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VDE151.DOC ---------- Instructions for Video Display Editor: VDE 1.51 (03/07/90) (c)1987-90, E. Meyer Requires: Any 80x86 computer; MS/PCDOS 2.x or above. ============================================================================== VDE is a small, fast, powerful text editor offering: * easy menu-bar operation OR WordStar command set * multiple files, windows, cut and paste * block copy, move, delete, read, write, zoom * find/replace, undo deletions, automatic save * keystroke macros with full programming ability * utilities to browse disk files, split files, compare files, count words, number lists automatically * full DOS access: subdirectories, DOS commands, shell * programmable function keys and many other user configurable options * ability to run on NON-IBM compatibles, and in limited space But VDE is also an efficient small word processor, with: * wordwrap, reformat, left and right margins, variable tabs * center, flush right, proportional spacing * customizable printer drivers for special effects (bold, underline, etc) * printing options: headers, pagination, selective print, print to file * multiple file formats (plain ASCII, WordStar, WordPerfect, XyWrite) VDE's versatility is due to its combination of the most important word processing features with the simplicity of an editor designed to work with plain text files, making it an efficient tool for many different tasks. VDE's pure ASCII mode makes it an ideal choice for a DOS file editor, or a practical editor to run from a shell within telecom, database, file maintenance, programming, and other application software. Yet its full formatting and printing features also make VDE a highly WordStar-compatible word processor. VDE is very fast; it edits files entirely in memory, and displays text directly to video RAM (on IBM PCs). Speed is a factor that commercial programs often overlook; finding a string near the end of a 60k non-document file takes WordStar 4 about 20 seconds [8 MHz 8088], while VDE does it in half a second. When you are free to move around in your file with this speed, you can do more of your work instantly on screen, and less on paper. VDE is also very small. Taking only about 45k of disk space, and running in as little as 90 to 140k of RAM, it is well suited to portable computers and other applications with limited memory or disk space. Primary distribution points for VDE, as of October 1988, are: (1) Glendale Littera QBBS - Glendale, CA (818)956-6164. (2) On CompuServe, in download libraries (DL) of the IBMAPP forum. VDE is updated regularly, and users with access to a modem can always find the most recent release on these systems. In addition, VDE is available on a wide variety of other remote systems, and also on disk through several software libraries, including: The Public Software Library, P.O. Box 35705, Houston TX 77235. Any use of VDE is governed by the Usage Policy detailed below. =============================== USAGE POLICY =============================== The VDE editor and its documentation are copyright (c)1987-90 Eric Meyer, all rights reserved. They may not be circulated in any incomplete or modified form, nor sold for profit, without written permission of the author. The use or sale of VDE is subject to the following terms: INDIVIDUAL USE: VDE may be freely used and shared with others; there is ---------- no required registration fee. (If you like VDE and find it useful, please do consider sending a contribution!) INSTITUTIONAL USE: Any corporation or institution wishing to use VDE in the ------------- course of its business must purchase a SITE LICENSE. A standard license, allowing the use of VDE on up to 20 different computers, can be ordered for US $50.00; write for terms concerning larger quantities. A disk containing the latest release of VDE will be included at no additional charge (specify 5.25" or 3.5"). COMMERCIAL SALE: Any software dealer or library may offer VDE for sale, ---- as long as the price charged for the disk containing VDE does not exceed US $5.00. With this single exception, the sale of VDE for profit, either alone or together with other software or hardware, requires a licensing agreement provi- ding for royalty payments. Please write for terms. Eric Meyer 401 12th Ave SE, #139 CompuServe [74415,1305] Norman, OK 73071 USA DISCLAIMER: You undertake to use VDE at your own risk. The author assumes no liability for damages of any kind resulting from your use of VDE. "WordStar", "WordPerfect", "XyWrite" and "DesqView" are registered trademarks. ================================ CONTENTS ================================== 1. INTRODUCTION: Installation; Command line syntax, examples; VDE operating modes (MenuBar, Command). 2. COMMAND SUMMARY: a complete brief listing of all commands: MenuBar choices; Ctrl, ^K (Block/File), ^Q (Quick), ^O (Onscreen), Alt, Esc. 3. EDITING COMMANDS, explained alphabetically by category: Auto indent, Auto number, Auto save, Block commands, Deleting, Files, Find/replace, Graphics, Header, Hyphenation, Information, Inserting, Line spacing, Margins, Matching up files, Moving around, Multiple files, Pagination, Place markers, Printer codes, Printer drivers, Printing, Proportional spacing, Ruler line, Run command/shell, Save/exit, Screen controls, Splitting files, Tabs, Time/date, Undelete, Upper/lower case, Windows, Wordwrap & reformat. 4. GENERAL INFORMATION, alphabetically by category: Compatibility (WordStar, WordPerfect, XyWrite), Directories, Error messages, File modes, Memory, Prompts. 5. APPLICATION TIPS, alphabetically by topic: DesqView, Foreign ASCII files, Programming, Redirecting I/O, Spelling checkers, Structured languages, Transposing text. [The following sections are in the companion file VINST.DOC.] 6. MACROS. Explanation and examples of: Function keys, Key redefinition files, Macros, Macro keys, Macro programming, Recording macros. 7. RUNNING VINSTALL. How to use VINST.COM to modify VDE.COM: Installing for different computers, printers; user defaults and options; macro and function key defaults. [See the companion file VDE.UPD for version history and recent changes.] ============================= 1. INTRODUCTION ============================== Most users will have an IBM compatible computer, and can begin using VDE straightaway. Before long, though, you should use the VINSTALL program to customize the display and other options to your tastes. (Once you have done this, the introductory information screen in VDE will disappear.) However, if your computer is not 100% IBM-compatible, you should run VINSTALL immediately, and perform the computer installation before using VDE. (In non-IBM mode, VDE will run on any MSDOS system with an ANSI.SYS driver.) VDE operates by default in Command mode. If you want to get started using the simplified menu system, you must change this with VINSTALL. You will eventually discover the settings you prefer for the many other options and defaults, as you become more familiar with VDE. [See VINST.DOC for details. Comments below in brackets "[]" point out various uses of VINSTALL.] TO RUN VDE, you can just type "VDE", with no arguments; or, you may specify a list of up to 8 filenames. Any filename may include a DOS directory, and/or be followed by a mode option. A key definition file may also be specified at the end of the command line, following a plus sign "+". SYNTAX: note "{}" = optional C>vde {filename} {/m} {, filename2 {/m}} {,...