for this purpose: seven toggles, six switches. [See PRINTER INSTALLATION on how to install the proper driver for your printer. Otherwise, only ^PS and ^PX will work.] The conventional WordStar meanings of these codes are: Toggles: ^P^B boldface Switches: ^P^Q (user def 1) ^D ("doublestrike") ^W (user 2) ^S underline ^E (user 3) ^Y italic ("ribbon") ^R (user 4) ^T superscript ^A alternate pitch ^V subscript ^N standard pitch ^X strikeout [with "-", "/", etc -- see USER OPTIONS] But you can use them for anything you like. "Toggles" are good for features like underlining that are turned on and off; enter them in pairs, to mark the beginning and end of the desired text. "Switches" are better for multi-valued parameters like character pitch or print quality. If toggles are not properly paired, you will find print effects continuing throughout the rest of your document. To save time and effort, use the AltK command to check for this before printing. PRINTER DRIVERS (AltV,AltU) - Since many people use more than one kind of printer, VDE accomodates two different printer drivers, a primary and an alternate. Before printing a file, you can select which one is active using AltV. [You can install different drivers with VINST.] AltU gives you access to an unlimited number of further printer drivers in the form of .VDP disk files; select "L"oad, then type the file name. [See PRINTER INSTALLATION for instructions on how to create such files.] The new driver will replace the previous primary. PRINTING (^KP) - The ^KP command Prints the file you are editing. The page format is determined by several factors: the current page length (^OP) determines the number of lines of text per page. The top and left margins can be varied with options below. Other options produce either a centered page number at the bottom of the page, or a header, consisting of a page number in the corner and/or a string of text; the spacing of these is controlled by settings in the printer driver. Various printers position paper differently, but can typically put at least 60 lines of text on a standard 11-inch page. You will be asked for a set of "Options:", at which point you may enter one or more of the following, in any order: @nn begins printing AT page nn of the document. =nn RENUMBERS the printout so first page is numbered nn. #nn prints only (up to) a TOTAL of nn pages. O,E prints only Odd or Even pages (print one, then run the paper back through and print the other, for double-sided printing). F prints FACING pages (header/number reversed on even pages). *nn prints the entire job out nn TIMES (nn=1...255). N NUMBERS pages sequentially, at top right. C numbers pages at bottom CENTER. "..." uses the quoted string as a HEADER. The string will print at the top right next to the page number unless it begins with a "<" character, in which case it prints at the left edge. Note: you can include the current Filename, Time or Date in the header simply by entering ^F, ^T, or ^D, respectively. To enter a quote mark, double it (""). S SUPPRESSES the header/page number on the first page of output. Tnn sets a TOP MARGIN skip of nn lines. [The default margins can Lnn sets a LEFT MARGIN skip of nn columns. be set with VINST.] B prints only the currently marked BLOCK. Pagination is disabled, and no final formfeed is sent; you may have to eject the page. (FILENAME) redirects printer output to a disk file. All print control codes will go into the file just as they would have been sent to your printer. If you want to append the output to an existing file, type a "+" before the name: (+FILENAME). A ADDRESSES an envelope; see ENVELOPES. P PAUSES for your keystroke before each page prints (sheet feed). ^ FILTERS control codes (like ^X) so they print out as text "^X". D DOUBLESPACES the printout. '...' sends an additional string of printer initialization commands before printing begins. EXAMPLE 1: Options: "<STATUS REPORT: ^D" N F will put a header like "STATUS REPORT: 10/19/90" at the top left of each page, and the page number at the top right (vice versa on even pages). EXAMPLE 2: Options: L12 #1 will print one page only, with an added left margin of 12. (Printing a single page is a good check of page layout before going ahead to print a long file. To continue at page two, use Options: @2.) EXAMPLE 3: Options: BD(+SCRATCH) will append the print output of the current marked Block, double spaced, to the disk file SCRATCH. ABOUT PAGINATION: If you set the page length to 0 (see ^OP) or select the 'B' option to print only a block, the output will NOT be paginated by VDE -- that is, data will be sent to the printer in a continuous stream, and the printer will break pages when it considers them full. No headers or page numbers will be printed; in fact, none