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****************************************************************
E4(tm) Editor (C) Copyright N.Faulks 1993. All Rights Reserved.
****************************************************************
Version 2
****************************************************************
Note that this file is an E4 outline document (as well as a
printable text file), to view it in outline form, from within
E4, press ALT-H, then Y for "Yes". Now you can press ALT-H over
headings or text you would like to open or close.
If you want to print this file please note that it contains TAB
characters. To convert it to a printable (tab-less) file type
"E4 E4README.TXT" then press ALT-P for print, type a filename
and press RETURN. (or press RETURN to print straight to PRN). To
leave E4 press ALT-Q.
INTRODUCTION ***************************************************
E4 is a powerful multi-file text editor with outlining,
macros, SVGA support, and in-editor compilation and
error tracking.
E4 isn't a bloated every-feature-under-the-sun product,
rather it is a small, fast editor that manages to
provide most of the features most people use.
E4 is great for people who only want to edit
AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS as well as Programmers and
System/Network Adminstrators.
E4 is a complete Program Development Environment. You
can compile from within the editor, a single file or a
whole project. You can also run your program from within
the editor, with or without a debugger. E4 can shrink in
size to only 2K, leaving plenty of memory free for your
program. The registered version of E4 comes with a
program to trap error messages from a wide range of
compilers. You can then step through compilation errors
one by one, the cursor is taken to the erroneous line
and the error message is displayed at the bottom of the
screen. This works across different source files and for
most languages (mixed languages are supported), even
some linker errors are tracked to the original source
file. E4 provides a common development environment,
which ever language you are using.
E4 really is better than other editors, because it is
easy to use and powerful. Yes, you have to take the
trouble to learn it, but once you have got over the
short initial learning curve it WILL make you more
productive. Easy to use doesn't have to mean pull down
menus and WIMPs. E4 works well with a mouse, but the
common commands are only a single mnemonic keystroke (E4
doesn't use the function keys: how can they be easy to
remember?). It doesn't matter if you have "every
feature" if they are all equally difficult to use. E4
makes everyone into an expert: the "Hintline" shows you
most of the commands or options available, at every
point in the editor. Full context-sensitive help makes
E4 easy to learn.
Feature lists are not the whole story: that's why E4 is
made available on a try-before-you buy basis. Don't just
reject it because it isn't exactly the same as what
you're using: try it!
E4 already has a large user community including
professional programmers, businesspeople, educators, and
students. If you've got a suggestion or problem call the
author (Neil Faulks) on 071 873 2007 (+44 71 873 2007)
during office hours, or mail him on the Internet
(neil@dcs.kcl.ac.uk) or through CompuServe
(>INTERNET:neil@dcs.kcl.ac.uk). We want you to be happy
with E4, before and after you buy it.
E4-DELUXE ******************************************************
There are two varieties of E4: E4 and E4-Deluxe. The
original E4 is distributed as the file E4???.ZIP, where
??? is the version number. E4-Deluxe is distributed as
E4D???.ZIP If you register E4 or E4-Deluxe you get both
versions for the one price.
E4-Deluxe is a larger version of E4 that provides
pull-down menus. These menus are fully user-definable
and can be made CUA compliant.
E4-Deluxe comes with keyboard and menu files that allow
E4 & E4-Deluxe to emulate a number of popular editors
and word-processors. Obviously E4-Deluxe is required to
emulate the menus of an application, but the keyboard
files will also work with standard E4.
You can also use a menu file to help you or your users
migrate from another editor to E4. In this case E4
simulates the menus of the other editor, but displays
the correct E4 keystrokes. The message line also
displays helpful information as you move the selector
bar over the menus.
Note that it is not possible to simulate all the
features of other editors. Quite often basic differences
mean that the E4 method appears cumbersome when looked
at from the perspective of a user of another editor.
However, E4 is far from cumbersome and you are
encouraged to LEARN E4 rather than persisting with your
old editing techniques. The E4 user community includes
former users of Boxer, QEDIT and Brief and the various
Borland IDEs, all of whom have happily switched to using
E4. They are happy because E4 makes them more
productive.
You can choose an editor to emulate by using the /=
command line switch. This selects the keyboard (.E4K)
and menu (.E4U) files with the name given following the
equals sign. For example
E4 /=CUA
Will run E4 in CUA mode. You can put this option in the
E4 environment variable. See "INSTALLATION" below.
The options available are listed below, but you are
encouraged to try the native E4 menus and keystrokes
before using these.