} {+name.VDK} {+name.VDF} EXAMPLES: C>vde C>vde article.doc/w +ws4.vdf C>vde sample.fil C>vde b:myfile,myfile.bak C>vde a:\recs\sep85;summary C>vde prog.doc/a,prog.asm/n,errors "filename" - file to edit. If no name is given, you begin a new (untitled) file. Multiple names can be separated by a comma, to allow the previous item's directory to carry over to the next item (unless it begins with a drive or root "\"), or by a semicolon, to prevent this. (In the above examples, MYFILE.BAK is on B:, but SUMMARY is on C:, not A:\RECS.) "/m" or " m" - optional choice of file modes: "m" can be "A"SCII, "W"ordstar, WordStar "5", Word"P"erfect, or "X"yWrite document; or "N"ondocument. Normally defaults to "/A". Must be separated from filename by a space and/or a slash. See FILE MODES. "+name.VDK (or VDF)" - optional macro and/or function key definition file to load. See KEY DEFINITION FILES. VDE can edit different types of files: non-documents, such as program source code; or documents with formatted text, in either pure ASCII or formats compatible with WordStar, WordPerfect, XyWrite, and other word processors. Maximum file size is roughly 80k; if an existing file is too large to edit with VDE, divide it up (see SPLITTING FILES). VDE gives you a certain amount of information at the top of the screen (for details see HEADER, RULER). At times, further information may be provided by various menus or error messages; press [Esc] or [Space] to remove these. Any input prompts (like "New value:") may be cancelled by typing ^U. Hint: If you need on-line help while learning to use VDE, it's an excellent idea to load VDE.DOC as a second file while you work. Then just switch to it and search for the help you need (for example, the word "margin"). OPERATING MODES VDE has two distinct modes of operation: (1) MENU-BAR mode. (2) COMMAND mode. If you see the message "Esc=MenuBar" at the right end of the header line, you are in MenuBar mode. If this area is blank, you are in command mode. To switch into MenuBar mode from command mode, type Esc,?; to switch to command mode from MenuBar mode, select {Misc:Command mode} (Esc,M,C). (1) If you are new to word processing, you may find the MenuBar mode easiest. Just press the [Esc] key, and a series of menu bars will guide you to the function you need: type a highlighted letter to select from each menu. Most (though not all) of VDE's features are available in this mode. In the text below, MenuBar commands will be referred to in the following manner: {stYle:Underline} This designates selecting st"Y"le, then "U"nderline from the menu bar sequence (you actually type Esc,Y,U). (2) Control-key commands (WordStar compatible), although they do need to be memorized, are more concise, and give access to the full range of VDE features, including powerful macros. If you're familiar with the popular WordStar command set already, you can probably start right in editing files with VDE. It uses simple one- or two-key combinations, like: Ctrl-Q F These are easily found by the touch typist without distraction, and probably account for the continuing popularity of WordStar, which (despite being nearly a decade old) is still widely used throughout the world. Most of these commands in VDE are identical to those in WordStar, though a few differ slightly. But VDE is more than just a WordStar "clone", and has a number of extra Alt-key and Esc-key commands to invoke its additional features, such as multi-file editing. =========================== 2. COMMAND SUMMARY ============================= Explanation of Keys: IBM PC special keys are indicated in [brackets], including arrows [^,v,<,>] for the cursor keys. ([+] and [-] refer to the keypad +,- keys only.) "Esc" means the Escape key, [Esc]; "Esc1" means [Esc],1. "Alt" indicates holding down the [Alt] key: "AltD" means [Alt]+D. "^" indicates holding down the [Ctrl] key: "^K" means [Ctrl]+K. Many commands require two-key sequences, eg ^QR = [Ctrl]+Q,R. The prefix (^Q) displays in the header, and can be canceled by pressing Esc or Space. Synonyms: If your keyboard lacks any of the IBM PC keys, synonyms are always available (eg, ^R for [PgUp]). If you have no [Alt] key, you can still access the Alt-commands with a double-Esc prefix: Esc,Esc,X = AltX. (This also allows use of VDE while Alt-keys have been redefined with TSR utilities.) UNIVERSAL KEYS The following keys are active in either operating mode. (Asterisks "*" mark features unique to VDE.) [Ret] = Carriage Return (also known as [Enter], CR, or ^M). New line. In documents, marks a paragraph end. [BkSp] or [<-] = BackSpace (also known as BS or ^H). [May delete.] [Tab] = Hard Tab mode: enter Tab. Variable Tab mode: move to next stop. * Shft[Tab] = backward variable Tab: move to previous stop. [Del] = delete character to the left. [May instead delete right.] * ^[Del] = delete character in opposite direction from [Del]. [Ins] = toggle Insert mode on and off. [^], [v], [>], [<] (IBM cursor keys). ^[>] = move to start of next word right. ^[<] = move to start of previous word (left). [-] = scroll back one line. [+] = scroll forward one line. [PgUp] = scroll back one screen. [PgDn] = scroll forward one screen. * ^[PgUp] = scroll both files back a screen (in split screen mode). * ^[PgDn] = scroll both files forward ("). [Home] = go to top of screen. [Home, End keys can also be set to move [End] = go to bottom of screen. to beginning, end of line instead.] ^[Home] = move to top of file. ^[End] = move to end of file. MENU-BAR MODE ("Esc=MenuBar" shows at upper right) Press [Esc] to call up the main menu bar; select an option by typing the capitalized, highlighted letter. For example, the main menu bar reads: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Delete moVe Text stYle Set sCreen Misc Print Block File Exit ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wanted to underline text, you would type "Y" for stYle, on which you would see a new menu bar listing Underline, Bold... and so on. You can type [Esc] again, to back up one menu, or exit. The entire MenuBar set, for your reference, appears below. For further explanation of commands, look them up below under their command mode equivalents, given in the second column. {Delete: del Line} ^Y {Misc: insert Time} AltT to line Start} ^Q[Del] Date} AltD End} ^QY file Info} ^KI del to Char} ^QT about VDE} AltI del Block} ^KY Command mode} Esc? Undelete} ^U {Print: overstrike Char} ^PH {moVe: Find} ^QF Line} ^PM Replace} ^QA Formfeed} ^PL rEpeat f/r} ^L Tab} ^PI Overview bar} AltO Graphic} AltG place Set} ^PZ Driver} AltV Go} ^QP Print file} ^KP {Text: rUler} ^OT {Block: Begin} ^KB set mrgn L} ^OL End} ^KK R} ^OR Unmark} ^KU Mrgn rel} ^OX Copy} ^KC Center} ^OC Move} ^KV Flush} ^OF cuT} AltC rEform} ^B Paste} AltP Autoindent} ^OA Write} ^KW Zoom} ^KZ {stYle: Underline} ^PS Bold} ^PB {File: rEname work} ^KN Doublestrike} ^PD Dir} ^KF Italic} ^PY Read in} ^KR Subscript} ^PV Load new} ^KL suPerscript} ^PT Add file} AltL Next file} AltN {Set: tab Set} ^OI Prev} AltB Clr} ^ON Varitab} ^OV {Exit: Save to disk} ^KS Double spc} ^OS eXit w/save} ^KX Prop spc} ^OJ Quit w/o save} ^KQ Hyphens} ^OH Run DOS command} AltR pg Length} ^OP {sCreen: make Top} ^OE Window} AltW Other win} AltF Header} ^OQ Blank} ^OZ Preview} ^OD Ega:43} AltE Ati:132} AltA COMMAND MODE (Right end of header is blank) Many commands are identical to those in WordStar. Equal signs ("=") mark those that differ significantly from their WordStar equivalents. (See COMPATIBILITY, below.) Asterisks ("*") mark additional commands unique to VDE. HELP: ^J = display basic help menu (for Alt, Esc, ^K, ^O, ^P, ^Q commands, press A,E,K,O,P,Q next) I. CONTROL KEYS: single keystroke commands. WordStar arrow-key diamond: ^E = up. ^D = right. ^F = move to start of next word. ^X = down. ^S = left. ^A = to start of previous word. ^W = scroll back one line. ^R = scroll back one screen. ^Z = scroll forward one line. ^C = scroll forward one screen. ^G = delete character to right. ^Y = delete current line. ^T = delete word to right. ^U = undo last deletion (character, word, line, or block). ^V = toggle Insert mode on/off. ^N = insert [Ret] (break line). * ^] = toggle Word Insert on/off. ^P = insert control code. * ^_ = insert a space. ^PZ = insert place mark. * ^P# = insert numbering marker. * ^^ = toggle case (upper/lower) of character at cursor. ^B = reformat paragraph. ^L = repeat last find/replace. II. FILE AND BLOCK COMMANDS: first press ^K, then the key shown. * ^KI = file/memory Information. ^KP = Print the text. * ^KF = disk File browser. ^KR = Read a file into text. * ^KL = Load a new file to edit. ^KJ = delete a disk file. * ^KN = reName current work. ^KS = Save to disk, and continue. ^KD = Done: save & load new file. ^KX = eXit: save & quit to DOS. * ^KA = set Autosave interval. ^KQ = Quit to DOS, abandoning file. ^KB = mark start of a Block. ^KK = mark end of a block. = ^KU = Unmark the block. ^KY = Delete the marked block. ^KC = Copy block at cursor location. ^KV = moVe block to cursor location. * ^KZ = Zoom into the marked block. ^KW = Write block to a disk file. * ^K# = automatically number items in the block. * ^K",',^ = uppercase ("), lowercase ('), or switch case (^) of block text. III. QUICK COMMANDS: first