of the options @,=,#,O,E,F,N,C,S,T,P,"...", which involve page numbering, are allowed with 'B'. If for some reason you do want paginated printing of a block only, you must cut and paste it to a new file (see AltC,P), and print it as a separate file. ABOUT MARGINS: A left margin that is part of a document's format (via ^OL, etc) affects the file text but not placement of headers or page numbers. Left margin settings external to the text ("Lnn", or printer driver default) shift the entire printout to the right, including headers and page numbers. Because these settings are also in columns, their physical width will vary according to the font in use; you will get more consistent results if you use your printer's absolute left margin setting feature (see PRINTER INSTALLATION). ABOUT INITIALIZATION: Codes '...' must be entered as actual characters or control codes, not digits. If the command is "Esc A" (1B 41 hex), press quote, ^P, [Esc], A, quote. To enter a quote mark (27 hex), double it (''). (Some control codes, including Esc, must be entered with the ^P prefix; see PROMPTS. Codes 00-1F are entered as ^A, ^B, etc. You may find an ASCII table helpful; see VINST.REF.) An empty string ('') can be used to skip the driver's usual initialization, and can be followed (after a space) by another string '...' to use instead. OTHER NOTES: Options 'C' and 'N' cannot be used together. If you are in /W or /S file mode, any WordStar dot commands in the file (lines beginning with ".") will not be printed. You can cancel printing at any time by pressing [Esc], or pause by pressing any other key (press a key again to resume). PROPORTIONAL SPACING (^OK) - Normally VDE assumes a fixed pitch font: one character equals one print column. Yet if your printer has a proportional font, you can get VDE to use it, and to format text so that it will print with more appropriate margins. Use ^OK to toggle proportional mode on and off. When on, you will see "PS" in the header; all wordwrap and reformatting (^B,^OC,^OF) will take advantage of a table of varying character widths, for a better aligned printout, though line lengths may look uneven on screen; and when you print, a proportional font will be selected. In proportional mode, the right margin needs to be interpreted in inches rather than characters, based on a conversion of 10 cpi, so that a right margin (^OR) of 70 means 7.0". (Note: characters may extend well beyond the 70th column.) Mixing proportional and fixed print in the same document is a little tricky. You must install and use a print (^P) toggle or switch to alternate between the two fonts, type or format the fixed pitch parts with ^OK off, the proportional parts with ^OK on (and appropriately altered margins), and then print with ^OK off. [See PRINTER INSTALLATION to install codes for proportional mode on your printer, and CHARACTER WIDTHS to adjust the width table.] PROTECTED MODE (^KO,/R) - When you want to view a file without accidentally modifying it, you can engage protected mode with ^KO: the flag "R/O" (for Read/Only) shows in the header, and any command that would modify the file will be rejected as an "Invalid Key". To disengage, use ^KO again. There is also an option /R that can be specified after a filename to load it Read/Only. Note: If you load a file with the DOS R/O attribute, protected mode will engage automatically, and the ^KO command will not be able to disengage it. The text cannot be modified with VDE, unless you first rename it (^KE) to a new filename. REFORMAT ([Enter],^B;Esc*S;^OY;^OB) - In documents, pressing [Enter] creates a permanent or "hard" Carriage Return marking the end of a paragraph. (This is a CR without a preceding space; wordwrap creates a removable "soft CR", preceded by a space. See TEXT FORMATTING.) ^B reformats the paragraph the cursor is in according to the current margin settings and line spacing. (Thus ^B is used not only to reshape a paragraph after editing, but also to change its format in various ways: see MARGINS, JUSTIFICATION, LINE SPACING.) If the top line is indented relative to the next one, VDE preserves that as paragraph indentation. To reformat an entire file use the MACRO command (Esc[) to repeat ^B. (See also AUTO FORMAT.) Use Esc*S if you want ^B to adjust single lines ending in a hard CR to the left margin; Esc*s returns to the default, which is to leave such lines alone (since they might be centered titles, etc). (This is a special case of the Esc* TOGGLE CONTROL command.) ^OY toggles hard reform mode, which allows reformatting of text containing hard CRs (such as ASCII text from other sources). "HR" displays in the header; autoformat is turned off; reform (^B) will convert a group of text lines with hard CRs into a formatted paragraph