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Tech Arsenal 1
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Tech Arsenal (Arsenal Computer).ISO
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tek-13
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dgedit.zip
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MANUAL.EXE
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1991-02-08
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┌─────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ └┐ ┌┘ └┐ │ │ │ └┐ │ │ │ │
│ ┌─┐ │ │ ┌─┐ │ │ ┌─────┘ │ ┌─┐ │ └───┐ ┌───┘ └───┐ ┌───┘
│ │ └┐ │ │ │ └┐ │ │ │ │ │ └┐ │ │ │ │ │
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│ └─┘ │ │ └───┘ │ │ └─────┐ │ └─┘ │ ┌───┘ └───┐ │ │
│ ┌┘ └┐ ┌┘ │ │ │ ┌┘ │ │ │ │
└─────────┘ └────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └──────────┘ └──┘
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ │ │ │
└──────┐ │ └──────┐ │
│ │ │ │
┌──────┘ │ ┌──────┘ │
│ │ │ │
└──────┐ │ └──────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
┌──────┘ │ ┌───┐ ┌──────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
└─────────┘ └───┘ └─────────┘
1
PERSONAL EDITOR VERSION 3.30
----------------------------
Introduction
------------
This is a new and very fast text editor program which includes
several unique and innovative features which are not present in other
similar programs. It has been written entirely in assembly language which
means that although it is very powerful it will still fit easily on a
single diskette. One of the main advantages of using a text editor over
a Word Processor is the ability to create a clean ASCII file that only
contains those characters that you specifically include in it. The text
editor is ideal for creating batch files or program source code. The macro
facility also makes it suitable for creating character based diagrams or
flow charts. Those users who are upgrading from version 2.xx will find that
the user interface has changed considerably. The editor now assigns many
functions directly to ALT-Key combinations which means that all functions
can be accessed quickly. Obviously this approach will entail a short
learning process before the user is familiar with all the commands. As an
alternative to this you can also access all the commands via a series of
pull down menus. To activate the pull down menus you need to press both
shift keys simultaneuosly whilst in normal edit mode. Where possible
functions have been assigned key combinations which are logical and easy to
guess/remember. For example, ALT-I Insert Line, ALT-D Delete Line, ALT-S
Split Line, ALT-J Join Line, ALT-G GOTO Line and so on. To help you
remember what commands are available you can use the context sensitive help
system. If you press F1 whilst in normal edit mode you will be
presented will a list of all the commands available. If you press the F1
key whilst in another other mode or menu you will be given some help which
is appropraite to the function you are performing. The screen is laid out
in such a way as to maximize the edit window viewing area by reserving only
one line for a status information. To use the editor you need only two
files E.EXE the program and E.HLP the disk based help system. You should
read the installation instructions carefully before using the editor
because it is necessary to set up a variable in your computers environment.
Don't panic that's not as difficult as it sounds. Like earlier versions the
editor will let you edit up to five files a once. To do this however it
adopts a different strategy than that adopted in previous versions. Instead
of holding all files in memory at once which imposed a large memory
overhead to run, the editor now only keeps one file in memory at a time.
The other files are paged out to temporary disk files when not active which
means the editor only requires 240k to run in. As with any program there
are always compromises to be made and by adopting this approach you will
obviously require some free disk space, equal to the sum of sizes of the
files you are editing).
2
Disk Contents
-------------
The disk should contain the following files :-
E.EXE Main Editor Program
E.HLP Help File for E.EXE
E.OVL Overlay File required by UNREGISTERED VERSION ONLY
E.CNF Configuration File
E.COL Copy configuration file setup for Colour monitors.
E.MON Copy configuration file setup for Mono monitors.
The following files may be included in ARCHIVE format. To unpack
these files please read the file 'README.1ST'
MANUAL1.DOC First part of manual for DGEDIT
MANUAL2.DOC Second part of manual for DGEDIT
PRINTDOC.EXE Program used to format and print the manual.
PRINTDOC.DOC Instructions on how you can use the above utility.
TEMPLATE.EXE File merge utility
TEMPLATE.DOC Instructions for using the TEMPLATE utility
Installing
----------
Automatic Installation
----------------------
If you wish to install the editor from the supply diskettes with the
minimum of fuss then you should run the INSTALL program. This program will
guide you through the installation process one step at a time, asking you
to answer questions about your hardware with a single character response. I
would recommend that you use this program first before trying a manual
install unless you feel confident with DOS and its commands. Please note
that it is important that the editor can find its configuration and help
files and this can only be achieved if you include the appropriate SET
commands in the AUTOEXEC.BAT or execution batch file. The INSTALL program
gives you the option to automatically update your AUTOEXEC.BAT file if you
are running from a hard disk, or creates a start-up batch file if you are
running from a floppy disk. If you are installing to a hard disk you will
need to reboot your machine before the changes made to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file will take effect.
Manual Installation
-------------------
To install the editor you should simply copy the files E.EXE, E.HLP &
E.OVL to the drive and directory of your choice. Version 2.xx of the editor
required a setup file (SETUP.DG2) and this was placed in the root directory
of your current disk. This was done because you will always have a root
directory and the editor could depend on being able to find it. Version
3.10 uses a slightly more sophisticated approach. Your computer has an area
of memory called an environment where it keeps a record of such things as
your path, prompt and where COMMAND.COM is located. If you want to see what
is in your environment just type SET at the DOS prompt. Every machine will
3
differ but you might see something like the following :-
COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\UTILITY;C:\DBASE;
PROMPT=$P$G
When the editor is run it will search the environment for a
variable called 'EDITOR' and use the drive and path specification that
follows it as a pointer to the editors base (home directory). This means
that you can put the editors help file anywhere you like, and provided the
environment points to that directory it will be able to find it. You can
setup the environment variable by typing in a command at the DOS prompt but
you will find it far more convenient to add the same statement to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You need to add a line in you AUTOEXEC.BAT file which
uses the following syntax.
SET EDITOR=C:\UTILITY\EDITOR
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
└───────┬───────┘
│
Substitute your Drive and Directory Name Here.
One of the benefits of requiring less memory to run in is the
ability to shell out to DOS (Perform DOS commands and run other programs
with the editor still in memory). To do this the editor loads a second copy
of the command interpreter COMMAND.COM. To be able to do this the editor
needs to find a copy of COMMAND.COM and it does this by searching for the
COMSPEC variable in your environment. If your do not have this defined in
your environment you might consider adding another statement to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file like the following :-
SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM
Please note that your machine may not have a C: drive in which case
you should substitute your boot drive letter. If you have the benefit of a
hard disk you might consider adding the editors home directory to your path
statement so that you can execute the program from any drive or
subdirectory. You now need to copy one of two files from the install disk
to your new program disk depending on if you are using a colour or mono
monitor. To do this you should change into the drive and directory where
you are installing the editor and do one of the following depending on your
monitor type.
COPY A:E.COL E.CNF for a colour monitor
or
COPY A:E.MON E.CNF for a monochrome monitor
Upgrading
---------
If you are upgrading from a version 3.10 of DGEDIT or later to this
version then you will need to make sure that you delete your old E.CNF
configuration file before doing anything else. If you use the install
program this will be done for you. You will need to reconfigure your editor
after this as your old settings will be lost. Unfortunately this is
4
unavoidable but as the format of this file changes as new features are
added it is important that you do not try to run the editor with a
configuration file which is out of date.
Running / Parameters
--------------------
To run the editor you have only to type 'E' and press enter at the
DOS prompt. Once the editor has loaded you will be asked for a filename to
edit. You may press enter at this point if you want to create a document
without a name.
E<ENTER>
Alternativly you can provide a filename as a parameter to the
program name. In this case the editor will automatically load the specified
file once it has loaded.
E Filename<ENTER>
Functions / Key Assignments
---------------------------
All functions are now mapped directly to key combinations.
Obviously there are not enough function keys available to assign all the
functions to. To supplement the function keys therefore some functions
require you to use the ALT key in combination with the alphanumeric keys. A
description of all key definitions can be obtained by pressing the F1 key
which will call up the on-screen help facility. In addition to the general
help screens there are many more context sensitive help screens available.
In addition to the direct function key method of calling the edit commands
it is also possible to access them via a series of pull down menus. To use
the menu system you must first ensure that you are in normal edit mode,
i.e. Ready to enter text into the file. You must then hold down both shift
keys simultaneously. You will then see a menu bar at the top of the screen
plus a pull down menu as shown below.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ FILE LINE BLOCK MACRO SEARCH DRAW MISC│
└╔╡████╞═════════════════════════╗───────────────────────────────────────────┘
║ Load File (Manual) F3 ║
║ Load File (Select) ALT+F3 ║
║ Load File (Search) SHIFT+F3 ║
║ Save File (Manual) F4 ║ To move from the FILE menu to
║ Save File (Select) ALT+F4 ║ the MACRO menu in this example
║ Save File (Search) SHIFT+F4 ║ you need only press the right
║ Print File (Manual) F10 ║ cursor key 3 times.