press ^Q, then the key shown. ^QS or [<] = go to start of line. ^QE or [^] = go to top of screen. ^QD or [>] = go to end of line. ^QX or [v] = go to bottom of screen. ^QR = go to top of file. ^QB = go to Block start marker. ^QC = go to end of file. ^QK = go to block end marker. = ^QZ = go to next place marker. ^QI = go to specified page (document) or line (non-document). ^QP = go to Previous position in file (before last sizable move). ^QF = find a string. ^QA = find and replace a string. ^QY = delete from cursor to end of current line. ^Q[Del] = delete from cursor to beginning of current line. ^QT = delete up to specified character. IV. ONSCREEN COMMANDS: first press ^O, then the key shown. ^OR = set Right margin. ^OX = toggle Margin Release on/off. ^OL = set Left margin. ^OC = Center current line. * ^OF = make line Flush with right margin. * ^OQ = header display on/off. ^OT = ruler line display on/off. ^OB = hard CR display on/off. ^OD = preview text with no control codes or hard CRs. * ^OA = Auto indent on/off. ^OH = Hyphenation on/off. * ^OJ = proportional spacing on/off. ^OS = double Spacing on/off. ^OV = tab mode hard/Variable. ^OI = set variable tab stop(s). ^ON = clear variable tab stop. * ^OP = set page length (0 turns off pagination). * ^OE or [^] = make current line top of screen. * ^OW = split Window to show two different portions of the file. * ^OZ = temporarily blank the entire screen. V. VDE ALT-KEY COMMANDS: press Alt and the key shown. (These commands also work with an Esc,Esc prefix instead) * AltI = show VDE version Information. * AltL = Load an additional file. AltB = move Back to previous file. * AltW = split Window with 2 files. AltN = move forward to Next file. * AltF = move to other File window. * AltC,P = Cut and Paste a block from one place or file to another. * AltM = Match up the two files on screen, showing differences. * AltX = eXit (^KX) from all files. AltQ = Quit (^KQ) from all files. * AltR = Run DOS command (or shell). AltS = Split up a large file. = AltT,D = enter the current system Time or Date in the file. * AltG = enter an IBM Graphics character into text. * AltE = EGA screen (43/50 lines). AltA = ATI screen (132 columns). * AltO = move with Overview bar. AltV = change printer driVers. * AltU = Use (load or save) macro/function key definition file. VI. VDE ESC-KEY COMMANDS: first press Esc, then the key shown. * Esc[Tab] = variable tab forward (even in hard tab mode). * Esc[<],[>] = shift screen horizontally 32 columns. * Esc[^],[v] = shift screen vertically 1/4 screen. Esc? = switch to MenuBar mode. (In macro mode: call up MenuBar.) * Esc[ = define a macro string of commands. * Esc" = record a macro from keystrokes. * Esc] = store macro on alphanumeric key for later recall. * Esc0...Z = use stored key. (In macro mode: jump label.) * Esc!,=,~ = jumps and loops, used in macro programming (see MACROS). * Esc(),+,- = counter, used in macro programming. * Esc; = brief pause, during macro execution only. * Esc& = chain to another macro. ========================== 3. EDITING COMMANDS ============================= AUTO INDENT (^OA) - This command toggles Auto Indent mode. When ON, wordwrap or the [Ret] key will cause the cursor to advance to: Any existing indentation on the line (if Insert mode is OFF); or, The same indentation as the previous line (if Insert is ON). Thus, once you set the indentation level, VDE will automatically maintain it. (Indentation must NOT be done with hard tabs; it can be changed with space, backspace, or with variable tabs, which insert spaces.) Useful as a paragraph indent, or for outlines, structured program source code, etc. AUTO NUMBER (^P#,^K#) - The ^P# command inserts a marker (a highlighted "#") in the text to stand for a sequential number in a list, for example: #. First item. #. Second item... You can then mark the list off as a block (see BLOCK COMMANDS), and use the ^K# command: VDE will insert the numbers (1, 2, etc) in place of the markers. You will be asked for the starting number; the default is of course 1. (Once this is done the markers disappear. For frequently revised lists, leave the "#" markers in the file on disk; use ^K# just before printing, and do not save afterward.) AUTO SAVE (^KA) - You can instruct VDE to save any changes you have made to disk automatically, at regular intervals. This can ensure that you don't lose too much work if you make a mistake, have a power outage, etc. The ^KA command lets you set the interval (1 to 255 minutes), or turn this feature off entirely (0). Just press [Ret] to restore the default, normally 0. [This can be changed with VINSTALL.] Notes: will not work on untitled files; if editing multiple files, will not activate until you return the cursor to a file. BLOCK COMMANDS (^K-B,K,U,Z,Y,C,V,W,PB; ^QB,K) - A block of text is delimited by two markers, which remain in memory until reset or deleted. ^KB marks the beginning of the block; ^KK marks the end. ^KU unmarks the block, removing any marker(s) set. The block operation commands all require a block to be marked: ^KY goes to and deletes the block (including markers). ^KV moves the block (including markers) to the present cursor location; ^KC simply copies it, leaving the original marked. Any place markers present are not transferred. (The cursor cannot be IN the block.) ^KZ "zooms into" a block: the rest of the text is hidden, and the block is temporarily treated as the entire file. This can serve a number of purposes, from simply concentrating attention on one portion of a text, to limiting the scope of many VDE commands (^QA, ^B, ^KI...) to that portion. Use ^KZ again to zoom back out. In zoom mode: pagination is off; you CAN use block operations, though any block markers will disappear when zooming back out; if you save (^KS), VDE will automatically zoom back out of the block first. ^KW writes the block text to a disk file; you will be asked for the filename (and optional mode). Normally this will overwrite any pre- existing file; however, you can choose instead to append the text at the end of the file, by typing a "+" before the filename: Write to file: GORT overwrites +GORT appends The ^QB command, from wherever you are in the file, moves the cursor to the block start; ^QK moves to the block end. ^KPB (^KP with B option) prints the block text only. (See PRINTING.) DELETING (^G,Del,^Del,^T,^Y; ^Q-Y,Del,T) - ^G or ^[Del] deletes the character to the right of the cursor. Normally, as in WordStar, [Del] deletes the one to the left, and [BkSp] (^H) moves left without deleting. [BkSp/Del behavior can be changed.] ^T deletes an entire word to the right (up to 255 characters). ^Y deletes the entire current line. ^QY deletes the part of the line to the right of the cursor; ^Q[Del] deletes the part to the left. ^QT deletes to the next occurrence of a specified character (up to 4095 characters). EXAMPLE: ^QT. (period) deletes to the end of the sentence. Special case: ^QT^M ([Ret]) deletes to the next HARD CR, the end of the paragraph. Accidentally deleted text can be recovered (see UNDELETING). FILES (^K-L,R,J,F) - ^KL loads a new file to edit, REPLACING the current one. (If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to confirm this.) If you want to load a file in ADDITION to the current one, use AltL instead. ^KR reads in the contents of a disk file, inserting the text at the current cursor position. ^KJ deletes any disk file you specify. (If you need more complex file utilities, remember that you can run any DOS command with AltR.) All these commands prompt for a specific filename. If you are unsure, or would rather see a directory first, you can call up the file browser by pressing [Ret] alone (for *.*), or typing a filename with wildcards (eg \WORK\*.BAK). Note: if you want to begin an untitled file, press ^J or ^[Ret], instead of [Ret], at the ^KL prompt. The file browser can also be called directly with the ^KF command. You may specify a directory and/or filename mask, and the files will be alphabetically listed. (The default, if you just press [Ret], is the current file's directory, and all files *.