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UPDATE.DOC
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1985-10-02
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New Version of ACE coming soon!!!
A new version of ACE (1.25P [Public version]) will be finished
soon. This new version is unbelievably better. It has TONS of new
stuff, like:
If you have a color graphics adapter, screen display is
much faster...
You may specify the character that takes the place of
ASCII 174, instead of it always being 254.
There is a function that will list all the functions in
the current file (Up to 176) and allow you to position a
cursor on the one you would like to go to. When you press
enter ACE will place you on the line of the declaration.
You may also with a different function type in the name,
and have it (using the above search method) place you on the
line of the function declaration.
There is now an UndoRemark function to remove remarks
from a block or line.
There is a function to jump to the end of the code on a
line. This is useful when you have remarks after your lines
and you want to add some code to the end of the line without
having to cursor past your remark to the end of your code.
Search and replace now support wild cards. Below are the
newly added characters you can use in a search string:
* - This functions like dos's asterisk. It specifies
that any number of character can fill it's
position.
? - This also operates like the dos question mark.
It signifies that any one character can take its
place.
^1 - This search's for the ASCII 1 char, that is normally
used to tell ACE you want to change search or replace
parameters.
^* - This lets you search for an actual asterisk.
^? - This lets you search for an actual question mark.
^^ - This lets you search for a ^ character.
^C - This lets you search for a carriage
return/linefeed combo.
^E - This lets you search for an escape character.
(ASCII 27)
^F - This tells ACE to take the information following
the ^F and ending with a ^F as a function name,
and to search for it appropriately. Using this
is essentially the same as using the function
mentioned above where you type in a function
name for ACE to go to. Using ^F^F would go to
the next function declaration.
The replace string supports all these new functions
except for the ^F function. In the replace string you
may replace with an asterisk field or a question mark
field from the search string. So for example, in the file
you had a bunch of function calls like this:
hello(10,20);
hello(5,14);
hello(1,2);
hello(99,145);
hello(12,38);
etc..
Well, you want to insert the number 5 after the first
number in that call, what a pain... No more.. You would
just specify for the search string:
hello(*,*);
and for the replace string:
hello(*1,5,*2);
this would insert the string found for the first asterisk
field then a five then the string found for the second
asterisk field. Understand? I hope so.. Anyway you
could use this for alot of stuff, like for a replace string:
printf("*1",*5,*4,*3,*2);
This would reverse the four asterisk fields found in the file.
So if the file contained this:
printf("%d %d %d %d",a,b,c,d);
it would now contain:
printf("%d %d %d %d",d,c,b,a);
pretty cool, eh?
There is also a new Go To function. Thumb position. So
now when you select go to. You can type in the line number,
tag char, or T for thumb position. This function allows you
to use the cursor keys to move the thumb at the left side of
the window. So if you place the thumb in the middle of the
window and press enter it will take you to the middle of the
file.
There is a new utility function: Comment align. This
new utility has you enter a column number where it then
takes the entire file or a block and right align's the
remarks with that column. So, if you have lines like this:
main() /* main... */
{ /* beginning of main. */
int h; /* define loops variable as int. */
etc..
then having it line up with whatever column will make it
look something like this:
main() /* main... */
{ /* beginning of main. */
int h; /* define loops variable as int. */
The Scan for errors function has been revamped. Some
bugs in it have been fixed, it is faster, and it is a little
friendlier.
The option "Indent after {" has been changed to "Indent
aft. { and }". You ask why? Well, when this option is
active, each time you enter a line containing a left brace,
ACE stores the beginning indent of that line. Then whenever
you type in a right brace and there are no character besides
spaces/tabs in front of it, ACE will automatically indent
that line so that it matches with the correct starting left
brace line.
ACE also now, finally correctly supports tabs!!! You
remember how before, the tab key inserted hard spaces...
That took up tons of space as you knew. But now ACE in
memory has each tab as an ASCII 9 (The way it should be) and
just displays the appropriate number of spaces... So in
effect changing ACE in this way lets you edit larger files,
and also got rid of the convert utility.
ACE manages itself better... There is no longer a limit
on the number of lines you may have, well almost... You
can't go beyond 32,000, but at this time that is far beyond
what anyone will be able to go with ACE's current buffer
size. This new revamp also has speeded up all the block
operations. No more waiting a sec/or two... Just WHAM!
it's there...
I believe that is all for 1.25P, but following is a list of some of
the things ACE's registered users can expect in version 1.26 which
will be done a few months after 1.25P is released:
ACE will allow you to edit two separate files at once.
They will be in two separate windows that the user can
resize, copy to/from, edit, everything!
It will have an expanded Scan for errors function. It
will do lint type analysis...
Possibilities: (Not for sure, but likely to be there)
ACE will have an option that when on will allow ACE to
load Very Large files, up to ACE's max. line limit, which by
then will be around 65,000. Using this method ACE would
store a 40 or so K section of that file in memory, and as
the user would scroll through the file ACE would load in the
required section of that file. All editing while in this
mode would be stored in a duplicate file, and later when you
save your file ACE would delete the old file, and rename the
duplicate file that had been changed to the old file name.
If the option is set to off, then ACE will act as it does
now... Fast but smaller files...
ACE might have some kind of a macro language in 1.26.
With this language you would have full control over ACE,
so you could say.... Ok when I press Ctrl F1, I want
you to tell me if the current line has a certain string in
it, if it does then oh.... Remark it with a special kind of
indent, Or if it has this other string then uh.... copy that
and the next 20 lines into a file... Things like this could
be possible... With this new language many of ACE's current
functions like ALT R, ALT U, ALT J (last two in 1.25P), etc..
Could be replaced with macros!! So with these macros you
could essentially customize ACE!
There will probably be an awesome new print
function. It was written by a friend of mine, and it is
NICE... It prints an index containing all the functions
page #'s, keeps functions with their describing remarks,
etc.... It has a few bugs in it at this time, but one of us
plan to have it fixed by ACE's new version.
There might be some kind of automated Compile option
that after you defined what programs it would run along
with parameters, and what kind of erorr output the program
displayed. (like: Line number error message...) You
would just specify File Compile and ACE would automatically
run your compilor, linker, whatever and route their output
to a ACE file. It would then scan this file for messages
that matched your definition for errors. It would then
open the second window with the error messages from this
file and highlight the first one. ACE would also in the
first window place the cursor on the line specified in
the error message above. By pressing a key ACE would
automatically highlight the next error message above and
again place the cursor on the appropriate line for editing.
I think that's about it, but PLEASE if you have any
ideas/comments/suggestions... Anything! (Ver. 1.26 is not totally
thought out, so if you want something added, speak up!)
Call me or Write, but it's easier if you call...
The address/number is:
R.R.#12 Box#19
Muncie, IN 47302
(317)288-7547 After 3:30 p.m.
Compuserve ID#: 70167,1123