║ Print File (Select) ALT+F10 ║
║ Print File (Search) SHIFT+F10 ║
║ Change Logged Drive ALT+L ║
║ Directory Functions ALT+C ║
╚═══════════════════════════════╝
Each of the titles on the top line of the screen represents a
category of editor commands. Each of these categories has its own pull down
menu. To change from one menu to another you should use the left and right
cursor keys. Then when you want to select an option you need to highlight
it with the up and down cursor keys and press enter. When you want to leave
5
the menu system you should press the escape key. Please note that when you
re-enter the menu system you wil l automatically be returned to the exact
menu and option where you left it. You should also notice that the last
option highlighted in each window is remembered by the system when you use
the left and right cursor keys so that you are always returned to the last
option selected in each menu as you browse across them. As with all the
editors functions you can acheive context sensitive help by pressing the F1
key. As you can see below this help page explains the difference between
many methods of selecting files.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ FILE LINE BLOCK MACRO SEARCH DRAW MISC│
└──────────────────────────────────────────╔══════════════════════════╡████╞╗┘
║ Configuration Menu ALT+F1 ║
╔╡Pull-Down Menus╞══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║
║ You are now in the pull-down menu system. You can use these menus to║ ║
║access all of the editors main features. You should use the left and ║ ║
║right cursor keys to switch between the different menus and then use ║ ║
║the up and down cursor keys to select the required option. When you ║ ║
║wish to leave the menu system and return to normal editing you should ║ ║
║press the escape key. You will notice that some of the menus contain ║ ║
║a number of options which are essentially the same with the exception ║ ║
║of a phrase in brackets. The following explains the difference between ║ ║
║these commands :- ║═╝
║ ║
║ (manual) - The filenmame is typed in on the status line. ║
║ (select) - You choose the filename from a sorted list of ║
║ files found in the current default directory. ║
║ (search) - You provide a filename and the editor scans the ║
║ entire disk for matching files. You then select ║
║ the file you require from a window. ║
║ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Quick Key Function Summary
--------------------------
Up Arrow
--------
Moves the cursor up by one line. If the cursor is at the top of
the screen and you are not at the top of the file then the text will be
scrolled down by one line.
Down Arrow
----------
Moves the cursor down by one line. If the cursor is at the bottom
of the screen and you are not at the bottom of the file then the text will
be scrolled up by one line.
Left Arrow
----------
Moves the cursor left one character. If the cursor is at the left
margin and the column number is greater than one then the screen is
scrolled right by one character.
6
Right Arrow
-----------
Moves the cursor right one character. If the cursor is at the
right margin then the screen is scrolled left by one character.
CTRL + PgUp
-----------
This quick key combination will move the cursor to the top line of
the current screen display.
CTRL + PgDn
-----------
This quick key combination will move the cursor to the bottom line
of the current screen display.
CTRL + Right Arrow
------------------
The text file is scrolled left by half of the current screen width.
CTRL + Left Arrow
-----------------
The text file is scrolled left by half of the current screen width
or less if the position is already close to column 1.
TAB Key
-------
This key can behave in two possible ways depending on the state of
Tab Sequence Mode (ON or OFF). If Tab Sequence Mode is OFF the tab key will
always move the cursor position by 9 characters to the right. If Tab
Sequence Mode is ON then the cursor will move to the next user defined tab
position. Tab Sequence Mode is toggled ON/OFF with the ALT + Y key
combination and the user defined tab stops are defined by ALT + 4
Shift + TAB Key
---------------
This key can behave in two possible ways depending on the state of
Tab Sequence Mode (ON or OFF). If Tab Sequence Mode is OFF the tab key will
always move the cursor position by 9 characters to the left, or to column 1
if the current column position is already less than 9. If Tab Sequence Mode
is ON then the cursor will move to the previous user defined tab position.
Tab Sequence Mode is toggled ON/OFF with the ALT + Y key combination and
the user defined tab stops are defined by ALT + 4
CTRL + Home (Start of File)
---------------------------
This key combination will instantly move the cursor to the first
line in the file whilst maintaining the current column position.
CTRL + End (End of File)
------------------------
This function will move the cursor to the last line of the file
whilst maintaining the current column position.
7
Home (Start of Line)
--------------------
Move cursor to the begining of the line.
End (End of Line)
-----------------
Move cursor to the end of the line.
Insert
------
Toggle between Insert & Replace Mode. Whilst in Insert Mode any
characters you type in will cause characters which are right of the cursor
to be shifted right. When in Replace Mode any characters you type in will
overtype any characters which are under the cursor. The current status of
this toggle is always displayed on the status line. You will also notice
that a full size block cursor indicate Insert Mode whilst a half size
cursor indicates Replace Mode.
Delete
------
Delete the character under cursor.
Escape (Quit)
-------------
If in normal edit mode the escape key will terminate the editor. If
you have any modified or new files loaded you will be given the opportunity
to save them before the program finishes. The escape key will always act as
a terminate or quit type function whatever the mode or menu being used.
ALT + 1 (Mark Start of Block)
----------------------------
This key combination is used to mark the start of a block which
you wish to write out to a temporary disk file. This block can then be
read back into the file you are editing at any location. You cannot mark
the start of a block as being beyond the end of a file.
ALT + 2 (Mark End of Block)
---------------------------
This function will write out a block of your text file to disk.
You need to mark the start of the block before the end. You cannot mark
the end of a block as being beyond the end of a file.
ALT + 3 (Insert Block)
----------------------
To use this function you need to mark a block first by using the
ALT + 1,2 key functions. You should then position the cursor on the line
that you want the text block to read into. The current line and all
subsequent lines are moved down to make room for the block to be inserted.
ALT + 4 (Define User Tab Sequence)
----------------------------------
Quite often it would be very useful to be able to jump quickly to a
specified column position, or sequence of column positions. Some
programming languages rely heavily on using specific column positions,
COBOL for example. You may want to create a form using set column positions
in which case this facility may prove very useful to you. Defining a series
of tab positions is very simple. All you need to do is to enter Tab
8
Definition Mode by pressing ALT + 4. Once you are in this mode you will
limited to what you can actually do. Your cursor movements will be limited
to left and right. When you are in the correct position and you want to
define a position as being part of a tab sequence you need only press the
space bar. You can define up to 50 tab positions in any order you like.
When you have finished completing the tab sequence definition you should
press the ENTER key. These tab positions will then be available for you to
use the for the duration of this edit across all five edit sessions. If you
want to make these tab stops the default for the next time you use the
editor then you should select the 'Save Configuration' option from the
Configuration Menu which can be called up from normal edit mode by pressing
the ALT + F1 keys.
ALT + 5 (Define Text to Find)
-----------------------------
The editor has a facility to search for a string within the current
edit file. To search for a specific string requires two procedures.
Firstly you must define the string that you want to search for. To do this
you need to press the ALT + 5 key combination while in normal edit mode.
You will then be prompted to enter a delimited text string. You should
choose a delimiting character which is not present in the search string. A
typical search string may be defined as shown below :-
/Search String/
If you were to define the search string exactly as shown then the
editor would search for an exact match of the string and not recognise a
string that contained any case differences. If you wanted to find any
occurrence of the string without checking for case differences then you
should make the following changes to the search string definition.
/Search String/*
The trailing asterisk indicates that case checking should not be
performed. Secondly you should tell the editor to search for the string you
have defined by using the ALT + F command.
ALT + 6 (Define Replace String)
-------------------------------
You should use this key combination to define a string for use in
the replace function. You should adopt the same delimited string technique
that is described in the ALT + 5 section. With this option however there is
no equivalent to the '*' parameter which is only used when defining a find
string.
ALT + 7 (Edit/Select External Command)
--------------------------------------
This routine will display a window of up to five external commands.
These commands can be programs, batch files or internal DOS commands. To
setup a command for later, or indeed immediate use you should use the
cursor keys to highlight the option you require and press enter. You will
then be placed in an input field to type in the command. When you have
completed the command you can either press enter to run it, or press F10
which will return you to the previous menu. When creating the command you
may want to include the filename of the file you are currently editing. To
enable this to be done quickly in such a manner that the command will be
useful in all edit sessions you can include the following %1 character
9
combination. When you run the command the editor will always substitute the
current filename when it encounters %1. This is especially useful if you
wish to invoke a compiler.
e.g. MASM %1; would run the macro assembler and tell it to assemble
the current filename.
You should note that this procedure will not automatically save
your text file for you. You will therefore need to manually save the file
using F4 before invoking a compiler.
ALT + 8 (Define Column Block)
-----------------------------
This function works in a similar fashion to the ALT + 1/2 keys,
however this key combination allows you to mark blocks of text as opposed
to lines. Quite often you may wish to copy or delete a vertical section of
text. To use this function you should position the cursor at the top left
hand corner of the text you wish to define and then press the ALT + 8 keys.