*.) Files display in uppercase, directories in lowercase. If all items will not fit on the screen, you will see "..." at the end to indicate that there were more. [Note: display of COM/EXE files can be suppressed.] To remove the display, press [Esc] or [Space]. But while it is on screen, you may also select one of the files shown, by moving the cursor to it with the arrow keys. Then, you can press: [Ret] to load this file instead (see ^KL); ^L to load it as an additional file (see AltL); ^R to read it into the current file (see ^KR); ^Y to delete this file. If the file you want to load/read requires a different file mode, you can first press "/" and the correct mode letter (A,N,W,5,P,X, or space). You can also select a directory, in which case you may press: [Ret] to view its contents; ^Y to remove it (if empty). FIND/REPLACE (^Q-F,A; ^L) - ^QF is the command to FIND a string. The search normally proceeds from the cursor position forward, and is case (upper/lower) sensitive. The character "^_" (Ctrl-underline) functions as a wildcard: it will match any single character. Control codes, like ^M for newline, can be included (with the ^P prefix where needed). Graphics characters can be included using AltG. Examples: Find: ^MLABEL matches "LABEL" at start of line only; Find: 4^_^_01 matches "42201", "47401", etc; Find: ^_ank matches "tank", "Bank", etc. ^QA is the REPLACE command. It asks for a string to find, as above, then what to change it to. The cursor will be placed in succession on each occurrence of the string, starting at the cursor location. (You will see the prompt "Chg?" in the header.) To change this instance, press "Y"; anything else skips to the next. To change all further instances without being asked, press "*". [Esc] cancels at any time. There are several options for find/replace. After you enter the text string(s), you will be prompted to enter any of the following: "B" = search Backward through the file; "U" = case insensitive search (ignore Upper/lower distinction); "G" = search Globally (from start or end of file); and further, for replacing: "A" = Align (reform) paragraphs again after each replacement; "N" = No query: replace all instances without asking. If you don't want to be prompted for options, finish entry of the find string (for ^QF) or replace string (for ^QA) by typing ^J instead of [Ret]. (^[Ret] is also ^J on most keyboards.) Notes: The "N" option is automatically assumed whenever ^QA is used in a macro. [Uppercase can be set as your default; if so, specifying "U" reverts to case sensitive search.] ^L repeats the last ^QF or ^QA command. For ^QA, you will be asked whether you want to replace the found string. In both cases, the "B", "U", and "A" options remain as last specified. GRAPHICS (AltG) - You can enter an IBM graphic character into the file text with the AltG command. You will be presented with a menu of up to 32 characters (A-Z,1-6) to choose from; the default set contains some nice box parts and other useful things, and has room free for other characters that might be loaded. [The default set can be modified.] Any unused menu entry can be defined on the spot. Type "=", then the code (A-5) to change. You can then select the desired character from the complete graphics set, by moving the cursor to it and pressing RETURN. Alternatively, if you press any other key, you may enter the extended ASCII code in either hex (80-FF) or decimal (128-255) format. Example: a Greek alpha can be entered either as "E0" hex or "224" decimal. Once defined in the menu, the graphic can be entered into the file; its definition cannot be changed again while editing. CAUTION: If you load a file containing many graphics (or binary data that will be interpreted as graphics), VDE will try to add each character to its table. If the graphics table fills up, any further graphics will be replaced by fuzzy blocks (graphic #6)! You will see an error message, and the file will become "untitled", to guard against saving to disk and corrupting the file. If you frequently work with graphics characters you will want to keep your default table relatively empty to avoid this. Graphics are stored in disk files in accord with the current file mode. Printing of graphics depends on whether your printer is installed as an IBM graphics printer [see VINST.DOC]. If so, they will print directly. If not, VDE will "emulate" them, choosing standard ASCII character overstrikes that come as close as possible. This usually works well, especially for the foreign language characters. HEADER (^OQ) - VDE gives you an informative "header" at the top of the screen. If you like, you can toggle this display on and off with the ^OQ (Quiet) command. [It can also be suppressed by default.] Turning the header off lets you see more text, and can speed up editing on slow terminals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ + VDE.DOC /A Pg 14 Ln 11 Cl 48 Ins vt hy AI DS MR " ^K_ (OP/BZ) (WIn) (PS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "+" = Multi-file flag. Present if other file(s) are being edited. "VDE.DOC /A" = Current filename and mode. The full drive and path information, along with other files being edited, can be displayed with the ^KI command (see INFORMATION). "Pg 7, etc" = Current position in file by page (in document modes), line, column. If pagination (^OP) is off, you will see "Pg 0" (in document modes), "OP" (in "N" mode), or "BZ" if ^KZ is in effect. "INS","WIn" = Insert mode (^V) or Word Insert (^]) on. "vt" = Variable Tab mode on. (^OV) "hy" = Hyphenation enabled. (^OH) Doesn't display in "N" mode. "AI" = Auto Indent mode on. (^OA) "DS" = Double spacing. (^OS) "MR" = Margins released. (^OX) Doesn't display in "N" mode. "PS" = Proportional spacing. (^OJ) Overridden by MR. '"' = Quote mark appears during macro recording (Esc"). "^K_" = WordStar key prefixes (and some prompts) display here. HYPHENATION (^OH) - VDE can't hyphenate automatically, but it can recognize hyphens in the text, treating them as a legitimate place to break a line. If you have a long word running over the margin, you can type a hyphen, and wordwrap or reformat will break the word there. VDE also can't DE-hyphenate automatically. If VDE is trying to reformat and finds a hyphen at the end of a line, it will have to ask YOU what to do: you will see the prompt "Remove?" in the header. Press "Y" to remove the hyphen and space, joining the word; "N" to leave the hyphen, but still join the word; "Esc" to ignore the hyphen, NOT joining the word. Typically you would choose "Y" for "soft" hyphens that you introduced to break up a word ("intro-duction"); "N" for hard hyphens that are part of a word ("vis-a-vis"); and "Esc" for punctuation (dashes -- etc). After your choice, reformatting will proceed automatically. You can toggle hyphenation on and off with ^OH. If off, hyphens are not recognized. [The ^OH default can be changed.] INFORMATION (^KI; AltI) - ^KI displays an Information message telling you: - the full directory, name, and timestamp of the current file; - whether (Y/N) the file has been changed since last saved; - any print toggles (^B,D,S etc) that seem to be mispaired; - a WORD COUNT for documents (useful for professional writing); - the current size of the file in bytes or K (1k = 1024 bytes); - the number of bytes of memory used and free in this text segment; - the size (in K) of the largest block of RAM still free; - the names of all OTHER files being edited. For large files, all this may take a moment to calculate. Note that words are not counted in non-documents. The AltI command displays the VDE version, date, and usage policy. (An uninstalled copy of VDE does this automatically on startup.) INSERTING (^V,[Ins],^],^_,^N) - ^V or [Ins] toggles Insert mode on/off, and ^] toggles Word Insert. When both are off, VDE is in overwrite mode: any text to the right of the cursor is replaced as you type. With Insert (^V) ON, what you type is inserted; any existing text is carried to the right. With Word Insert ON, you can type over the letters of a word, but anything you add at the end of the word (when the next character is a space) is inserted; this is a handy feature for revising text. The ^_ (or ^-) and ^N commands (insert space, CR) are most useful when Insert is off. [The default insert status can be changed.] LINE SPACING (^OS) - The ^OS command toggles between single and double line spacing. In double space mode, the following functions generate double carriage returns: [Ret] (^M), Insert CR (^N), Reform (^B), Wordwrap. You can easily mix single and double spacing; the ^B command can convert between the two. Note: a single-spaced file can also be printed out double-spaced with the "D" option of the ^KP command (see PRINTING). MARGINS (^O-R,L,X,C,F) - ^OR sets the RIGHT margin, and enables wordwrap, reformatting, and centering. At the prompt "Column:" enter the column number (2-255), or just press [Ret] for the current cursor column. If the value entered conflicts with the current left margin, the left margin will be removed. There are two special values for the right margin: 1 = all formatting is disabled (as in "N"ondocument mode files). 