BC Borland C/Turbo Pascal IDE keystrokes only
CUA Very simple CUA menus and some CUA keystrokes.
BOXERM Boxer menus, E4 keystrokes, with tutorial information
QEDIT full QEDIT simulation, menus and keyboard
QEDITM QEDIT menus, E4 keystrokes, with tutorial information
WP Wordperfect Function keys (& ^INS and ^DEL), no menus.
WS WordStar control keys.
All trademarks are acknowledged.
Extra items in the E4 Deluxe Distribution include:
E4.EXE E4-Deluxe instead of E4
*.E4K Keymap files (like E4KEYS)
*.E4U Menu files
To use a keymap and/or menu file run the editor using
the /= switch.
Note that the menu bar will not appear unless at least
one keystroke in the keymap file is assigned to the
special keyname "menu".
IMPORTANT NOTICE ***********************************************
This is a Try-before-you-buy Evaluation copy of the E4
Editor, it is fully functional. You may use E4 freely
for up to 30 days, but if you want to use it after this
period you must pay for it. See later in this file.
Occasionally the editor will ask you to press a key when
you first run it, this feature is absent from the
version you will receive upon payment.
Buying your own copy also brings the benefits of
comprehensive printed documentation, extra utility
programs and macros, and special offers on upgrades and
other products.
Programmers should note that only the registered version
supports compiler error message tracking, as it requires
extra support programs.
PACKING LIST & RELEASE NOTES ***********************************
This software should be distributed as the single .ZIP
or .EXE archive. The archive file contains the files
listed below (for extra files included with E4-Deluxe
see above). PLEASE KEEP THE ORIGINAL ARCHIVE FILE TO
GIVE TO OTHERS.
E4.EXE The Editor itself (All you really need!)
E4.HLP The help file for the editor
E4KEYS A sample keyboard mapping file
E4README.TXT This document, Please read it all
E4ORDER.TXT Printable order form and prices
VENDOR.TXT Notes for shareware vendors and BBSs.
Includes feature lists and descriptions
FILE_ID.DIZ A BBS description file
TEMPLATE.C Sample template file for C programs
E4OPTS.C Sample options file for C programs
COMPILE.EXE A generic compiler control program
COMPILE.DOC Documentation for COMPILE
COMPILE.CL Configuration file for COMPILE
The sample E4KEYS file includes some key definitions of
use only to programmers, to handle in-editor
compilation. These are distributed as macros in the
registered version, but are included here in the keys
file to save space. The sample definitions allow you to
compile from within the editor (a single file or a
complete project), and to execute your program with or
without a debugger. The registered version provides full
error tracking, allowing you to step through error
messages one by one, taking you to the correct file and
line.
Programmers should examine the E4KEYS file to learn
about creating macros to compile and debug programs.
CHANGES ********************************************************
Only major changes are listed, numerous minor changes
are made with every release. The registered version has
more detailed information.
Version 2.0
Rectangular Box Marking. Command line selectable
keymaps. Paste chars from ASCII chart. Select
video rows from command line. 2-Key assignments.
View control chars as symbols or letters.
Enhanced exploding macros. Enhanced marking
mode, menu and display, with measurement
capability. Roaming Cursor (RC) mode to allow
cursor to move freely around screen. Shift
marking on more keys.
Version 1.6
Outlining. XMS swapping (leaving <2K resident).
Colour Brackets. LOOP, ENDLOOP and STOP in
macros. Support for Read-only buffers
(independent of Read-only files).
Version 1.51
New Ditto function using ALT-Space Bar. New
CATCH macro keyword (useful in template macros).
Enhanced handling of Read-Only files, can now
edit System and Hidden files also. Enhanced
handling of environment variables in DOS
commands. Better handling of ^Break when macro
playing is paused. Modified screen blanker to
allow portables to power down.
Version 1.5
Support for external commands and tools. All new
Picture mode/Line Draw mode. Automatic Project
File creation. New commands: Buffer Reload,
Tools Editclip, Goto Edit (New edit tracking
system). Multiple tags. New Wordprocessing and
WordWrap modes. Support for bright screen
background colours. More support for Novell
Netware. Template Macros. Enhanced Find Eol to
allow searching for Lone CR or LF at ends of
lines. Extended help system.
Version 1.0
First non-commercial release.