You will see that the text under the cursor has now been highlighted. You
will now be given the oportunity to move the cursor, using the right and
down arrow keys, to the bottom right hand corner of the block you wish to
define. Once you are satisfied with the extent of the area you have marked
you have four choices available. Firstly you can press the ESCAPE key
which will cancel the procedure without taking any action whatsoever.
Secondly you can press the ENTER or RETURN key which will copy the
defined block into memory. Thirdly you can press the delete key to delete
or 'Cut' the entire marked block. This latter option will also store the
defined text into memory so that you can re-insert the deleted block
elsewhere in your file. You should now read the section on the ALT + 9 key
combination. Fourth you can fill the marked area with an ASCII character.
There are a number of ways you can select the character you want to use
when filling the block. The simplest method is to do it manaully, to do
this you should press the space bar and then type whatever character you
want to use. If you want to fill the block with a character which is not
present on the keyboard then you can use the F5 option which will display
the standard ASII Show Window. Use the cursor keys to select the character
you want and then press enter. Lastly you can use the F6 key which will
always fill the block with the last character you have selected from the
ASCII Show Window. If you accidentally fill a block of text with an ASCII
character you can simply restore it to it's previous state by placing the
cursor at the original block starting position (as set with ALT + 8) and
then, with the editor it replace mode, type ALT + 9.
10
ALT + 8
│
v
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA By moving the cursor down
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA and right you will be able
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA to highlight and area of
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA text.
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA ┌──>
THIS IS A DEFINED AREA │
V
/BREAK
ALT + 9 (Insert Defined Block)
------------------------------
In order to use this function you must have already defined a
block of text using the ALT + 8 key combination (see previous section).
There are two possible ways in which this function will work which depend
on the current INSERT mode. To insert a block of text you should position
the cursor at the top left hand location of where the text is to be
placed. You must then decide if the text is to be inserted by moving all
existing text right, or to overwrite any existing text. Select the
appropriate mode by using the 'Ins' key and then press ALT + 9. The defined
block of text will then be inserted in your file.
ALT + B (Print Block)
---------------------
This function will automatically print the last block that you
have written to disk using the ALT + 1 and ALT + 2 commands. This function
will be ignored if you are already printing a file in the background.
ALT + C (Directory Functions)
-----------------------------
This key combination will bring up a menu of directory functions
which allows you to :-
╔════════════════════╗
║ Change Directory ║
║ Make Directory ║
║ Remove Directory ║
╚════════════════════╝
When any of these options are selected you will be prompted for a directory
name. This name should be used in the same manner as you would with any DOS
command.
ALT + D (Delete Line)
---------------------
This function will delete an entire line of text from a file and
move up the next line to fill the gap. To use the function you should
position the cursor on the line to be deleted and then press ALT + D.
11
ALT + E (Delete to End of Line)
-------------------------------
This procedure is quite useful for deleting all characters on a
line from a specified position to the end of a line. To use the function
you should position the cursor on the first character to be deleted. When
you press ALT + E all characters including the character under the cursor
are deleted from the cursor position to the end of the line.
ALT + F (Find String)
---------------------
This function can be used to search for a string. The string must
have previously been defined with the ALT + 5 key combination. The search
will start from the current cursor position and proceed towards the end of
the file. If the find is successful the cursor will be positioned on the
first character of the string that has been found. If the find fails then
you will hear a beep and no action will be taken.
ALT + G (GOTO Specified Line Number)
------------------------------------
This is a very useful feature for programmers who use the editor to
create source files that are later compiled. Compilers invariably detect
errors during compilation and when they do so they usually give the number
of the offending line in the source file. This function when invoked will
prompt you to enter a line number. Once you have done this the editor will
jump to the specified line number. If you specify a line number which is
larger than the number of lines in the file then the function will position
the cursor on the last character of the file and give you a warning message
so that you realise that the request has failed.
ALT + H (Session Size Information)
----------------------------------
As already mentioned there is a maximum size of file which you can
create or modify with the editor. To make the process of determining how
close to the limit you are there is a function which graphically displays
how much memory you have used in each session.
ALT + I (Insert Line)
---------------------
This key function allows you to insert a line in your file. To use
the function you should position the cursor where the new line is to be
inserted and press the ALT + I keys. When invoked the current line is moved
down and a new blank line created.
ALT + J (Join Line)
--------------------
This editor function will join two lines of text. To use the
function you should position the cursor on the first line and then press
ALT + J. The editor will then move the following line to the end of the
current line and move all the subsequent lines up.
ALT + L (Change Logged Drive)
-----------------------------
Sometimes you may find it necessary to change the logged disk
drive. If for example you are currently logged to drive C: and you want to
retreive a file from the floppy (A:) drive. To do this you could simple use
the F3 function key and then type in the filename you want to load
prefixing it with a drive letter. This will work but sometimes you cannot
12
remember what the filename is called and in this instance it is more
convenient to select the file from a sorted list. It is for this purpose
that the ALT + F3 function was created but unfortunately in only provides a
list of those files on the default drive. It is necessary therefore for you
to change the default drive with the ALT + L command. When you press ALT +
L you will be requested to enter a default drive letter. If you wish to
leave the current drive as the default then you can simply leave the
current value and press enter, otherwise type in the new letter and press
enter. If you select an invalid drive letter you selection will be ignored.
ALT + M (Switch Video Mode)
---------------------------
This key combination is most useful if your monitor can display all
the video modes supported by the editor. By pressing ALT + M the editor
will cycle through each video mode, one at a time. The program was
developed on an Amstrad PC2086 which uses a Paradise VGA adapter and as
such it cannot be guaranteed that other display adaptors will be able to
display all the modes. Modes available are as follows :-
40 x 25 CGA/MONO
80 x 25 CGA/MONO
80 x 43 EGA
80 x 50 VGA
132 x 24 Extended VGA
132 x 43 Extended VGA
It is important to realise that not all computers will be able to
support all of the display modes shown above. To display some of the higher
resolution modes you will need a VGA display and adapter. If you press ALT
+ M and the program tries to use a display mode which your hardware does
not support the display will most probably become corrupted. To recover
from this situation you must continue to press ALT + M until the program
uses a mode which is supported by your computer.
ALT + N (Print Defined Block)
-----------------------------
This function works in exactly the same manner as ALT + B except
that it will print the block that you defined using the ALT + 8 function.
ALT + O (DOS Shell)
-------------------
Many programs now give you the facility to quit to DOS whilst still
remaining in memory. This can be useful if you need to perform some small
housekeeping task without quitting from the program. This editor gives you
this facility by means of the ALT + O key combination. When you select this
option the editor will look in the computers environment for a COMSPEC
variable which usually points to the location of COMMAND.COM. If for some
reason this variable is not present then the editor will look in the
default directory for the file. Providing the command processor is found
the editor will attempt to load it. Normally the only reason the editor
would not be able to load a second copy of the command processor is if
there is insufficient memory. If this is the case, or COMMAND.COM cannot be
found then the DOS shell will not be available. Assuming that the DOS shell
has worked correctly you will be returned to the DOS prompt where you can
perform any DOS command or program as normal. You will of course have less
free memory (RAM) available because the editor is still resident. When you
have finished with the DOS shell and want to resume your edit session you
13
should type EXIT at the DOS prompt. You will then be returned to the edit
session exactly where you left it.
ALT + P (Select User Defined Printer Codes)
-------------------------------------------
One useful facility within the editor is the ability to send
control codes to the printer either directly or alternatively by embedding
them in the text you are editing. By pressing ALT + P you will call up a
menu of printer commands. The exact contents of this window is user
defineable. The first time you use this command you will notice that all
the entries are marked as 'Undefined'. You should refer to the section on
CTRL + F10 to see how to define these commands. As mentioned previously the
output of this command can be directed at the printer or the text file. To
determine which mode you are in you should use the ALT + F1 Configuration
Menu. You can change the mode by either selecting the ALT + P option from
the Configuration Menu or more simply by pressing ALT + Z which will toggle
between modes. The ALT + P mode is saved when you save the default
configuration.
CTRL + R (Replace String)
-------------------------
This useful facility gives you the ability to change occurences of
one string to another. To use this function you must first define the
string that you wish to find with ALT + 5 and then define the string to
replace it with ALT + 6. You should read the separate instructions on using
these key definitions. Providing that you have defined the above strings
correctly you will be able to use this function by pressing the ALT + R key
combination. You should note that the find/replace function works from the
current position in a downwards direction, towards the end of the file.
When you invoke this function the editor will start searching for the first
occurrence of the string from the current position and providing a match is
found you will be given a series of options to choose from as follows :-
┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ (R)eplace, (I)gnore, (A)ll, (C)ancel │
└───────────────────────────────────────┘
Most of the options are self explanatory but just in case you are
in any doubt of their meaning a short description of each follows :-
(R)eplace - Replace the string that has been found. (Indicated by cursor)
(I)gnore - Skip over this occurrence of the string and look for next.