with soft CRs. A blank line or change of indentation is recognized as starting a new paragraph. There are also various ways of converting a "soft" paragraph back into hard text; the easiest is to save it in /N mode. ^OB toggles hard CR/TAB display. In document modes, these are normally marked by left-arrow or double-arrow characters, to distinguish them from soft CRs and spaces; but if you find this distracting, you can turn them off. RULER LINE (^OT) - To help you align text properly, ^OT displays a "ruler line" above the text. Type ^OT again to remove it. A moving pointer indicates the current column. In each column you will see one of several symbols: the arrow "v" is the cursor column; "L,R" designate the current margins; "." indicates areas outside the current margins, "-" within them. Also, tab stops are marked by either "!" (Variable) or ":" (Hard). Examples: (/D mode) L-----!---!----------v--!--------------R........ (/N mode) :.......:.......:....v..:.......:.......:....... RUN COMMAND/SHELL (AltR) - AltR lets you run DOS commands without leaving VDE. An imitation DOS prompt is produced (e.g., "C:\WORK>"); you can copy or rename files, or run any other program you like, and afterwards VDE will prompt you to "Press [Esc]", which will return you to your undis- turbed VDE editing session. In addition, you may simply hit [Enter], which lets you out into what is known as a Command Shell: you are actually back IN DOS, and can use any number of commands or move around as you like; when through, you need to type the DOS command EXIT to return to VDE. Caution: don't load new memory-resident utilities from within the AltR command; this fouls up the DOS memory allocation. To use AltR, you must have enough free memory to load and run the chosen program; and VDE must be able to find COMMAND.COM in order to execute it, via the COMSPEC environment variable. Be sure either that your AUTOEXEC.BAT file includes a line like SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM or that your CONFIG.SYS file includes a line like SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P (In either case replace "C:\" with the appropriate directory.) SAVE/EXIT (^KE,^KS,^KX,^KD,^KQ) - ^KE renames your work, allowing you to change the filename (including directory) to which it will be saved, and/or the filemode governing its format. At the prompt you can enter a new filename, a new directory, a new mode, or any combination of these. You can make your work "untitled" by pressing ^[Enter] at the prompt. (See PROMPTS for other control key usage.) ^KS Saves your work so far, writing the file to disk under the filename in the header. (If it's "untitled", a new name will be requested.) If the file has not been modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you meant to save it again anyway. For safety, when you save changes to an existing file, a copy of the previous version is preserved as a BACKUP FILE (with the same name, but extension ".BAK"). If you decide to abandon your latest changes, you can recover the old version from the BAK file. [You can choose not to maintain BAK files, if you prefer; see VINST, OPTIONS.] There are several different commands for finishing up: ^KX eXits, saving your work (if modified). ^KD (Done) saves your work, then loads a new file to edit. ^KQ just Quits, without saving to disk. If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you meant to do this! SCREEN CONTROLS (^W,^Z; Alt-arrows; ^OE,^OZ) - VDE provides a number of commands to control the display screen: ^W and ^Z shift the screen frame up and down a line at a time, without moving the cursor in the text (unless necessary). Used with [Alt], any arrow key also causes the frame to shift: up/down by 1/3 screen, or right/left 32 columns. Again, the cursor is not moved unless necessary. (The screen cannot shift rightward past the end of the current line.) ^OE makes the current line the top of the screen. ^OZ temporarily blanks the entire screen: for avoiding CRT burn-in, or just protecting work from prying eyes or fingers. Restore the screen by pressing [Esc]. This is also useful if some other software (like a memory-resident utility) has messed up the screen: type ^OZ,Esc and VDE will completely restore it. SCREEN SIZE (AltA,AltE) - VDE automatically adapts to any size text screen currently in use (minimum: 40 columns, 8 lines). This means that VDE supports nonstandard screen sizes (like 96 or 132 columns) provided by some PC video systems; it will run on laptop/palmtop computers with smaller displays; and visually impaired users can use the DOS command MODE 40 to edit with a 40 column large-type screen. When running with fewer than 80 columns, VDE omits most toggle indicators from the header, and truncates the