OVERVIEW *******************************************************
E4 will run on any PC compatible with 128K of RAM, under
MSDOS 3.0 or above, and any standard display adaptor. A
hard disk is not required: the minimum installation is
about 40 (42K for E4-Deluxe).
SVGA support allows for special text modes such as
100x40, 100x75 and 132x60, on those cards that offer it,
up to 255x255.
Full use is made of enhanced keyboards including F11 &
F12 and other special key combinations. Full mouse
support (for a true Microsoft compatible mouse) allows
on screen selection of text and menu operation. Note
that mouse support in SVGA screen modes often does not
work due to mouse driver limitations.
The editor occupies little disk space making it suitable
for installation on a RAM Disk, the optional help file
can be relocated elsewhere; using the E4HELP environment
variable.
E4 has a short start up time and loads and saves files
very quickly.
Most of the keys on the keyboard may be redefined to
suit you. Any standard key combination, or pair of keys,
may be assigned to one or more editor functions, simply
by editing a text file listing the assignments to be
made (E4KEYS). A command line switch can be used to
override customisation so that someone can use the
editor on another person's machine, for example when
giving help in a school or college.
The normal Cut and Paste system, which allows arbitrary
streams of characters to be moved about the editor, is
augmented by a simple system for moving and copying
whole lines, as this is such a common operation.
A design limitation is that the maximum file size that
may be edited is 64K, and is one reason the editor is so
small. This limit is offset somewhat by the ease with
which multiple files may be edited. In particular you
are able to perform a truly global search and replace
operation that affects several files. When programming
it is not a good idea to construct a program by using
one monolithic file, better to split it up into several
modules.
E4 comes with complete context-sensitive on-line help.
But you can use page-up and page-down to move through
the help screens one by one if you want to make sure you
see them all. Press F1 twice to find out how to use
help.
INSTALLATION & RUNNING *****************************************
DOS 3.0 or above is needed to run E4.
Copy the files listed in the packing list above to a
directory on your hard disk and put that directory in
your PATH. For example if you create a directory for the
editor called C:\E4 then you should add the following
line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (and reboot):
PATH C:\E4;%PATH%
If you have CED or ANARKEY or a similar command line
editor, you can have an alias that expands to the full
pathname of the editor, instead of adding the editor
directory to the PATH. E4 does not need to be in the
path to find its support files or programs.
Run the editor with the list of filenames you wish to
edit. Wildcards may be included:
E4 \AUTOEXEC.BAT \CONFIG.SYS \WINDOWS\*.INI
NOTE: A few systems may not correctly identify the type
of keyboard they have: if the editor hangs then reboot,
and run it again with the /P switch, which forces it to
use only the standard (PC) keyboard driver, rather than
the enhanced (AT) driver. Note that the editor has been
tested and does work correctly on true IBM PCs, IBM
PC/ATs and IBM PS/2s, as well as many machines from a
variety of manufacturers including Compaq, Dell, Grid,
NEC and Tandon.
The /B command line switch will run the editor in black
and white. /? will list other switches.
F1 displays context sensitive help.
Press ALT-Q to leave the editor.
You can put standard switch settings into the E4
environment variable:
SET E4=/B
The example above will cause the editor to always run in
Black and White.
You can have many options listed in the environment
variables. For example, if you also want to use CUA mode
you would set the variable like this:
SET E4=/B /=CUA
Configuration files and macro directories are created by
default in the current directory. To make the editor
place them in the directory containing E4.EXE use the
following command:
SET E4PATH=*
These SET statements are best placed in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
DEMO ***********************************************************
For a short demonstration of Resume Mode go to the root
directory of your boot disk and (assuming E4 is in your
PATH) type
E4 /R AUTOEXEC.BAT CONFIG.SYS
Then press ALT-Q to quit the editor.
Now whenever you want to edit your configuration simply
go to the root directory and type
E4
The cursor will be where it was and the same files will
be loaded. Any new files you load will also be available
to future sessions.
BORLAND PARADOX ************************************************
If you use Borland's Paradox (3.5 or 4.0) you can
install E4 as the default editor. Use the following
command line:
E4 /XSC * /**
This sets the default extension for loading and saving
to .SC (for script). Paradox replaces the * by the
filename and the ** by a line number within the file (E4
interprets a number after a slash as a line number to go
to on start up).
SUPPORT ********************************************************
Technical support is available directly from the author
by Post or E-Mail to any of the addresses given at the
foot of this document. E-mail is preferred.
Support is available whether or not you are a registered
user: We want you to be happy with E4 before you buy it.