0 = unlimited right margin: text can be reformatted to undo wordwrap. ^OL sets the LEFT margin in an identical fashion; of course, the value must be less than the current right margin, so you may need to set the right margin first. ^OX temporarily RELEASES the margins (resets them to 1), allowing you to type outside them. Use ^OX again to restore the margins. ^OC CENTERS the current line with respect to the margins, if set. ^OF sets the current line FLUSH right, if the right margin is set. MATCHING UP FILES (AltM) - This command is used to locate small differences between two largely similar files (perhaps an earlier and a later revision of a text). In order to use it, you must first load these two files (AltL), then split the screen between them (AltW), and position the cursor on corresponding lines in both files (for example, the top). Then press AltM. Starting from these positions, VDE searches for any difference between the files. If there is one, VDE will stop on those lines, showing the disagreeing passages side by side. If you want to continue, reposition the cursors to corresponding lines if necessary, and press AltM again. If no further differences are found, VDE will report "Not Found"; the files match. MOVING AROUND (Arrow keys; ^F,^A; ^Q-R,C,I,P; AltO) - VDE supports two sets of Arrow keys, which function interchangeably. The first is the actual IBM cursor keypad (the four arrow keys); the second is the WordStar "arrow key diamond" ^E,^X,^D,^S. These keys move the cursor up, down, right, and left respectively. Preceded by ^Q-, any arrow key moves more Quickly: to the top or bottom of the screen, to the left or right end of the line. There are also two word movement commands: ^F moves right, to the start of the next word; ^A moves left, to the start of the last (or current) word. Both have a maximum travel of 255 characters. For quickly covering large distances, ^QR and ^QC move all the way to the beginning and end of the file, respectively; ^QI moves directly to a given page (for documents) or line (for non-documents). ^QP returns the cursor to its "previous" position -- before the last command causing a large movement was executed. (^QP can be used again to cycle between these two positions in the file.) Finally, the AltO command displays an "overview bar" at the top of the screen. The length of the bar corresponds to the filesize, and the current position is marked so you can see where you are: | ooo*ooooooooooooooooooooooo | You can move the place marker left or right with the arrow keys; the cursor remains in the original (current) position. | ooo_oooooooooooo*oooooooooo | To move to the selected position, press [Ret]; press [Esc] instead to cancel. (If the file is empty or too small, AltO does not function.) MULTIPLE FILES (AltL,B,N,X,Q,C,P) - VDE allows you to edit several different files simultaneously, if you have enough memory. This can be done from the command line, by giving the filenames separated by commas. Otherwise, to Load additional files, press AltL. You may specify a single filename, or a list delimited with commas or semicolons (see SYNTAX); for an untitled file, press ^J or ^[Ret]. You can also access the file browser with [Ret] or wildcards (see FILES). (This command will fail if you run out of memory, or are already editing the maximum number, or another file by that name.) Once multiple files are in use, AltB and AltN can be used to cycle back and forth through the files being edited. If you Quit or Exit (^KQ,^KX) from one file, you will be returned to the previous one. AltX exits ALL files immediately, saving any changes made. AltQ quits ALL files immediately, without saving; if any of them have been modified, you will be prompted once to confirm this. AltC Cuts a marked block of text, placing it in a buffer for later recovery. (The original remains, unless you delete it with ^KY.) AltP Pastes in the previously cut text at the cursor position. The text in the buffer remains available for further pasting. (Cut and Paste thus allow block copying and moving between files.) PAGINATION (^OP; ^PL) - The ^OP command sets the page length. Enter a value 0 to 255 lines, or just press [Ret] to restore the default. [Normally 56.] When the value is nonzero, it determines the page and line shown in the document header ("Pg xx Ln xx"), and all page functions in the Print routine (pagination, headers, start/stop at page) are enabled. A formfeed will be sent after printing. [VDE does not send a formfeed before printing; install one in your printer initialization if you want.] When the value is zero, pagination is off. The header will say "Pg 0 Ln xxxx", showing you the absolute line number in the file. Also, printing occurs with no page breaks. (This is useful for printing small things right after each other on the same sheet; or, in conjunction with the "*" option, to print out multiple copies of index cards, labels, etc.) The ^PL command embeds a formfeed (^L) in the text. This code functions as a page break: you can type ^PL at the start of a line to begin a new page. In document file modes, this will be reflected in the header page/line count, use of ^QI and other page-related commands, etc; it does not affect line count in "N"on-documents, or when pagination is off (^OP 0). PLACE MARKERS (^PZ; ^QZ) - You can set any number of temporary place markers in the text with ^PZ (they display as highlighted "Z"). The ^QZ command moves the cursor to the next place marker in the file, cycling back to the top of the file as needed. (Place markers are NOT saved to disk.) PRINTER CODES (^P) - Several common control codes for special effects in printing can be entered into text with the ^P prefix. These include: ^P^H - backspace - overstrike previous character ^M - carriage return - enter a CR without a LF to overstrike line ^I - hard (ASCII) tab - printers respond variously to this ^L - formfeed - will cause a page break These control codes display on screen as highlighted capital letters. (^PM displays as a CR marker.) You can only embed a few such codes with ^P: many codes in the ASCII range 00-1F have reserved uses within VDE; extended characters 80-FF must be entered with AltG (see GRAPHICS). In addition, in place of complex "escape commands" for printer effects such as underlining, VDE lets you enter a single marker, which will be translated into the proper codes during printing. VDE supports a set of 13 codes for this purpose: seven toggles, six switches. [See VINST.DOC on how to install the proper commands for your printer. Without such installation, only ^PS and ^PX will work.] The toggles work in document modes only; their conventional WordStar meanings are: Toggles: ^P^B boldface Switches: ^P^Q (user def 1) ^D ("doublestrike") ^W (user 2) ^S underline ^E (user 3) ^Y italic ("ribbon") ^R (user 4) ^T superscript ^A alternate pitch ^V subscript ^N standard pitch ^X strikeout [has no installation] but you can use them for anything you like. "Toggles" are good for features like underlining that are turned on and off; enter them twice, at the beginning and end of the desired text. "Switches" are better for multi-valued parameters like character pitch; enter them once. EXAMPLE: using ^PS for underlining, you could type: This is how you get ^PSunderlined text^PS in VDE. If toggles are not properly paired, you will find print effects continuing throughout the rest of your document. To save time and effort, use the ^KI command to check for this before printing. (If an "S" appears under the "^Check" heading, there is an unpaired ^S somewhere.) PRINTER DRIVERS (AltV) - Since many people use more than one kind of printer, VDE accomodates two different printer drivers, a primary and an alternate. Before printing a file, you can select which one is active using the AltV command. [You can change