(A)ll - Replace all subsequent occurences of find string without asking.
(C)ancel - Cancel Replace Mode and return to normal edit mode.
ALT + S (Split Line)
--------------------
This function works in exactly the opposite manner to the Join Line
function. If for example you are writing a small letter using the editor
and you decide that a particular line is too long you can easily split into
two by placing the cursor where you want the line to be split and then
press ALT + S. Note that the split causes the character under the cursor
and all other characters to the right of it to be moved to a separate line
under the current line.
14
ALT + T (Toggle AUTO TAB Mode On/Off)
-------------------------------------
Auto Tab Mode is a useful feature which was originally devised to
aid in the structuring of programs. Most structured languages use some form
of indentation for IF/ENDIF, DO WHILE, LOOP or REPEAT UNTIL block nesting.
If you are writing such a program it can be very tiresome, if, at the end
of every line when you press the return key your cursor always jumps moves
to the left margin, column 1. It is for this reason that the Auto Tab
feature was created. When Auto Tab is ON and you press the enter key at the
end of a line the cursor will position itself under the first character of
the line you have just completed. This will therefore make it much simpler
to maintain the current level of indentation. When Auto Tab is OFF the
enter key will cause the cursor to home to column position 1 as per normal.
ALT + V (Copy Text Above)
-------------------------
The ALT + V key combination gives you the ability to duplicate
characters from the line above. Each time you press this key combination
the editor will copy the character directly above the cursor into the
current line at the cursor position.
CTRL + V (Copy Text Below)
--------------------------
The CTRL + V key combination gives you the ability to duplicate
characters from the line below. Each time you press this key combination
the editor will copy the character directly below the cursor into the
current line at the cursor position.
ALT + W (Delete Word)
---------------------
The delete word feature, as its name suggests gives you the means
of deleting an entire word with a single keystroke. To use the function you
should position the cursor anywhere on the word to be deleted and then
press ALT + W.
ALT + X (Toggle ENTER Mode)
---------------------------
This function will only be noticeable if you are in INSERT mode.
When you press the enter key whilst editing a file one of two possible
things may happend depending on the mode you are in. If 'Split on ENTER' is
ON then the line that you are editing will be split at the current cursor
position and a new line created with the remaining characters placed on it.
This is very similar to the way that Wordstar works and is provided so that
you can configure the editor to work in a way which suits you. If 'Split on
ENTER' is OFF or you are editing in REPLACE mode then the cursor will
simply move to the next line as per normal.
ALT + Y (Toggle Tab Sequence On/Off)
------------------------------------
To understand the implications of using a Tab Sequence you should
read the description of ALT + 4 (Define User Tab Sequence). This key
combination is used to toggle the state of the tab sequence On/Off.
ALT + Z (Toggle Printer Code Output Mode between Printer/Text)
--------------------------------------------------------------
When you select the ALT + P option, control codes will be sent
15
either to the printer or the text file. By pressing ALT + Z you can toggle
between these two modes.
ALT + = (Display Cross-Hairs)
-----------------------------
This function is especially useful when in Draw Mode. To switch on
the display of cross-hairs you should press ALT + = keys. Once you have
done this you notice that the cursor now forms the focal point of a cross
created by changing the attribute of all the characters on the X and Y
coordinates to reverse video. The position of the cross will be updated
whenever you move the cursor or type in text. This can be especially useful
when you are are in draw mode because it makes it very simple to line up
the corners of boxes etc. You can also use it when creating user defined
tab positions.
F1 (Help)
---------
This is a standard function key which will always provide you with
help. Depending on what you are doing this help may range from being a
general help page listing all of the command available, or a more context
sensitive help page giving information relating to the current function or
mode. The majority of help information is held in a separate disk file
a message to the effect 'Cannot read help record or file' in which case you
may need to check that you have followed the installation procedure
correctly. Sometimes help may not be available if you are using the editor
in 40 x 25 character mode simply because there is insufficient room on the
screen.
ALT + F1 (Configuration Menu)
This key combination will call up the main configuration menu.
From this menu it is possible to customize certain features of the editor
and save them as default values for the next time you use the editor. Any
values that you save are stored in the file called E.CNF.
╔╡Configuration╞══════════╗
║ Select Colours ║
║ Default Display Mode ║ <--- ALT + M
║ Printer Configuration ║ <--- CTRL + F10
║ Auto Tab Mode ON/OFF ║ <--- ALT + T
║ Tab Sequence Mode ON/OFF║ <--- ALT + Y
║ ALT + P to Printer ║ <--- ALT + Z
║ Split Line on ENTER ║ <--- ALT + X
║ Edit File Extension ║
║ Macro File Extension ║
║ Save Configuration ║
║ Cancel ║
╚═════════════════════════╝
The configuration menu allows you to setup many features of the
editor. Many of these features can also be changed by direct key
combinations as shown above. For an explanation of those items which can be
changed by control keys you should refer to the appropraite quick key
reference of the manual.
The Select Colours option will lead to a sub-menu which lists all
the major editor components. If you select one of these editor components
you will then be presented with a Show Window (Colour Chart) will contains
16
all the possible attributes that can be used. Use the cursor keys to move
the arrow so that it points to the colour that you want to assign to the
chosen editor component and press enter to select it. If you decide not to
change the selected component then you can cancel the operation by pressing
the escape key.
╔╡Colours F1-Explanation╞════╗
║ File Text ║
║ Pop-Up Help ║
║ Selection Windows ║
║ System Messages (Top Line) ║
║ Mode (Bottom Line) ║
║ Window Selection Bar ║
║ Filename ║
║ Information (Session No.) ║
║ System Prompt (Disk Full) ║
║ Status Line Text X=/Y= ║
║ XXXX / YYYY / HH:MM ║
║ Show Window Numbers ║
║ Show Window Characters ║
║ Show Window Selector ║
║ Input Fields ║
║ Cross Hairs ║
║ Cancel ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
Don't forget that help is always available by pressing the F1 key.
Help is especially useful on the sub-menu where a detailed description is
provided of each editor component. For detailed description of the purpose
of the next four menu items you should refer to the description of the
appropriate key command. The next two menu items both perform similar
functions. To help select a file the editor gives the user to choose a file
from a sorted list by highlighting it from a browse window. Normally these
windows will show all the files in the current directory, but this can be
changed so that only certain file extensions are shown. When you select
either of these options from the menu you are prompted for a file
extension. This extension is used in exactly the same manner as you would
use the DOS DIR command. To have all files displayed therefore you should
use an extension of '*' which is the normal wildcard character. If you
only wanted to see batch files you might want to change the edit file
extension to 'BAT'. As with the DIR command you can use the '?' symbol in
the extension which will match any character. When you have completed all
17
the changes you want to make you can make them permanent by saving the
configuration with the last option.
F2 (Draw Mode)
--------------
Please refer to the separate section devoted to this editor
function.
ALT + F2 (Select Draw Mode Character Set)
-----------------------------------------
Please refer to the separate section devoted to this editor
function.
F3 (Load File - Enter Filename)
-------------------------------
You should use this function to specify a filename to edit. If you
are currently editing a file when you select this function you will be
presented with a small menu giving you the following options :-
╔╡File Modified !╞═╗
║ Abandon Changes ║
║ Save Changes ║
║ Resume Editing ║
╚══════════════════╝
If you select the first option any changes that you have made to the
current file will be lost and you will be requested to specify a new
filename to load. If you select the second option will will be given the
opportunity to save the current file to disk before specifying a new
filename. Lastly you are given the option to resume editing which basically
means - Oops I didn't mean to do that, forget it and carry on.
ALT + F3 (Load File - Select Filename)
--------------------------------------
This is a very useful facility which simply scans the current
directory for all files that satisfy the edit extension mask as specified
in the configuration menu. When all the file names have been read in they
are then sorted by filename within file extension. Once they have been
sorted you can select the filename you wish to load by highlighting it from
the browse window. A useful shortcut for finding the file you want to edit
is to type the first character of its extension. Providing there are files
present with a matching character in the first position of the extension
the highlight bar will automatically be placed on the first file which
meets the criteria. To cancel this function you should press the escape
key.
SHIFT + F3 (File Finder)
------------------------
The File Finder function within the editor is an extremely useful
facility which allows you to locate and load a file anywhere on your hard
disk. To use this function you should type in the filename you wish to
locate on the input line at the bottom of the screen and press enter. The
program will then scan though all the subdirectories on the default drive
and compile a list of all the files that match the name you have specified.