function key labels; also, some menus remain in 80-column format, and can be scrolled horizontally by pressing the [<,>] keys while they are on screen. You can use your own software (like the popular UltraVision program, or any utilities that may have come with your video adapter card) to change the font or screen size (lines,columns) before running VDE, or even while editing (via the AltR command). VDE also offers two internal commands to vary screen size: AltA changes the screen width, toggling between normal (80-column) mode and wide (132-column) mode. It can be used alone, or in combination with AltE. This command works ONLY with certain brands of video cards which offer 132 column displays [see INSTALLATION to specify yours], or if you are running UltraVision with a card that supports its 132 column mode. AltE changes the screen length (number of text lines displayed). In standard 132-column modes it simply toggles between the normal 25-line and 50-line (VGA; 43 for EGA) text. But when possible, it displays a prompt offering a wider range of sizes: Standard VGA - 20,25,28,33,40,50,57 lines (80 cols) EGA - 17,25,29,35,43,50 with UltraVision VGA - 25,34/36,50/53,60/63 lines (80/132 cols) EGA - 25,34,43,60 You can select a letter code A-G, or [Enter] for your default value [which can be changed with VINST]. Larger characters are easy on the eyes; smaller ones can pack more text into one screen. NOTE: Under DESQview, you must use its "Rearrange:Video" menu selection to change text sizes; VDE's own commands will not work. SPELLING CHECK (AltH,AltJ) - For registered users who have the spelling checker, AltH will check spelling of the word at the cursor, and AltJ will go through the document beginning at the word after the cursor. See the VDESPELL.DOC file that comes with the speller for complete instructions. SPLITTING FILES (AltS) - If you encounter a text file that is too large for VDE to load and edit, you can divide it into manageable chunks with the Split command. You will be prompted for the name of the file to split; VDE will divide it in pieces whose names have a number added at the end of the file name. Example: BIG.DOC will split into BIG1.DOC, BIG2.DOC, etc, each of which you can edit separately. After 9, the numbers continue with letters A..Z. (The original file also remains on disk.) If necessary, the files can later be reassembled into one with the DOS COPY command, for example: COPY BIG1.DOC+BIG2.DOC BIG.DOC. TABS ([Tab],Shft[Tab],^[Tab]; ^OV,^OI,^ON; ^PI,Alt[Tab]) - There are two tab modes, Variable and Hard; ^OV toggles between them. In Hard Tab mode (the default for nondocuments), the [Tab] key enters an actual TAB (ASCII 09) character, which will overwrite the character at the cursor or, if Insert is on, insert before it. Hard tabs produce indents at fixed intervals [normally 8 columns; optionally 4 or 16], and display as a bidirectional arrow in document modes. In Variable Tab mode (the default for documents), the [Tab] key moves to the next tab stop set. In Overwrite mode, the cursor moves over any existing text; in Insert mode, spaces are inserted into the text. In either case, spaces are added at the end of a line if needed. Up to sixteen tab stops may be set with ^OI, or cleared with ^ON; the defaults are in columns 6, 15, 35, and 55. [These can be changed.] Both commands prompt for a list of column numbers, or you can press [Enter] for the cursor column. The Set command ^OI also accepts two options, both of which replace all previous tab settings: @nn Set tabs every "nn" columns #n1,n2,... Set tabs to columns "n1,n2,..." ONLY You can simply clear all variable tabs by typing ^ON followed by "*". Shft[Tab] tabs backwards (left to the previous tab position), useful for moving around in tables, etc. ^[Tab] tabs to the column of the next nonblank in the previous line, for automatic alignment with existing columns. Alt[Tab] offers a shortcut to get a hard tab in variable tab mode, or variable tab in hard tab mode. And ^PI can always be used to insert a hard tab. TIME/DATE (AltT,AltD) - VDE can read the DOS system clock and insert the current time and date in your file automatically. Just press AltT for the Time, or AltD for the Date. The string will appear at the current cursor location, as though you had typed it in yourself: for example, 1:21 PM [or 13:21 -- VINST selects the format] January 15, 1988 [or 1/15/88, 15 January 1988, 15.1.88] UNDELETING (^U) - The undelete function can be used to recover accidentally deleted text or overstruck characters. The lost text will be replaced at the current cursor location. ^U may be used repeatedly to undo a sequence of deletions, recovering each character, word, or line in order. (Once all deleted text is restored, ^U does