the two drivers with VINSTALL.] PRINTING (^KP) - The ^KP command Prints the file from memory. You will be asked for a set of "Options:", at which point you may enter one or more of the following, in any order: '...' sends a string of escape commands to printer before printing. D DOUBLESPACES the printout. B prints only the currently marked BLOCK. Tnn sets the TOP MARGIN to nn lines. [The default margins can Lnn sets the LEFT MARGIN to nn columns. be set with VINSTALL.] ^ FILTERS control characters ^X so they print out as text "^X". *nn prints the entire job out nn TIMES (nn=1...255). P PAUSES for your keystroke before each page (sheet feed). N NUMBERS pages sequentially, at top right. C numbers pages at bottom CENTER. @nn begins printing AT page nn. #nn prints only (up to) a TOTAL of nn pages. O,E prints only Odd or Even pages (print one, then run the paper back through and print the other, for double-sided printing). =nn MAKES the first page number show as nn. "..." uses the quoted string as a HEADER. The string will print in the top right corner of each page, followed by the page number if "N" was selected. (Maximum length is 50 characters.) Note: you can include the current Time or Date in the header simply by entering ^T or ^D, respectively. (The paging options (N/C,@,#,O/E,=,"") are NOT allowed if the page length is set to 0 (^OP), or if 'B'lock print was chosen. 'C' cannot be used together with 'N' or "".) (FILENAME) redirects printer output to a disk file. All print control codes will go into the file just as they would have been sent to your printer. If you want to append the output to an existing file, type a "+" before the name: "(+FILENAME)". EXAMPLE 1: Options: L12P will print the file with a left margin of 12, pausing before each page until you press a key (other than Esc). EXAMPLE 2: Options: @6#2=21"(^T) Instructions, page"N will print the 6th and 7th pages, numbering them 21 and 22, with a header like this: "(3:41 PM) Instructions, page 21". EXAMPLE 3: Options: BD(+SCRATCH) will append the print output of the current marked Block, double spaced, to the disk file SCRATCH. NOTES: If you are in "W" or "5" file mode, any dot commands in the file (lines beginning with ".") will not be printed. You can abort printing at any time by pressing Esc. PROPORTIONAL SPACING (^OJ) - If your printer has a proportionally spaced font, you can get VDE to use it, and to format text so that it will print with more appropriate margins. With ^OJ on, your printer will be put in proportional mode when printing (^KP); and all wordwrap and reformatting (^B,^OC,^OF) will take advantage of a built-in table of character widths, resulting in a better justified printout. In proportional mode, the margin settings need to be interpreted in inches rather than characters; VDE assumes 10 cpi for convenience, so that a right margin (^OR) of 70 means 7.0". (Note: words will often seem to extend "beyond" the right margin column on screen when editing.) [See VINST.DOC to install codes for proportional mode on your printer, and to modify the character width table with VINSTALL.] RULER LINE (^OT) - To help you align text properly, ^OT displays a "ruler line" above the text. Type ^OT again to remove it. A moving pointer indicates the current column. In each column you will see one of several symbols: the arrow "v" is the cursor column; "L,R" designate the current margins; "." indicates areas outside the current margins, "-" within them. Also, tab stops are marked by either "|" (Variable) or "!" (Hard). Examples: ("A" mode) L-----|-----|--------v--|--------------R........ ("N" mode) !.......!.......!....v..!.......!.......!....... RUN COMMAND/SHELL (AltR) - Typing AltR causes VDE to produce a replica of the DOS prompt (eg, "C:\WORK>"). At this point you are still in VDE, and all its input rules apply (press ^U to cancel, etc) -- but you can execute any command just as you would under MSDOS. You can copy or rename files, or run any other program you like, and afterwards VDE will prompt you to "Press Esc" (or Space), upon which you will return to your undisturbed VDE editing session. VDE leaves no disk files open, so you can do anything you like with an AltR command. (Exception: don't load new memory-resident utilities; this fouls up the DOS memory allocation.) In addition, there is a special VDE command that can be typed at this "fake DOS" prompt: SHELL. This lets you out into what is known as a Command Shell: you are actually back IN MSDOS, and can use any number of commands or move around as you like; when through, you need to type the command EXIT to leave the Shell. At this point you will be back in VDE, and will see the "Press Esc" prompt to return to editing. NOTE 1: VDE must be able to find your command interpreter (usually COMMAND.COM), and there must be enough free memory to load it and run the chosen program. VDE reads the COMSPEC environment variable; if your CONFIG.SYS file doesn't include a line like SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM, you should add one. NOTE 2: Using the AltR command in MACROS is tricky. Any keyboard input expected by the program or shell must be typed by YOU; it will not be taken from the macro. And you must remember to include in your macro the [Esc] keystroke needed to return to editing in VDE after it finishes. SAVE/EXIT (^K-N,S,X,D,Q) - ^KN renames your work. This allows you to change the filename in the header before saving. (Accepts mode option; you can also specify a mode alone, eg "/W", simply to change the current mode.) Caution: if you give the name of a file that already exists, it will be overwritten ^KS saves your work so far: what's in memory is written to disk under the filename in the header. (You must have a filename; one will be requested if necessary.) If the file has not been modified, you will be prompted to confirm whether you meant to resave it anyway. A copy of the existing file is preserved as a BACKUP FILE (with extension ".BAK") each time you save changes. [If you prefer not to use BAK files, you can suppress their use with VINSTALL.] There are several different commands for finishing up: ^KX saves your work (if modified), and then EXITS to DOS. ^KD (Done) saves your work, then loads a new file to edit. ^KQ just QUITS, without saving to disk. If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to confirm that you meant to do this! SCREEN CONTROLS (^W,^Z; Esc^,v,<,>; ^O-E,D,Z; AltE,A) - VDE provides a number of commands affecting the screen display: The ^W and ^Z commands scroll the screen up and down a line at a time, without moving the cursor in the text (unless necessary). Preceded by Esc-, any arrow key shifts the SCREEN, leaving the cursor in place: the text view moves up/down 1/4 screen, or right/left 32 columns. (The cursor must be past column 32 to allow horizontal shifts.) Preceded by ^O-, either UP arrow key (eg, ^OE) makes the current text line the top of the screen. The ^OD command shows you a preview of the screen with all non- printing codes (markers, ^P codes, etc) hidden. This is handy for making sure that text is aligned properly. Press [Esc] to continue editing. The ^OZ command temporarily "Zaps" (blanks) the entire screen; good for avoiding CRT burn-in, or just protecting work from prying eyes or fingers. Restore the screen by pressing [Esc]. This is also useful if some other software (like a resident utility) has messed up the screen: type ^OZ,Esc and VDE will completely restore it. The AltE command lets you see more lines of text on screen, if you have an enhanced graphics adapter. It toggles between normal 25-line mode and a compressed mode of 43 (EGA) or 50 (VGA) lines. The AltA command works ONLY with the ATI EGA Wonder video card; do not use it otherwise. This toggles between normal 80-column mode and ATI 132-column mode. It can be used alone, or in combination with AltE to provide a 43x132 screen. SPLITTING FILES (AltS) - If you encounter a text file that is too large for VDE to load and edit, you can divide it into manageable chunks with the Split command. Suppose you have a big file HUGE.DOC. Type AltS, then answer at the prompt: Split file, output name (w/#): HUGE.DOC, PIECE.