The program will accept the wildcard * and ? characters in the filename so
it is possible to scan for files with a certain extension or partial
filenames. If you were to specify a filename of *.* the program would list
all the files on the current disk up to a maximum of 1000 files. Once the
18
list has been compiled it will then be displayed in a browse window. This
window displays the files in the same sequence as they were originally
encountered on the disk. To load on of these files you should highlight
the file with the cursor keys and press enter. This function is not
available in 40 col mode.
F4 (Save File - Enter Filename)
-------------------------------
This function allows you to save the current file to disk and works
in a similar manner to the F3 function.
ALT + F4 (Save File - Select Filename)
--------------------------------------
This function allows you to save the current file to disk and works
in a similar manner to the ALT + F4 function. In effect you are presented
with a list of files which you can choose to overwrite will the current
edit file.
SHIFT + F4 (Select File to Overwrite)
-------------------------------------
This function also uses the standard finder function. By using
this function you can search for a file anywhere on disk and when found
overwrite it with the current file.
F5 (Display ASCII Chart)
------------------------
When you press F5 whilst in normal edit mode you will be presented
with a show window which contains the entire ASCII character set. This
window will in effect allow you to enter any ASCII character into your text
file. To select a character you must move the pointer by using the cursor
keys. When you have identified the character you want to use press the
enter key and the selected character will automatically be assigned to the
F6 key. By assigning the character to this key it is possible to enter
several characters into your document without the need to continually
select them via the show window. One important fact to remember is the
unfortunate significance of ASCII character 26 which DOS uses as an end of
file marker. This character would normally be very useful as it resembles a
right pointing arrow, but if you insert it into your text file you will
find that next time you load the file from disk you will loose any
characters after it.
ALT + F5 (Pick Up ASCII Character)
----------------------------------
If you are creating a small diagram using the ASCII character set
you may find yourself in a situation where you are continually switching
between a small number of ASCII line characters. To help you quickly change
from one character to another it is possible to pick up a character from
the screen by pressing the ALT + F5 keys. To use the function you need only
place the cursor over the character you want to use and when you press the
ALT + F5 key combination it will automatically be assigned to the F6 key.
F6 (Enter Selected ASCII Character)
-----------------------------------
The significance of this key is best understood by reading the text
associated with the F5 and ALT + F5 keys.
19
F7 (Create Macro - Enter Filename)
----------------------------------
This function allows you to manually enter a filename which be used
to create a macro. The extension you select should be consistent. The
extension .MAC is used by the system for selection purposes as default
although this can be changed with the configuration menu (ALT + F1). As
soon as you have entered the filename you will be put into macro definition
mode. For a fuller explanation of how to create a macro you should see the
separate section devoted to the subject.
ALT + F7 (Create Macro - Select Filename)
-----------------------------------------
This function allows you to select a filename to create a macro in
the same manner as ALT + F4 allows you overwrite a file. As above you are
put directly into macro definition mode once you have selected a filename.
CTRL + F7 (Draw Macro)
----------------------
This key combination will invoke the macro draw utility. Before you
can use this function you must load a macro into memory by using the F8 or
ALT + F8 functions. Once you have loaded a macro file you should position
the cursor at the point in the text file where the macro is to be drawn.
For more details of how to create a macro you should read the separate
section on macros.
F8 (Load Macro - Enter Filename)
--------------------------------
This function key will allow you to manually enter the name of a
macro file to load.
ALT + F8 (Load Macro - Select File)
-----------------------------------
This is an alternative method of selecting a macro file to load.
It works in exactly the same manner as ALT + F3 but will only display
those files which match the macro extension (filter) as defined in the
configuration menu.
SHIFT + F8 (Seach a list all Macro Files on default drive)
----------------------------------------------------------
This powerful function performs a thorough search of the current
disk for macro files unlike the ALT + F8 function which only lists those
macro files in the current directory. By selecting a macro filename from
the list it will automatically be loaded ready for execution with the
CTRL + F7 key combination.
F9 (Switch to Next Edit Session)
--------------------------------
The editor can edit up to five files at once, but as you can only
work on one at a time you will require a simple means of changing from one
edit session to another. The F9 key gives you the ability to move through
each of the 5 edit sessions in sequence. Each time you press the F9 key any
work for the current edit session is automatically paged out to a temporary
disk file to make room in memory for the next edit session. If the next
edit session has already been used then its previous contents are
automatically read in from disk. You should note that the writing of
information to disk is not equivalent to saving your file. You can have up
to 5 temporary disk files on disk at any one time but unless you
20
specifically save your modified data your changes will be lost when you
quit the editor. You will notice that the editor will keep you informed of
its housekeeping activities by displaying various messages on the top line
of the screen when you change between sessions. You should note that the
editor will not attempt to write out information relating to an edit
session which has not been used. Every time you change between edit
sessions the system will remind you what the new session number is. This
number is displayed in an information window which will automatically
disappear when you resume editing - there is no need to press a key to
remove the message.
ALT + F9 (Select Next Edit Session)
-----------------------------------
If you have more than one edit session you may find moving quickly
between them rather slow by cycling through them all one by one. To
alleviate this problem this function allows you to select the edit session
you require by means of a window. The window contains both the edit session
number and the filename if present. To use the function you should
highlight the filename that you wish to select and press the enter key.
F10 (Print File - Enter Filename)
---------------------------------
The editor allows you to print a disk file. If you want to print
the file you are editing you must first ensure that any changes you have
made have been saved. One advantage of printing from a disk file is that it
is possible to continue editing while the file is being printed. The editor
uses a form of time slicing. In effect the editor will only send characters
to the printer in between your keystrokes. To help reduce the possibility
of the print process from interfering with your editing the program has the
facility to assign a priority to the background printing. This prioritising
feature works by introducing a set number of un-utilised print
opportunities. If you find that the printing is slowing down the editor to
an unacceptable degree you should raise the value set in the Print
Frequency Menu (CTRL + F10). You will find that unbuffered printers are
more likely to slow you down than buffered ones because control is not
returned to the editor whilst the character is waiting to be accepted by
the printer. The background print facility can detect most printer errors
although sometimes its diagnosis may be incorrect due to the way different
manufacturers BIOS's (ROM's) work. Standard error trapping for the
following conditions is included :-
Printer Not Present (Switched Off)
Printer Timed Out (Offline for several seconds - time may vary)
Printer Out of Paper
If any of these conditions are detected your edit session will be
interrupted by a warning message. You will then be requested to either
correct the error situation and press R to RESUME PRINTING or press C and
CANCEL PRINTING.
21
ALT + F10 (Print File - Select Filename)
----------------------------------------
This is another means of selecting a file for printing by choosing
from a sorted display of filenames.
CTRL + F1 to F5 (Quick Program Execution)
-----------------------------------------
Once you have set up your external commands with the ALT + 7 key
combination you may find the process of selecting them time after time from
the menu a little tiresome. In order for you to invoke any of these
commands almost instantly the program has assigned each of the five
external routines to a function key combination. By pressing the Control
key in combination with the F1 Key the first external command will
automatically be run and so on.
CTRL + F10 (Print Control Panel)
--------------------------------
This menu is also available as a sub-menu from the main
configuration screen. The options are mostly self explanatory with the
exception of the first option. Print Frequency gives you a means of
prioritising the importance of background printing. To put it simply a
value of 1 will give the maximum priority to the printing process whilst 15
will give it a low priority. The main reason for having this facility is to
cater for slow printers which have small or non- existent printer buffers.
When you print to such a printer you may find that the background printing
is interfering with you forground editing. If this is the case then you can
lower the print priority on-line and your changes will take effect
immediatly.
╔═╡Printer Setup╞═╗ One useful facility is the ability for you to
║ Print Frequency ║ create a table of up to 19 printer control code
║ Pause Print ║ sequences. To do this you should select the Define
║ Resume Print ║ codes option from the Printer Setup Menu. When you
║ Cancel Print ║ have done this you will be presented with a list of
║ Define Codes ║ options A-O. To change any of these options you
║ No. of Copies ║ should select it with the cursor keys and press
║ Spooler Control ║ ENTER. You will then be prompted to enter/amend
║ Print to LPT1 ║ the description that is used on the previous menu.
║ Print to LPT2 ║ When you have altered this description you should
║ Print to LPT3 ║ press enter once again at which point you will be
║ Print to LPT4 ║ prompted to enter the control code sequence that
╚═════════════════╝ applies to this option.
You should take note that the code sequence you enter must be delimited. To
help you enter these codes you can use the F5 ASCII Display Window and the
F6 Enter ASCII Code Key. When you have finished defining these codes you
should note that you will need to save your values with the ALT + F1 Save
Configuration option.
22
Macros
------
This editor possess a macro facility like its predecessor but much
more flexible. By using this function you can create a library of standard
text messages, diagrams or anything you like, including flow chart symbols.