nothing.) Exception: block deletions cannot be recovered sequentially, they must be undeleted immediately (before any other deletion occurs). Undeletion can also be used as a sort of quick-and-dirty block move. For example, if the cursor is at the start of a word, the commands ^T^F^U (which of course can be assigned to a function key) will swap that word with the one following it. Similarly, ^Y^X^U will swap two lines. UPPER/LOWER CASE (^^; ^K",^K',^K^) - ^^ (Ctrl-caret or 6) reverses the case of the character at the cursor, if it was a letter, and moves to the next. ^K^ (^K-caret) reverses all text in a marked block (see BLOCK COMMANDS); ^K" makes all text in the block uppercase, ^K' lowercase. WINDOWS (^OW; AltW,AltF; ^[PgUp,PgDn]) - VDE can split the screen into two windows, showing either two parts of the same file or two different files. In either case, AltF moves the cursor back and forth between the two windows. ^[PgUp] and ^[PgDn] scroll BOTH windows in synchronization. ^OW is used within a SINGLE file; it creates a second window (originally a duplicate of the first, of course) in which you can move to and view or edit another location in the file at the same time. (Note: modifications made to the same area of the file will be reflected in the inactive window after an interval of keyboard inactivity.) Type ^OW again to undo windowing. AltW splits the screen Window between two DIFFERENT files being edited, showing you both at once (note the different filename in the second window). Type AltW again to undo. ==================== 7. REVIEWS / ABOUT THE AUTHOR ======================== Reviewers and users comment on VDE as a writing tool: "VDE is a word-processing program for people who like their programs lean, mean and simple... executes all the standard operations necessary for writing articles, books or screenplays... blazingly fast... Even the loading and storing of files is speedy." - Paul Ciotti, Los Angeles Times Magazine (18 March 1990) "This may be the finest piece of word processing code ever written. I have never been as impressed with anything as I have with VDE 1.5... writing software in 100 percent assembly language still pays off in performance and reduced code size. It's an astonishing product, believe me. It's more than the perfect laptop word processor. Actually, it's something that corporations should consider if they want to save tens of thousands of dollars... I cannot give a higher recommendation for any product that I have seen in ten years than I can for VDE 1.5. Top recommendation." - John Dvorak, PC Magazine (24 April 1990) "What fascinated Dvorak was not just the astonishing functionality achieved with very little programming code, but also the attitude -- and implications -- of the author who circulated it freely asking only for a modest sum... VDE is an amazing word-processor, offering almost everything except the layout and document processing features found in far fatter programs... it supports the old WordStar command set... ergonomically the most efficient I've ever learned." - Colin Brace, Language Technology/Electric Word (July/Aug 1990) "I've used various versions of WordStar, WordPerfect, and Wang IWP. I wouldn't trade my copy of VDE for shrink-wrapped sets of the latest versions of all of these. I congratulate you both on the quality of your program and on your policy in making it available..." - K.N., registered VDE user (August 1991) "You've recognized a truth about writing, which every commercial word-processor vendor has forgotten. Writing is about words -- not fonts or bit-maps or graphical layout. Writers need the computer equivalent of a typewriter -- not a print-shop." - J.W., registered VDE user (August 1995) In Spring 1992, VDE appeared in "Dvorak's Top 30", a boxed collection of shareware applications published by Interplay Productions, available in retail stores. It is also included on-disk with the book "Dvorak's Inside Track to DOS and PC Performance" by John Dvorak and Nick Anis, published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eric Meyer has also written the shareware ZIP serial file transfer program and Meyer File/Directory (MFD) utilities, as well as a number of free utilities for IBM PC compatibles. He holds an A.B. in physics and a Ph.D. in history and philosophy of science, and has taught at the Universities of Indiana, Oklahoma, and Colorado. A computer enthusiast since high school, he has programmed in languages from APL to Z80; lately he has been working mostly in 8086 assembler. In a period of escalating software complexity and prices, he still believes that useful, inexpensive software should remain available to computer users worldwide. ===============================[end VDE.REF]=================================