# VDE will go through the file HUGE.DOC and write out a series of smaller files PIECE.1, PIECE.2 etc, which can then be edited. (You can tidy up the transitions between them with Cut and Paste, if you like.) Note that the output name must be separated from the input by a comma, and must contain one # sign, which will be replaced by a 1, 2, etc in sequence. (The above example could have used HUGE-#.DOC, etc.) Make sure you have enough disk space for the output files. TABS ([Tab],Shft[Tab],Esc[Tab]; ^O-V,I,N) - There are two Tab modes, Variable and Hard; the ^OV command toggles between them. In Hard Tab mode the Tab key produces an actual ^I (ASCII TAB); whether this overwrites any existing text depends on the Insert toggle. Hard Tabs display at fixed intervals of 8 screen columns. In Variable Tab mode, the Tab key moves the cursor to the next variable tab stop. Existing text is not overwritten; spaces are added at the end of a line as needed. Up to eight tab stops may be set with ^OI and cleared with ^ON; the defaults are in columns 5, 15, 35, and 55. [These are reconfigurable.] The Shft[Tab] command tabs backwards (left), useful for moving around in tables, etc. You can always get a Hard Tab with ^PI, or a Variable Tab with Esc[Tab], no matter what tab mode you are in. The set/clear commands prompt for a column number, or you can press [Ret] for the cursor column. In addition, the Set command ^OI accepts two further options, both of which replace all earlier tab settings: @nn Set tabs every "nn" columns #n1,n2,... Set tabs to columns "n1,n2,..." You can simply clear all variable tabs by typing "@" or "#" alone. TIME/DATE (AltT,D) - If your MSDOS system maintains the system clock properly, VDE can read it and insert the current time and date in your file automatically. Just press AltT for the Time, or AltD for the Date. The string will appear at the current cursor location, as though you had typed it in yourself: for example, 1:21 PM [or 13:21 -- format can be selected] January 15, 1988 [or 1/15/88, 15 January 1988, 15.1.88] UNDELETING (^U) - The undelete function can be used to recover any amount of text lost by the last deletion operation (whether character, word, line, or block). This includes an overstruck character. The text will be replaced at the current cursor location. UPPER/LOWER CASE (^^; ^K",',^) - The ^^ (Ctrl-caret or ^6) command reverses the case of the character at the cursor, if it was a letter, and moves to the next. The ^K^ (^K-caret) command reverses all text in a marked block (see BLOCK COMMANDS); ^K" makes all block text uppercase, ^K' lowercase. WINDOWS (^OW; AltW,F; ^[PgUp,Dn]) - VDE can split the screen into two windows, showing you either two parts of the same file or two different files. AltF moves the cursor back and forth between the two windows. The ^[PgUp] and ^[PgDn] keys can scroll through BOTH windows in synchronization. The ^OW command is used in a SINGLE file; it creates a window in the bottom half of the screen, duplicating the current file text. You can move to a different place in the file within this window, and continue editing, with the original text still in view in the top window. (Note: any modifications made to the file will not be reflected in the inactive window until you return to it.) Typing ^OW again removes the Window. The AltW command splits the screen Window between two DIFFERENT files being edited, showing you both at once. (If the file you get in the window isn't the one you wanted, find it by cycling through with AltB/AltN.) Typing AltW again restores fullscreen editing. WORDWRAP & REFORMAT (^B, ^OB) - WORDWRAP is automatic in all document modes whenever the right margin is set. Any text entered will be kept within the current margin settings. The end of a paragraph is marked by a "HARD CR", which occurs when you press the [Ret] key. (This is a CR immediately following a nonspace.) In contrast, when wordwrap occurs you get a "SOFT CR" (which is actually a CR with a space before it). You can change a hard CR into a soft one, or vice versa, by deleting or adding a space at the end of the line; hitting [Ret] also hardens a soft CR. The distinction between hard and soft CRs is only important when reformatting. ^B REFORMATS from the line the cursor is on, to the end of the para- graph, according to the current margin settings and line spacing. (Thus ^B is used not only to reshape a paragraph after editing, but also to change its margins and line spacing.) If the current line is indented relative to the next one, VDE interprets that as paragraph indentation. To reformat an entire file (WordStar ^QQB) use a MACRO: Esc[ ^B CR Q*. ^OB toggles DISPLAY OF HARD CRs. Hard CRs, otherwise invisible, are normally displayed as a left-arrow character in document files. Some may find these distracting, so they can be turned off. ========================= 4. GENERAL INFORMATION =========================== COMPATIBILITY - VDE is "compatible", to various degrees, with several other word processors, including WordStar, WordPerfect, and XyWrite, and can be a useful accessory for users of these programs. (For example, I generally do all my writing in VDE, using its speed and extra features; but sometimes I need to take advantage of WordStar's more sophisticated printing abilities, or ability to edit larger files.) See FILE MODES. WORDSTAR: Highly compatible. /W file mode supports all WS 3-4 features except right justification, which it removes. /5 file mode also removes all the additional WS 5 embedded codes (formatting, fonts etc), which are not supported in VDE. With these exceptions, document files can be exchanged freely between VDE and WS. Aside from the absence of a "No-File" menu, VDE operates very much like WS, although it does lack some WS commands, and also has some new ones of its own. VDE's macro commands are completely different (they were developed before WS had macros!). Aside from that, note the following differences in common commands: DIFFERENCES IN COMMAND SET COMMON USE WS 4.0 VDE 1.3 VDE USE Repeat command ^QQ Esc[ Macros are more powerful. Hide block ^KH ^KU Actually unmarks block. Paragraph indent ^OG ^OA General purpose auto-indent. Set Place Mark ^K0..9 ^PZ Not individually numbered. Go to Place Mark ^Q0..9 ^QZ Cyclic. Time, Date stamp Esc!,@ AltT,D DIFFERENCES IN MEANING OF COMMANDS COMMAND WS USE VDE USE ^^ (^6) Soften hard CR Transpose upper/lowercase ^KN Column block mode Rename current work ^OB Display soft spaces Display hard CRs ^OF Ruler from text Flush right ^OP Preview mode Set page length ^OJ Right justification Proportional spacing Note also that VDE does not obey WS "dot commands" in text, though in /W or /5 mode it will avoid printing them. You can get a page break (WordStar .PA) in VDE with the ^PL command. NOTE: Because VDE has no embedded margin information, files WRITTEN in /P or /X mode do NOT contain any formatting codes; however, they can be read (and reformatted if necessary) by WordPerfect or XyWrite. WORDPERFECT - Limited compatibility. /P file mode can READ WP text; it recognizes margin changes, and print codes for bold, underline, super/ subscript, and overstrike. No other formatting features are supported. You can also edit in VDE using a command set much like WordPerfect's, by loading the WP.VDF key definition file [see VINST.DOC]. It causes the [F]-keys to call up the MenuBar in a manner similar to WP's commands. XYWRITE - Limited compatibility. /X mode can READ XW text; it recognizes margin changes, and print codes for bold, underline, and italics. No other formatting features are supported. DIRECTORIES - When editing with VDE, the default directory assumed by the ^K file commands (^KL,R,N,F,J) is that of the current file; when editing multiple files, this can differ from one to the next. The directory does not display in the header, but can be seen with ^KI or at the ^KF prompt. The current DOS directory remains unchanged, and it is the default when using the AltL or AltR commands. (It can be changed with CHDIR under AltR. Note that AltL and ^KL use different defaults!) ERROR MESSAGES - Press Esc or Space to continue. "Error" alone means the command used just won't work in this situation. (Example: a block command was used with no block marked.) More specific errors are: "Out of Memory" - the file, block, or key string won't fit in RAM. "Invalid Key" - an illegal command key sequence was pressed. "Invalid Name/Path" - file not read/written because path does not exist, or filename is a duplicate, or illegal (COM/EXE). "I/O