You can use the IBM character set to create any shape you like and then
record the steps to reproduce that shape. Version 2.xx had a facility to
automatically create a macro by scanning the screen for text. This was
quick but meant that you were limited to creating macros that occupied only
one screen of data. There was also a disadvantage in that it was not
possible to specify a cursor finishing position in relation to the macro
starting point. Version 3.10 tackles the problem differently. Instead of
scanning the screen automatically you are required to trace over the text
which you wish to incorporate in the macro. During the tracing process you
can decide if you want to record cursor movement only or cursor movement
and the characters under the cursor. By this means it possible to link two
separate parts of the screen without incorporating any text in between.
Before you start to record a macro you need to position the cursor at the
starting position. At this point you must give your macro a filename. You
should choose a filename with an extension of .MAC (although you can change
this default from the configuration menu) because the F8 (Select Macro
Function) will only list files with this extension. There are two ways of
entering the filename for the macro you wish to create, firstly you can
just press F7 and enter the filename on the status line or alternately you
can press ALT and F7. This later option will give you a list of existing
macro filenames which you can select to overwrite. At any point you can
cancel the macro create function by pressing the ESCAPE key. Now that you
have selected a filename you can begin to build the macro. You should note
the mode indicator at the bottom of the screen. As already mentioned there
are two modes that you can use when building a macro. The initial mode is
to record cursor movement only. In this mode you can build a macro that
will serve only to replay a set of cursor movements. To change to the other
mode, which records cursor movements and reads characters you simply press
the space bar. You can change between modes a often as you wish during the
creation of a macro. When you change from cursor only mode to character and
cursor mode you will automatically include the character that is under the
cursor when you changed mode. When you have completed tracing the
characters that you want to include in the macro you may find that the
cursor is not in the optimum finishing position. If you are creating a
flowcharting symbol you would probably want the cursor to finish in a
position where the next symbol is to be drawn. To complete your macro and
write the data to disk you need only press enter and you will be returned
to normal editing. A sample macro has been included in this disk which you
may like to try. To select the macro you must copy it into you current
working directory and then, after loading the editor press ALT & F8. You
should then see a macro called DEMO.MAC. Select it by highlighting it and
press enter. The macro file will now be loaded into memory ready for you to
invoke later. Move the cursor to a blank area of the screen where you want
the macro to begin and press CTRL + F7, and away it goes ! One of the most
useful features of the macro facility is the ability to specify the cursor
finishing position in relation to the starting point. A good example of how
this can be useful is demonstrated with the sample macro DIAG_RD.MAC which
draws a diagonal line. The line is drawn in a RIGHT and DOWN direction,
hence the RD part of the filename. If you load the macro and invoke it you
will see that it draws a single '\' character but leaves the cursor in a
logical position for extending the diagonal line further. It is possible
23
therefore for you to create a simple macro that will allow you to draw a
line of any length depending on the number of times it is invoked. Some
sample macro files have been included on the supply disk which produce the
following output :-
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
░ BOX1A.MAC ░ ▒ BOX1B.MAC ▒ ▓ BOX1C.MAC ▓
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
░ BOX2A.MAC ░ ▒ BOX2B.MAC ▒ ▓ BOX2C.MAC ▓
░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
░ BOX3A.MAC ░ ▒ BOX3B.MAC ▒ ▓ BOX3C.MAC ▓
░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓
░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
PC.MAC / \
▄▀▄ ╔════════════╗ / \
▄▀ ▀▄ ║ ┌────────┐ ║ / \
▄▀ ▀▄ ║ │_-_-_-- │ ║ / \
█ █ ║ │__--_ -_│ ║ / \
▀▄ ▄▀ ║ └────────┘ ║ DIAG_UR.MAC DIAG_UL.MAC
▀▄ ▄▀ ╚═══╤════╤═══╝
▀▄▀ ┌────┘ └─────┐ \ /
│ ════ ════ │ooo. \ /
DECISION.MAC └───────────────┘ oo \ /
╒═════════════╕ ooo \ /
│▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄│o'' DIAG_UL.MAC DIAG_UR.MAC
╘═════════════╛
In addition to the tracing functions described above there are now
a number of other uses for macros. To best describe what other uses macro's
have you should look at the following example :-
This is column 1 line 1 This is column 2 line 1 This is column 3 line 1
This is column 1 line 2 ┌─>This lines needs deleting This is column 3 line 2
This is column 1 line 3 │ This is column 2 line 3 This is column 3 line 3
This is column 1 line 4 │ This is column 2 line 4 This is column 3 line 4
This is column 1 line 5 │ This is column 2 line 5 This is column 3 line 5
This is column 1 line 6 │ This is column 2 line 6 This is column 3 line 6
This is column 1 line 7 │ This is column 2 line 7 This is column 3 line 7
This is column 1 line 8 │ This is column 2 line 8 This is column 3 line 8
This is column 1 line 9 │ This is column 2 line 9 This is column 3 line 9
│
┌────────────────────────┘
│
└─> Normally if you wanted to delete the line marked here you would have a
lot of re-typing to perform. You cannot simply press ALT+D because that
would also delete the corresponding lines in columns 1 and 3. Now load the
macro called SHUFFLUP.MAC. Position the cursor on the first character of
the line to be deleted and press CTRL+F7 to invoke the macro. You will see
24
that the macro has copied all the characters from the line below it onto
the current line and then positioned the cursor at the start of the next
line, ready to repeat the operation until the rest of the column has been
shuffled up. This macro was created by including the CTRL+V (Copy from line
below) command in the macro. You could easily perform the opposite effect
by including the ALT + V command in the macro which copies characters from
the line above. To create a macro like this you should start by
positioning the cursor on the first character of the line to be inserted or
deleted and press F7 to create a macro. You should then press ALT/CTRL + V
for each character along the line that you need to move. i.e If you want to
move a line of text which is 20 characters wide then you need to press
ALT/CTRL + V twenty times. As it stands this macro will move a single line
of text for you, but, if you need to move more than one line then you will
want to leave the cursor in a logical position for the next CTRL + F7
macro function. To do this you can simply move the cursor to the start of
the line and then either up 1 character or down 1 character depending on
which way the macro is working, moving lines up or down.
Other valid commands which you can embed in a macro definition are
ALT + F5 to pick up a character from the screen and F6 to insert it again
and ALT + E to delete to the end of a line. You may like to experiment with
these to see what can be acheived.
Draw Mode
---------
As with Version 2.xx of the editor you can use almost any ASCII
character in your text files by displaying the ASCII chart with the F5 key
and then entering the selected ASCII character with the F6 key. This is
very useful but you will still find it fairly tedious to create complicated
boxes using the IBM character set. It was to solve this problem that a Draw
Mode was created. Draw Mode will allow you to literally draw any box shape
you like by simply moving the cursor where you want a line to be drawn. The
function is intelligent enough to realise that when one line meets another
they must join up.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ IBM Character Set ║
║ ║
║ ╔═╦═╗ ┌─┬─┐ ╓─╥─╖ ╒═╤═╕ ░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓ █████ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ │ │ │ ║ ║ ║ │ │ │ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ █ █ █ ║
║ ╠═╬═╣ ├─┼─┤ ╟─╫─╢ ╞═╪═╡ ░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓ █████ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ │ │ │ ║ ║ ║ │ │ │ ░ ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▓ ▓ ▓ █ █ █ ║
║ ╚═╩═╝ └─┴─┘ ╙─╨─╜ ╘═╧═╛ ░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓▓▓▓ █████ ║
║ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
There are sufficient number of characters available to support 8
different types of boxes. You should note that Draw mode will not function
properly if you try a combine box characters of incompatible types. The
default draw character set is number 1 shown above but this can be changed
by pressing ALT + F2 whilst in normal edit mode. To help align the edges of
boxes you can toggle the cross-hairs on/off as normal within this mode, but
to access other functions you will need to exit draw mode by pressing the
escape key.
25
Spooler Control Panel
---------------------
The editor gives you two means of printing a file. Firstly you can
use the standard background printing facility (F10) and secondly you are
given an interface to the DOS print spooler program. With versions of DOS
after version 2.00 you are given a program called PRINT.COM or PRINT.EXE
which when run will make itself memory resident. To use the spooler control
panel you must first install the PRINT program by running it. By default
the program will create a queue of up to 10 files and print to the
standard device PRN. You can however change these defaults by supplying
some additional parameters when you run PRINT for the first time.
PRINT /Q:32 /D:LPT2
The above example will initialise the print queue to 32 entries and
send all output to your second parallel printer port. If you have two
printers it is quite possible to print two files at once as long as you use
two different printer ports for the standard and DOS printing functions.
To access the Spooler Control Panel you must use the Print Menu by
pressing CTRL + F10 whilst in normal edit mode. The control panel as shown
below consists simply of two parts. The upper half of the display shows a
continually updating display of the DOS printer queue. Please note that the
process of monitoring the queue used by this facility will temporarily slow
down the printing process.