ORDERING and PAYMENT *******************************************
This software has been made available so that potential
users may try it out before committing to buy it. If you
think that you have already paid for this software then
you have been mislead by whoever took your money. Many
organisations charge a copying fee for providing
evaluation copies of software like this, which is
legitimate within the limits detailed in the VENDOR.TXT
file. Others, who may also be charging a higher fee, do
not make it clear that you are paying them a service
charge for providing you with an evaluation copy of the
software.
You must pay for this software if you continue to use
it. This is copyrighted commercial software. The term
"Shareware" is often applied to software marketed in
this way, but it must not be confused with free software
such as that in the Public Domain (PD).
To pay for this software please examine the file
E4ORDER.TXT, which is a registration and order form. You
can fill this in before or after printing it out.
Alternatively any form of order may be used provided
that all the information requested in the text file is
provided. Always quote the issue number given on that
form (the same Issue Number appears in the editor banner
screen).
In exchange for payment you will receive a version of
the software without the registration reminders, and
which is registered to you personally. The price
includes both E4 and E4-Deluxe, a comprehensive printed
manual and extra utility programs and macros.
Note that this registered version may not be distributed
in any way and must be treated like any other commercial
program. Please refer to the licence agreements below.
EXTRAS *********************************************************
The following extra programs (at least) are shipped with
the commercial version of the editor:
E4SM a program to set special text modes on VGA/EGA
cards. It also analyses your VGA card to find
out what special text modes are available.
E4TRAP a program to trap error output from a range of
compilers so that E4 can perform error tracking.
Currently supported compilers include Borland
C/C++, Turbo Pascal, Turbo Linker, Turbo
Assembler, Microsoft C, MASM, Fitted Software
Modula-2, Zortech C/C++ and others. Other
compilers will be added in the future.
Many compilers that are not listed will also
work, if they generate standard error messages.
Contact us if your compiler is not listed, we
will add it if necessary.
E4PRINT a program to print E4 wordwrap files (and
ordinary text files) on normal and PostScript
printers.
A library of useful programmer's macros is also
provided.
LICENCE AGREEMENTS *********************************************
"The software" refers in this case to the E4 editor and
any associated documentation and/or additional programs
or other items.
"The purchaser" is that person or organisation that pays
the fee for the software.
Licence for the Unregistered Version (this version) ************
This software is copyrighted and any duplication other
than under the terms of this agreement is a breach of
copyright law. You are given permission to duplicate the
software to give to others provided that you do not make
any changes to the software and that you distribute it
complete (preferably as the single self-extracting
archive file described above). You must not make a
charge for providing a copy of the software other than
within the limits detailed in the VENDOR.TXT file.
You are permitted to use the editor for a period not
exceeding 30 days beginning from the date of first use.
After this time you must pay if you wish to continue
using it, even if you intend to do so only infrequently.
If you do not purchase your own copy then you should
keep the software only in its archived (unusable) form
for the purposes of giving it to others.
Licences for the Commercial Version ****************************
This software is copyrighted and any duplication other
than under the terms of this agreement is a breach of
copyright law.
Payment of the registration fee gains for the purchaser
one or more disks and a licence to use the software
contained on those disks subject to the conditions
detailed below.
Single user Licence ************************************
The software provided upon payment of the
registration fee may not be duplicated other
than for the purposes of installing it on one or
more computers owned by the purchaser of the
software, and/or for a single "back-up" copy of
the supplied original disk or disks. The
purchaser may install the software on more than
one computer provided that there is no
possibility that more than a single copy of the
software be in use at any instant.
Network Licence ****************************************
Purchase of a network licence allows you to
install the software on a single file server
only (NOT a node in a peer-to-peer network). The
software may be used only by machines attached
to that network that are using that server. The
software may not be installed on any other
computer.
You must take all reasonable precautions to
prevent unauthorised copying. For example, for a
Novell network you must set the Execute Only
attribute for all executables that form part of
the software.
AFTERWORD and ADDRESSES ****************************************
Thank you for taking the time to wade through this file.
Please try out the program and send me your comments,
even if you choose not to continue using E4!
Author: UK Distributors:
Neil Faulks Business Consultants Ltd.
28 Clickett Hill 37 York Road
Basildon Woking
Essex Surrey
England England
SS14 1NW GU22 7XN
E-mail: neil@dcs.kcl.ac.uk
CompuServe: >INTERNET:neil@dcs.kcl.ac.uk
End-of-File