Error" - file not found, disk full, invalid drive, etc. "Cannot Reformat" - word too long, or margins invalid. "Not Found" - the object of a search was not found. "Graphics Overflow" - too many graphics in file to fit in table. "Macro Error" - programming command misused, or recording overflow. IMPORTANT NOTE: On DOS 2.x systems, an attempt to access an empty disk drive or to print when the printer is not online can produce a critical error message directly from DOS, something like: "Device not ready; Ignore, Retry, or Abort?" If this should happen, correct the situation and press "R" for Retry. Pressing "I" usually has no effect. DO NOT PRESS "A", as this will exit from VDE back to DOS, losing any text in memory! If, after recovering from such an error, the message is still on screen, you can press ^OZ,Esc to redisplay your text. FILE MODES - VDE has six "file modes": "A"SCII, "W"ordStar, WordStar "5", Word"P"erfect, or "X"yWrite document, and "N"on-document. In general, the document modes have wordwrap, pagination, and variable tabs; non-documents have hard tabs. The file mode option can be specified along with the filename at any VDE file function prompt (such as "Read in file:"), allowing you to read or write text in whatever format needed. [The default mode is /A, but this can be changed, and exceptions declared, with VINSTALL.] Most VDE users will select /A mode for documents (word processing) or /N mode for programming and other special applications. Both modes use plain ASCII text files, which are produced or accepted by virtually all software (DOS, compilers, database, telcom, etc). The /W, /5, and /P modes allow VDE to read and write WordStar or WordPerfect files (see COMPATIBILITY). The /X mode uses plain ASCII text, but without CRs at the ends of lines -- CRs occur only at the ends of paragraphs. These files can be exchanged with XyWrite and most other word processors that use this text- stream format (see COMPATIBILITY). CONVERSION: You can easily use VDE to mix text from several different formats, or to convert a file from one format into another. Just specify the appropriate mode with each file loaded or read in, or change to the appropriate mode (with ^KN) before saving. (Note limits on supported features in each format, above.) Normally, you must be sure to give the correct mode for any text you are reading; otherwise it may not be read in properly, and you will have to delete it or quit and try again. Exception: when you are reading a WordStar file into an ASCII file, or vice versa, you need not specify modes; VDE's disk input routine can automatically recognize the text and translate accordingly. MEMORY - VDE allocates memory for a file according to need, up to a maximum of 64k. (1k = 1024 bytes.) If you check the usage of memory (^KI) you will find that VDE compresses text: a file typically occupies 20-25% less memory than its actual size. Thus the largest file that can be edited with VDE in 64k is roughly 80k. VDE runs well with anywhere from 128k to 640k RAM; the number and size of files you can edit depends on the amount of memory you have. If you are running short of memory while editing, try exiting files you no longer need, or cutting (AltC) an empty block to empty the cut buffer. Running a DOS command requires enough free memory (beyond VDE's usage) to load a copy of COMMAND.COM and any programs you intend to run under it. You may not have enough memory to do this if you are editing many files with VDE, or you have lots of memory-resident software (TSRs). PROMPTS - First, VDE has several simple prompts requiring you to confirm an action by typing "Y" or "N". These warning messages appear on line 1 (though they are NOT given when a macro is running): "Abandon changes?" - a file you want to quit has been changed. "Unchanged; save?" - the file you want saved hasn't been changed. "File exists; overwrite?" - such a file already exists and will be lost. "Not recoverable; delete?" - block to delete is too big for undeletion. These confirmation prompts appear at the right edge of the header: "Chg?" - change this instance of a string? (Y/N/*) "Remove?" - remove this hyphen? (Y/N/Esc) "Rdy" - press a key to print next page (Esc quits). There are a number of standard prompts for either numeric or string input, like "Column:" or "Find string:". You are expected to type in a string (up to 65 characters). The following control keys operate: Correct error: [BkSp] (^H) Erase entire entry: ^X Finish entry: [Ret] (^M) or (^J) Abort operation: ^U Replay last filename: ^R (except in Macro strings) Note that to get any of these codes into the string itself, you must precede it with ^P (this includes ^P). EXAMPLE: to find a line beginning with a "*" (find "^M,*") type ^QF^P[Ret]*[Ret]. Graphics can also be entered into strings using Alt-G. =========================== 5. APPLICATION TIPS ============================ DESQVIEW - VDE is "DesqView aware": it cooperates with time-sharing in the multitasking DV environment. For VDE to run properly in a DV window, you must identify it as a "program that writes directly to the screen". FOREIGN ASCII FILES - If you edit an ASCII file created by other software, you may find that the file is properly formatted but full of hard CRs, making it impossible to REformat. There are two easy ways to solve this problem: first, you can use ^QA to find "^M"s and selectively replace them with "_^M". But the best method is to use a macro program (this is one of the examples you will find under MACRO PROGRAMMING.) PROGRAMMING. VDE (in "N"ondocument mode) makes a fine programmer's editor. A growing number of languages today include their own "integrated" environment editor, that guides you straight to errors detected during compilation. You can use VDE in a very similar manner, if you have a compiler or assembler that generates typical error messages (such as "Line 1091: Type of operands must match"). After saving your source file to disk, just use the AltR command to run the compiler, with the MSDOS ">" option to redirect output to a disk file; for example, C:\WORK>compile prog.src >listing Then use AltL to load the error reports in LISTING. You can go back and forth between LISTING and PROG.SRC (windowing both if desired), using the ^QI command to move to each line where an error was detected. REDIRECTING I/O. All the standard DOS device names are supported by VDE's input and output routines: CON, LST, PRN, LPTx, COMx, AUX, NUL. You might find this useful one day, though I never have. What it means, in practice, is that you should not try to edit a file with one of these reserved names, as VDE will try to read or write to the device. SPELLING CHECKERS. VDE has no integrated support for a spelling checker. However, some such programs are designed to work in a standalone mode, from the DOS prompt, with a filename argument, eg: C:\WPROC>spellchk my.doc Once you have saved your text to a disk file, you can of course run such a program with VDE's AltR command, then reload the file and/or misspelling list and scan for any errors flagged. STRUCTURED LANGUAGES. VDE's auto-indent function (^OA) is convenient for many structured programming languages including C and Pascal. However, in order to use it effectively in a non-document, you must either indent with the space bar rather than the tab key, or set VARIABLE TABS using the ^OV and ^OI commands (see TABS). Auto-indent can't cope with the actual (hard) tab characters normally inserted in non-documents when the [Tab] key is pressed. TRANSPOSING TEXT. Often you may need to switch the order of letters, words, or lines erroneously typed. The "undelete" feature can be exploited to move text, rather like a quick-and-dirty block move. For example, if the cursor is at the start of a word, the sequence of commands ^T^F^U (which of course can be assigned to a macro key) will swap that word with the one following it. Similarly, ^Y^X^U will swap two lines, while ^G^D^U transposes two letters. ============================================================================== For further information, see accompanying files: - VINST.DOC for information on MACROS and the use of VINSTALL - VDE.UPD for version history, including recent changes --- Eric Meyer, 401 12th Ave SE #139, Norman OK 73071 --- ==============================================================================