╔═╡DOS Spooler Control Panel╞══════════════════════╡Version 2.00╞═╗
║C:\WP\LETTER1.TXT ║
║C:\DBASE\READ.ME ║
║C:\MASM\SP4.ASM ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
╟─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║(I)nsert File (D)elete File (H)old Print (C)ontinue ║
║(K)ill Queue di(R)ectory (S)elect File (Q)uit Spooler ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The bottom half of the display gives you a description of what
commands are available. To use any of the commands you should press the
letter displayed in brackets. You are given much greater control over the
queue than you have by using the PRINT program. To add a file to the print
26
queue you have two options :-
(I)nsert File - allows you to enter a filename manually.
or
(S)elect File - which lets you select a file in the current
directory from a sorted list as shown below.
╔═╡DOS Spooler C╔╡DIR╞═╡Top╞═╗═════════════════════╡Version 2.00╞═╗
║C:\WP\LETTER1.T║LABEL ║ ║
║C:\DBASE\READ.M║MANUAL ║ ║
║C:\MASM\SP4.ASM║TEST ║ ║
║ ║FRENCH .ADD║ ║
╔╡File Selection╞══════════════════╗ ║
║ Use the Cursor keys to select the║ ║
║required filename from the list. ║ ║
║ Use PgUp & PgDn keys to move ║ ║
║quickly through the list. The Home║ ║
║and End keys will move you to the ║ ║
║Top & Bottom of the list. You can ║ ║
║also type the first letter of the ║ ║
║file extension to help find a file║ ║
║quickly. ║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════╝ ║
╟───────────────║MAKEALL .BAT║────────────────────────────────────╢
║(I)nsert File ║ME .BAT║ (H)old Print (C)ontinue ║
║(K)ill Queue ║MFE .BAT║ (S)elect File (Q)uit Spooler ║
║ ║E .CNF║ ║
╚═══════════════╚══════╡More╞╝════════════════════════╡QUEUE HELD╞╝
When the latter option is selected or you invoke the context
sensitive help system you will notice that the queue is temporarily
suspended.
As the (S)elect option only display files in the current directory
you are given the option to change directory by using the di(R)ectory
option.
27
╔═╡DOS Spooler Control Panel╞══════════════════════╡Version 2.00╞═╗
║C:\WP\LETTER1.TXT ║
║C╔╡Spooler Control╞══════════════════════════════════╗ ║
║C║ This spooler control panel gives you full control ║ ║
║ ║over the standard DOS Spooler (PRINT.COM/PRINT.EXE)║ ║
║ ║which is supplied with your operating system. The ║ ║
║ ║following commands are available :- ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║INSERT - Specify a file to add to the print queue. ║ ║
║ ║DELETE - Delete a file from the print queue, ║ ║
║ ║defaults to the file being highlighted. ║ ║
║ ║HOLD/CONTINUE - Allow you to temporarily suspend ║ ║
║ ║and resume background DOS printing. ║ ║
║ ║KILL - Delete all files from the queue. ║ ║
║ ║DIRECTORY - Change to a different directory. ║ ║
║ ║SELECT - Pick a file for printing from a sorted ║ ║
╟─║list of files. ║───────────╢
║ ║QUIT - Leave the Spooler Control Panel. ║tinue ║
║ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════╝t Spooler ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╡QUEUE HELD╞╝
It is possible to manually put the printer queue on hold by
selecting (H)old Print. You may then choose to resume printing with the
(C)ontinue option.
To delete files from the queue you have two options available :-
Firstly you can delete files individually by selecting them with
the highlight bar and then selecting the (D)elete option. When you do this
you will notice that the highlighted filename is copied down to an input
line so that you can modify it and confirm deletion be pressing ENTER. To
cancel the delete function you should press F10 or ESCape.
Secondly you have the option to delete all files from the queue by
selecting the (K)ill option.
Lastly you can quit from the control panel be either pressing
ESCape or (Q)uit.
28
VGA Support
-----------
This version now includes support for VGA modes. By pressing ALT +
M you can change between 6 different display modes supported under VGA. The
selection of any display mode can be done in one of two ways. Firstly you
can switch through them in rotation, just keep pressing ALT + M until the
mode appears which you want to use. Secondly and perhaps more conveniently
if your monitor does not display all the modes correctly you can use the
Setup Menu. The only mode which needs a special mention is 40x25 and that
is because some features will not be available in this mode because of the
relatively small screen dimensions. The F5 ASCII chart will no longer fit
within screen boundaries for example, as will several help pages. You will
also notice that many messages are abreviated on the status line and you
will only be able to see the last few characters of the filename. Character
Modes Available :-
40 x 25 CGA/MONO
80 x 25 CGA/MONO
80 x 43 EGA
80 x 50 VGA
132 x 24 Extended VGA (Paradise)
132 x 43 Extended VGA (Paradise)
The program has been written to take advantage of the Paradise VGA
card and as such the above modes may not work correctly on other VGA systems.
Many other adaptor cards can display the 132 column modes but you may need
to run a special program before using the editor to be able to access them.
The program SUPERVGA.COM should only be run once when you power up your
computer as it remains in your computers memory. If you find this program
useful you might want to add it to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. As the name of
the program sugests it was written for use with super VGA cards complying
with the new VESA standards. This program has been written from
specifications published by BYTE magazine and not been tested on a super VGA
system as such no guarantee can be made that it will work correctly - any
feedback on this subject will be very welcome. If your EGA/VGA supports this
display resolution and you cannot get it to work with the editor then please
send details of how to select the mode for your card. The following details
should be supplied :-
1. Mode Number
2. Screen Buffer Address
3. Text dimensions obtained i.e. 100 cols x 50 rows
4. Any Utilities you may have for changing screen modes as an example.
System Messages
---------------
Because of the screen layout used for the editor you will
occasionally have system messages appear on the top line of the edit screen
to help you remember what is required of you in certain circumstances.
System messages may also appear from time to time when the editor is
performing some housekeeping tasks. Although the top line may temporarily
be used for these messages any text that is obscured will be restored when
the message disappears.
Limitations
29
-----------
This editor has limitations, namely the maximum size of the file
that you can edit. You can edit files up to 64k, an increase of over 3k
from version 2.xx. The maximum number of files you can edit is five but
this is arbitrary limit which I have chosen which could easily have been
25. If you attempt to load a file which is larger than the maximum allowed
then the editor will read in the first 64k and then display the standard
warning message 'Memory Full'. If you do this then you should take care
not to save the file or you will overwrite the original full length file
with the smaller version held in memory. It is also possible to generate a
memory full error after a file has been loaded by simply adding text until
the file limit has been reached. If you get a memory full error it is wise
the check that the bottom of the file is still present before saving any
data.
Often I am asked when I will be adding features like word-wrap and
justification. To these questions my answer is simple - This is a text
editor program and not a word processor. If you are wanting a dedicated
word processor then there are a number of more suitable programs available.
Background Information
----------------------
The program was written entirely by myself, David Garratt, and is
the culmination of many years work. I first became interested in computers
whilst attending a BEC National Diploma in Business Studies at a local
college. This soon led to the purchase of my first computer, a Sinclair
ZX81. I wonder how many computer professionals have owned one of these.
This was soon upgraded to a Spectrum along with all the bolt on goodies you
could buy. It with this machine that I first started programming in Z80
assembler. The Spectrum could easily of maintained my attention were it not
for the lack of business software and alternative languages. My first real
computer orientated job came in the form of a Computer Audit Assistant in
local government. This led to my first contact with IBM XT's and Dbase II.
Inquisitive to find out more about the workings of the beast I puchased
my first PC book, The Peter Norton Programmers Guide To The IBM PC. This
is an excellent book which I still often refer to. The next job came in the
form of a transfer from one council to another and a new job title,
Programmer/Analyst. In this position I was responsible for a number of
financial systems running on a McDonnal Douglas Mini computer under the
PICK Operating system. I also had the dubious pleasure of supporting the
Apple Macintosh computers. Personnaly I find the screens are far to small
and you can never really get at the operating system. It keeps you away
with smiling faces and icons. Far to user friendly for my liking. At least
with Microsoft windows you can quit out and return to the DOS prompt when
you want to get your hands dirty. It was around this time that I made a
bit of a blunder and made an impulse purchase from Dixon's. The mistake
came in the form of an Hitachi PC. The small print said that it was not
compatible in the graphics department but all IBM text based applications
would work OK. This was definatly not the case and looking back I should of
returned the machine and insisted on a proper compatible. In the process of
trying to resolve the incompatibilities I probably learned most about the
PC architecture. My next appointment was working for one of the countries
largest software houses working in the field of human resource management
(Payroll and Personnel to the rest of us). I was again programming but this
time using a powerfull Dell 286 with EGA. I soon became a fan of Microsoft
Quick Basic (version 3) but found that like most high level languages it
30
generated very large EXE files, even for very short programs. I decided to
start writing a program in assembler. The challenge I picked for myself was
to develop a text editor. For some reason I have always chosen this
application when learning a new system and to date I have created text
editors on machines ranging from Spectrum's to Mini's. DGEDIT Version 1.00
was to prove more successful than I could of hoped. Written on the Hitachi
PC I was forced to use only legal BIOS calls when writting to the screen,
being incompatible I could not write data to video memory as it was at a
different address in memory. The program tended to evolve rather than
follow a plan. As soon as it had reached a fairly stable form I decided to
submit it PC PLUS Magazine. Many weeks passed and then one evening I had a
telephone call from the disk editor who to my amazement asked me if he
could use my program on the cover disk. It was some months after that, that
my program did eventually appear, delayed by a change of disk editor.
I heard nothing more for quite some time and then one morning a letter
arrived complete with a cheque for £15 - a registration fee !!! Since then
the original program has been enhanced so that it can write directly to
video memory which has given it a substancial speed increase (Version 2.00)
Looking hard at the program I soon realised that I could have designed it
better and as such it was going to be easier to start again from scratch
than to make major modifications to it. This program is the result of that
rewrite and even now I wondering how I can overcome it's limitations.
I will never make my fortune programming but hopefully I can keep replacing
31
C O N T E N T S
ALT + 1 (Mark Start of Block) ............................... 8
ALT + 2 (Mark End of Block) ................................. 8
ALT + 3 (Insert Block) ...................................... 8
ALT + 4 (Define User Tab Sequence) .......................... 8
ALT + 5 (Define Text to Find) ............................... 9
ALT + 6 (Define Replace String) ............................. 9
ALT + 7 (Edit/Select External Command) ...................... 9
ALT + 8 (Define Column Block) ............................... 10
ALT + 9 (Insert Defined Block) .............................. 11
ALT + = (Display Cross-Hairs) ............................... 16
ALT + B (Print Block) ....................................... 11
ALT + C (Directory Functions) ............................... 11
ALT + D (Delete Line) ....................................... 11
ALT + E (Delete to End of Line) ............................. 12
ALT + F (Find String) ....................................... 12
ALT + F1 (Configuration Menu) ............................... 16
ALT + F10 (Print File - Select Filename) .................... 22
ALT + F2 (Select Draw Mode Character Set) ................... 18
ALT + F3 (Load File - Select Filename) ...................... 18
ALT + F4 (Save File - Select Filename) ...................... 19
ALT + F5 (Pick Up ASCII Character) .......................... 19
ALT + F7 (Create Macro - Select Filename) ................... 20
ALT + F8 (Load Macro - Select File) ......................... 20
ALT + F9 (Select Next Edit Session) ......................... 21
ALT + G (GOTO Specified Line Number) ........................ 12
ALT + H (Session Size Information) .......................... 12
ALT + I (Insert Line) ....................................... 12
ALT + J (Join Line) ........................................ 12
ALT + L (Change Logged Drive) ............................... 12
ALT + M (Switch Video Mode) ................................. 13
ALT + N (Print Defined Block) ............................... 13
ALT + O (DOS Shell) ......................................... 13
ALT + P (Select User Defined Printer Codes) ................. 14
ALT + P to Printer .......................................... 16
ALT + S (Split Line) ........................................ 14
ALT + T (Toggle AUTO TAB Mode On/Off) ....................... 15
ALT + V ..................................................... 25
ALT + V (Copy Text Above) ................................... 15
ALT + W (Delete Word) ....................................... 15
ALT + X (Toggle ENTER Mode) ................................. 15
ALT + Y (Toggle Tab Sequence On/Off) ........................ 15
ALT + Z (Toggle Printer Code Output Mode) ................... 15
Auto Tab Mode ON/OFF ........................................ 16
Background Information ...................................... 30
CANCEL PRINTING ............................................. 21
CGA ......................................................... 13
COMMAND.COM ................................................. 13
COMSPEC ..................................................... 13
Configuration Menu .......................................... 16
Copy Text Above ............................................. 15
Copy Text Below ............................................. 15
Create Macro - Enter Filename ............................... 20
Create Macro - Select Filename .............................. 20
Cross-Hairs ................................................. 16
32
C O N T E N T S
CTRL + End (End of File) .................................... 7
CTRL + F1 to F5 (Quick Program Execution) ................... 22
CTRL + F10 (Print Control Panel) ............................ 22
CTRL + F7 ................................................... 23
CTRL + F7 (Draw Macro) ...................................... 20
CTRL + Home (Start of File) ................................. 7
CTRL + Left Arrow ........................................... 7
CTRL + PgDn ................................................. 7
CTRL + PgUp ................................................. 7
CTRL + R (Replace String) ................................... 14
CTRL + Right Arrow .......................................... 7
CTRL + V .................................................... 25
CTRL + V (Copy Text Below) .................................. 15
Default Display Mode ........................................ 16
Define Column Block ......................................... 10
Delete ...................................................... 8
Delete Line ................................................. 11
Delete to End of Line ....................................... 12
Delete Word ................................................. 15
DEMO.MAC .................................................... 23
Directory Functions ......................................... 11
Disk Contents ............................................... 3
DOS Shell ................................................... 13
Down Arrow .................................................. 6
Draw Macro .................................................. 20
Draw Mode ................................................... 18,25
Draw Mode Character Set ..................................... 18
Edit File Extension ......................................... 16
EGA ......................................................... 13
End (End of Line) ........................................... 8
End of File ................................................. 7
End of Line ................................................. 8
ENTER Mode .................................................. 15
Escape (Quit) ............................................... 8
Extended VGA ................................................ 13
External Commands ........................................... 9
F1 (Help) ................................................... 16
F10 (Print File - Enter Filename) ........................... 21
F2 (Draw Mode) .............................................. 18
F3 (Load File - Enter Filename) ............................. 18
F4 (Save File - Enter Filename) ............................. 19
F5 (Display ASCII Chart) .................................... 19
F6 (Enter Selected ASCII Character) ......................... 19
F7 (Create Macro - Enter Filename) .......................... 20
F8 (Load Macro - Enter Filename) ............................ 20
F9 (Switch to Next Edit Session) ............................ 20
Find - Define String ........................................ 9
Find String ................................................. 12
Finder SHIFT + F3 ........................................... 18
GOTO Line ................................................... 12
Help ........................................................ 16
Home (Start of Line) ........................................ 8
IBM Character Set ........................................... 25
Insert ...................................................... 8
33
C O N T E N T S
Insert & Replace Mode ....................................... 8
Insert Block ................................................ 8
Insert Defined Block ........................................ 11
Insert Line ................................................. 12
Installing .................................................. 3
Introduction ................................................ 2
Join Line ................................................... 12
Key Assignments ............................................. 5
Left Arrow .................................................. 6
Limitations ................................................. 29
Load File - Enter Filename .................................. 18
Load File - Select Filename ................................. 18
Load Macro - Enter Filename ................................. 20
Load Macro - Select File .................................... 20
Logged Disk Drive ........................................... 12
Macro File Extension ........................................ 16
Macros ...................................................... 23
Mark End of Block ........................................... 8
Mark Start of Block ......................................... 8
Memory Full ................................................. 30
Memory Usage ................................................ 12
MONO ........................................................ 13
Parameters .................................................. 5
Print Block (ALT + 1/2) ..................................... 11
Print Control Panel ......................................... 22
Print Defined Block {ALT + 8}) .............................. 13
Print File - Enter Filename ................................. 21
PRINT.COM ................................................... 26
Printer Configuration ....................................... 16
Printer Control Codes ....................................... 14,15
Printer Setup ............................................... 22
Pull Down Menu System ....................................... 5
Quick Key Function Summary .................................. 6
Quit ........................................................ 8
Replace Mode ................................................ 8
Replace String .............................................. 14
Replace String Definition ................................... 9
RESUME PRINTING ............................................. 21
Right Arrow ................................................. 7
Save Configuration .......................................... 16
Search String ............................................... 9
Select Colours .............................................. 16
Select Next Edit Session .................................... 21
SHIFT + F3 (File Finder) .................................... 18
SHIFT + F4 (Select File to Overwrite) ....................... 19
SHIFT + F8 (Seach a list all Macro Files on default drive) .. 20
Shift + TAB Key ............................................. 7
Shift Keys .................................................. 5
Show Window (Colour Chart) .................................. 16
Split Line on ENTER ......................................... 16
Split on ENTER .............................................. 15
Spooler Control Panel ....................................... 26
Start of File ............................................... 7
Start of Line ............................................... 8
34
C O N T E N T S
Switch to Next Edit Session ................................. 20
TAB Key ..................................................... 7
Tab Sequence Mode ON/OFF .................................... 16
Tab Sequences ............................................... 15
Up Arrow .................................................... 6
VGA ......................................................... 13
VGA Support ................................................. 29
Video Mode - Switch ......................................... 13
Wordstar .................................................... 15
35